GM Recalls 1.3 Million Pontiac and Chevrolet Vehicles

General Motors will recall 1.3 million Pontiac and Chevrolet vehicles in North America because of power steering failures that are linked to one injury and 14 crashes in the U.S., the automaker announced Tuesday.

The recall includes all 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 models purchased in the United States, 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 models sold in Mexico, and 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit models sold in Canada.

Based in Detroit, GM informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recall on Monday after finishing its own investigation first begun in January of 2009.

The NHTSA began an independent investigation of 905,000 United States Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles in January of 2010 after getting over 1,100 complaints about power steering failures, one injury, and 14 accidents.

General Motors VP of quality, Jamie Hresko, reported that the investigation indicated that the issue develops gradually, and is more likely to happen in vehicles with expired warranties.

General Motors spokesperson Alan Adler reported to CNNMoney that the problem tends to affect vehicles that have 20,000-30,000 miles on them.

Although the automaker is working on a solution to remedy the problem, Mr. Hresko said owners can keep the vehicle under control even if the power steering function fails.

“Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers' peace of mind,” he added. “While greater steering effort under 15 mph may be required, if the customer experiences loss of power steering assist, it is important to note that the vehicle can still be safely controlled because the customer can still steer the vehicle.”

He said that when the power steering function fails, the driver will hear a chime and a “power steering” alert message will appear to inform drivers.