The company will recall Beetles made between July 1, 2012 and Aug. 6, 2015, and Golfs, made between July 1, 2012 and July 6, 2013, according to a statement posted Friday on the official website of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (ASDIQ).
A problem with noise filters may cause difficulty with breaking when the cars have been in cruise control for long periods of time, ASDIQ said, adding that the problem created a "hidden safety risk".
The company will fix the problem for free, it said.
Volkswagen's business has been under the microscope since 2015, when it was revealed the company had installed software on 11 million cars that allowed them to defeat emissions tests.