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Potential power steering problems with some of its vehicles have led General Motors (GM) to announce today that it will recall 1.3 million cars in North America, including its popular Chevrolet Cobalt, reports The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

The voluntary recall involves the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt; 2007-2010 Pontiac G5; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico, according to GM.

In January, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began an investigation into safety concerns with approximately 905,000 Chevy Cobalts after receiving more than 1,000 complaints of loss of power steering assist and reports of 14 crashes and one injury.

GM says the vehicles being recalled are still safe to drive. “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. “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.”

GM said both a chime will sound and a ‘Power Steering’ message will be displayed when the issue occurs.

GM’s recall comes as automakers face heightened scrutiny in the wake of the Toyota recall of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide for safety defects in accelerator and brake systems.