Nissan and Honda, both major automakers based in Japan, responded Wednesday to reports that a potential merger of the two companies could beat risk of being abandoned.

Two of Japan’s largest automakers have been in talks to combine their operations to form one of the world’s biggest car groups.

A proposed $58 billion merger to create the world’s fourth-largest carmaker appears on the verge of collapse after Honda made an unexpected proposal to turn Nissan into a fully owned subsidiary, according to three people familiar with the matter.