In the latest of a string of product problems across the industry, General Motors Co said it was voluntarily recalling 1.3 million vehicles in North America to fix a power steering problem linked to 14 crashes and one injury. South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co announced a sharp rise in February sales, benefiting from recall woes at rival Toyota Motor Co, which planned aggressive incentives to win back US customers. Toyota's recalls totaling some 8.5 million vehicles globally due to uncontrolled acceleration and braking glitches have hurt its reputation for quality and shone a spotlight on vehicle safety issues. Toyota is facing a slide in US sales after recalling more than 6 million vehicles in that market alone. US February auto sales data, due later on Tuesday, are expected to show Toyota's market share sliding to its lowest level in more than five years, according to industry tracking firm Edmunds.com. Hyundai, which has been enjoying a surge in popularity for its cheap and fuel efficient models, said its February sales jumped 23 percent from a year ago to nearly 250,995 vehicles, its eighth consecutive month of double-digit gains. Under chief executive Chung Mong-koo, Hyundai has sought to cash in on the hit to Toyota's reputation, offering incentives for US consumers to switch to its models such as the Sonata and Elantra. “The impact of Toyota's recalls started to emerge from January, with Hyundai Motor's rising market share. It seems to become even clearer in February,” said Suh Sung-moon, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities in Seoul. GM, the largest US automaker, is also expected to have benefited from Toyota's recalls, but now faces its own albeit smaller problem. “With almost all major automakers involved in recalls, the whole issue is now about who admits problems first,” said Michael Sohn, analyst at Woori Investment & Securities in Seoul. GM said the affected vehicles can be still be safely controlled but it may require greater steering effort under 15 mph. The recall covers the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the United States; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico, GM said in a statement.
