DETROIT -General Motors Co is
recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America to address a power steering
problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury, the company said.
U.S. safety regulators opened an
investigation on January 27 into approximately 905,000 Cobalt models in the
United States after receiving more than 1,100 complaints of power steering
failures. The complaints included 14 crashes and one injury.
The recall covers the 2005-2010
model years Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the United States;
2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in
Mexico, GM said in a statement.
GM said the affected vehicles can
be still be "safely controlled" but it may require greater steering
effort under 15 mph. Drivers will see a warning light and hear a chime if the
power steering fails.
"After our in-depth investigation,
we found that this is a condition that takes time to develop. It tends to occur
in older models out of warranty," GM Vice President of Quality Jamie
Hresko said in the statement.
"Recalling these vehicles is
the right thing to do for our customers' peace of mind," he said.
GM said it is currently developing
a remedy to fix the problem and will notify customers when the plan is
finalized.
The recall comes at a time of
heighten public and regulatory scrutiny over vehicle safety issues in the wake
of massive recalls by Toyota Motor Corp.