1.3 million auto recall announced by GM

Washington - General Motors said this week it will recall 1.3 million cars in North America to replace a power steering motor that could fail, following a federal probe launched in January.

GM said the recall would cover 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalts, 2007-10 Pontiac G5s and similar models sold in Canada and Mexico.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Agency in January had opened a probe of 905,000 Cobalts from the 2005 through 2009 model year following 1,132 complaints of power steering failures that could make the cars hard to control. The complaints included reports of 14 crashes and one injury.

"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," said Jamie Hresko, GM vice president of quality, in a statement. "Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers' peace of mind.

GM said even if the problem occurred, the vehicles are "safe to drive" but would require more steering effort under 15 mph, with a chime and "Power Steering" warning light coming on.

The recall, the largest by GM in a number of years, comes as Congress scrutinizes the auto industry's regulation by NHTSA following a string of Toyota recalls linked to sudden acceleration problems.

GM recalled 2.2 million vehicles in 2009, and its total number of vehicles recalled had been falling in recent years as the company said it was catching problems earlier in production.