UPDATE 1-VW to recall 413, 000 cars for fuel leak risk

VW recalls cars over risk fuel lines could chafe, leak

* Golf, Rabbit, Jetta and New Beetle covered

DETROIT Dec 15 (Reuters) – Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) said on Wednesday it would recall over 413,000 cars in the United States and Canada for the risk that they could develop fuel leaks and potentially catch fire.

The recall covers the Golf, Rabbit, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models from the 2007 to 2009 model years.

The New Beetle from the 2006 to 2010 model years is also covered under the recall, VW said.

Of the total, 377,000 of the cars are being recalled in the United States with the remainder in Canada, VW said.

The automaker said that the Golf, Rabbit and Jetta models have a plastic tab on the windshield fluid container that could rub against a fuel line and cause a leak to develop.

VW had said in a statement from Frankfurt that it was recalling about 377,000 vehicles in North America.

A spokesman later clarified that total did not include the roughly 36,000 vehicles under recall in Canada.

In the case of the New Beetle, a fastening clamp that is part of the power steering system could cause the same kind of problem, the automaker said in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

All of the vehicles are manufactured in Mexico and shipped to the United States and Canada.

VW said it had not received any reports of fires, injuries or crashes related to the condition in either market.

Owners will be notified of the recall in January, VW said in its filing with U.S. safety regulators.

VW said it would pay for its dealers to inspect all of the vehicles covered by the recall and replace the fuel line if needed.

In addition, dealers will either remove the potentially risky plastic tab from the Golf, Rabbit and Jetta models or adjust the problematic clamp in the case of the Beetle, VW said. (Reporting by Kevin Krolicki, editing by Dave Zimmerman)