(May 5, 2011) General Motors is recalling more than 154,000 of its top-selling Chevrolet Cruze compact sedans to check that the steering shaft was properly installed. Of those vehicles, more than 120,000 cars with an automatic transmission will also be inspected to ensure the transmission shift linkage was properly installed, GM said late Wednesday.

The cars are built at a plant in Lordstown, Ohio, and sold in the United States and Canada.

The recall covers nearly every Cruze assembled since the vehicle went into production in the U.S. in September.

The Cruze was GM's number two selling vehicle in April and is a cornerstone of the automaker's revamped and fuel- efficient model lineup at a time of rising fuel prices.

"Very few" of the vehicles should have either problem and GM has made quality process changes to ensure neither error happens again, Terry Woychowski, GM's head of global quality, said in a statement.

In April, GM recalled 2,100 Cruze cars to inspect for an improperly fastened steering wheel.

GM also announced two other smaller recalls. No crashes or injuries stemmed from any of the recalls.

The company said the nut on the windshield wiper motor crank arm could come loose on some 2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks, affecting 6,303 vehicles, including 4,674 trucks in the United States. GM also said possible brake fluid leaks prompted it to recall 8,723 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans for the model year 2011.

Source: Reuters