SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government on Sunday ordered Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. to call back around 3,000 trucks for problems in the steering column.

    The action will affect a total of 3,276 trucks of 19t, 19.5t and 25t made from August 16, 2004 to the end of 2007, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said in a statement.

    The ministry said that problems were discovered in the auxiliary part of the steering system, noting that the auxiliary system functions for less than three minutes, failing to meet minimum safety requirements set for such large commercial trucks.

    Free repair services would be provided to owners of such vehicles at Tata Daewoo maintenance shops in the country starting from Monday, the ministry said.

    Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. is an Indian-controlled joint venture here as India's top automaker, Tata Motors, purchased South Korean truck maker Daewoo Commercial Vehicle in 2004.