A 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe.

Dow Jones Newswires | General Motors Co. said it is voluntarily
recalling 1.3 million compact cars, including the company’s popular
Chevrolet Cobalt model, because the cars’ power steering could fail.

The recall affects the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalts, 2007-2010 Pontiac
G5s, 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuits sold in Canada and the 2005-2006
Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico. The auto maker told the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration about the recall Monday after finishing
an investigation that began last year.

The condition takes time to develop and tends to occur in models that are out of warranty, said GM Vice President of Quality Jamie Hresko.

“While greater steering effort under 15 mph may be required, these vehicles are safe to drive because the customer can still steer the vehicle,” Hresko said. “When the condition occurs, both a chime will sound and a ‘Power Steering’ message will be displayed.”

The NHTSA had opened an investigation Jan. 27 into about 905,000 Cobalt models in the U.S. after it received more than 1,100 complaints of a lost of power steering assist, 14 crashes and one injury.

GM’s announcement is the latest safety-related callback of cars, with Toyota Motor Corp. recently recalling some 8 million autos globally because of problems including sticky accelerator pedals that cause sudden, unintended acceleration.