SHANGHAI (Reuters) - BYD has informed the Chinese regulator it is recalling nearly 97,000 electric vehicles (EVs) for a manufacturing fault involving a steering control unit that could lead to fire risks, the market regulator said on Sunday.

The Chinese automaker is recalling Dolphin and Yuan Plus EVs manufactured in China between November 2022 and December 2023, according to a statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

BYD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company would ask its dealers to install a physical fix in the recalled cars, the SAMR statement added.

It did not elaborate if any of the affected EVs were exported.

Dolphin and Yuan Plus were BYD's two top-selling models in 2023, which in total accounted for 26% of its 3 million cars sold in the year, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The recall is a rare one by BYD of its pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars as the Chinese company grew rapidly to become the world's biggest seller of such vehicles.

It recalled a small batch of Tang plug-in hybrids in 2022 due to a defect in the battery pack that could cause fires.

(Reporting by Shanghai and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)