Exotic car owners can breath a sigh of relief, since the latest recall news affects compact cars made by General Motors. The beleaguered United States automaker is currently recalling 1.3 million vehicles for problems with the power steering system. 
Photo by David Frick of North Richland Hills, TX. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only. See more of David’s photos in his Flickr photostream.
The recalled vehicles, which were manufactured in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, were made between 2005 and 2010. If you own one of the following vehicles, be on the lookout for a recall notice:
- 2005 and 2006 Pontiac Pursuit
- 2005 and 2006 Pontiac G4
- 2007 through 2010 Pontiac G5
- 2005 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
These vehicles are being recalled because the power steering system can fail, causing steering difficulties when driving at speeds less than 15 miles per hour. GM says the power steering problem will not affect vehicle safety, and steering will not be affected at higher speeds.
If the power steering fails on one of the affected vehicles, a chime will sound, and one of the dashboard lights will illuminate. The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration focused on over 1100 complaints about power steering problems. The problems reported resulted in 14 vehicle crashes and one related injury.
“These recalls can be a hassle for consumers, but they do ensure your safety,” says Ron Sturgeon, an exotic car enthusiast and owner of a business that provides exotic car dream tours in Dallas, TX. Over ten million vehicles have been recalled this year, many by Toyota Motor Company. The Japanese automaker blames increased demand and production for its recall of over 8.5 million vehicles worldwide.
“No one likes a recall,” says small business marketing consultant and author Ron Sturgeon, “but the fixes are often simple.” In this case, the vehicles will need new power steering motors. The parts aren’t yet available, but GM anticipates a relatively quick repair. Older vehicles will be the first to receive the new motor, since the problem tends to arise more frequently in vehicles that have more than 20,000 miles on the odometer.
The fix will also be applied to used GM vehicles currently on car lots. “Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers’ peace of mind,” said Jamie Hresko, GM’s vice president of quality.
Kate Miller-Wilson is a writer, specializing in web content, editing, and technical writing.
