GM to recall 1.3 million cars over Cobalt, G5 power steering complaints

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON – General Motors said tonight 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 m.p.h., 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.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100301/BUSINESS0101/100301059/1210/business/GM-to-recall-1.3-million-cars-over-Cobalt-G5-steering-complaints

[mrdmk]

1. My personal experience with this is there is a problem

My 2005 Malibu Max I had a problem with the intermediate steering shaft. The car roughly had 20,000 miles on the odometer. I asked how long will this part last another 20,000 miles, thus the car will be out of warranty. I was told no, the part had been redesigned and there should be no further problem.

The problem in the article states there is a problem with the power steering. Not sure this will effect my car because the power steering is electric...

[FarCenter]

2. The power steering in the Cobalts is electric

[Omaha Steve]

3. My Cobalt has 4,444 miles

I heard about this at work first thing this morning. "The recall, the largest by GM in a number of years". Mine should be fixed long before the trouble starts.

I have poked fun at Toyota for the last couple weeks, every chance I got. At least this is a much smaller recall and no known deaths yet.

OS