General Motors to recall 1.3 million cars in North America

General Motors Co will recall 1.3 million cars of its Chevrolet and Pontiac brands from customers across the United States, Canada and Mexico, according to news reports.

Problems with the power steering in the Chevrolet compact model Cobalt and several Pontiac models could cause difficulties in manoeuvring the vehicles at low speed, Bloomberg news agency reported late Monday, DPA reported.

The affected models need to be recalled to have new electric motors fitted to their steering.

General Motors has received more than 1,100 complaints of power steering failure. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced its intention to investigate in February.

The company said 14 accidents and one injury had been linked to the defective steering, but stressed that it was still possible to steer the car if the power assistance fails. The steering is most affected at low speeds, it added.

The world's number one carmaker Toyota has also been in the spotlight recently following the recall of 8.5 million vehicles at the end of last year, mostly in the US.