Cobalt Power Steering Recall

[AJT1961]

DETROIT
Tue Mar 2, 2010 12:42am EST

DETROIT (Reuters) - 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 on Tuesday.

The recall covers the 2005-2010 model year 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 it told U.S. safety regulators about the voluntary recall on Monday after concluding an investigation that began in 2009.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation on January 27 into approximately 905,000 Cobalt models in the United States after receiving more than 1,100 complaints of loss of power steering assist.

"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.

Hresko said that while greater steering effort under 15 mph may be required, the vehicle can still be "safely controlled because the customer can still steer the vehicle."

GM said it is currently developing a remedy to fix the problem and will notify customers when the plan is finalized.