Foreign automakers have come under fire in China, after a show on Sunday by state TV accused them of selling defective products and overcharging customers.

This year's China Central Television's (CCTV) two-hour report on consumer rights, centered on Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz and Nissan. British car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover was accused of allegedly selling vehicles with faulty gearboxes.

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German car maker Volkswagen, on the other hand, was accused of negligence for failing to address defects despite numerous complaints from customers.

Despite its class and high standards, German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz also had its own share of shortcomings. CCTV accused Mercedes of charging its customers excessive fees and for billing them with unnecessary work. Same accusations were thrown at Japanese company Nissan.

The show even highlighted examples of expensive bills from auto-service centers and complaints against employees who didn't seem to care in helping troubled customers.

Customer service in China are often described as poor and inefficient as businesses have the habit of ignoring consumer complaints.

The CCTV show, which airs annually during World Consumer Rights Day, is produced to help counter company abuses against consumers. It is also known for its investigative reporting.

Targeted companies are asked to apologize and take corrective action to regain consumer confidence.

Automakers in China are taking CCTV's consumer rights show seriously, noting that China is currently the world's largest market for car sales. This is due to the rising buying power of the country's middle class.

Volkswagen, which had been targeted in the show's 2013 episode, was forced to recall nearly 400,000 of its vehicles.

Nissan meanwhile said, it is aware of the report and assures it has formed an internal working group to look into the allegations involving its unit in China.

Other automakers have yet to issue their statements.

Other foreign brands that had been a target of the show  in the past include Japanese camera maker Nikkon, and French Dairy company Danone.

Tagsauto maker, consumer rights, TV show, CCTV, jaguar, nissan, Mercedes, volkswagen