2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ.General Motors is recalling all of its 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedans to check for a steering problem as well as a condition in which an automatic transmission that appears to be in Park may still be in gear, increasing the chance of a roll-away accident.
In a telephone interview Wednesday evening, Alan Adler, a G.M. spokesman, said the steering recall covered about 129,000 vehicles in the United States. The action also covers roughly 25,000 vehicles built for the Canadian market.
Mr. Adler said the vehicles would be checked to make sure the intermediate steering shaft was properly installed.
He said the automaker had one complaint from an owner who, while in a parking lot, turned the steering wheel without the vehicle changing direction. There was no accident.
Mr. Adler said G.M. couldn’t find another vehicle with such a problem. “We think it was a one-shot, a one-vehicle issue,” he said. But as a precaution, the automaker decided on Wednesday evening to check all Cruze models.
About 100,000 of those vehicles have automatic transmissions; the remaining 29,000 have manual gearboxes.
The automatics will be inspected at dealerships for a possible linkage problem. It is possible, Mr. Adler said, for the shift lever to display Park while the transmission itself is in gear. If the parking brake is not used, there may be a possibility that the vehicle would roll away.
Last month, General Motors recalled about 2,100 Cruzes because the steering wheel might not have been properly fastened to the steering column. The automaker said the action was prompted by one incident in which the steering wheel came off; G.M. insisted that was also a one-time event.
The Cruze, built in Lordstown, Ohio, is a hugely important car for the automaker. As the company recovers from bankruptcy, the Cruze is charged with convincing consumers that G.M. can build a world-class small car capable of challenging competitors like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and the new Ford Focus.
Reviews have generally given the Cruze good marks for features and performance. General Motors says it is the best-selling Chevrolet. About 25,000 were sold in April, and about 75,000 have been sold since the vehicle’s introduction. According to a statement issued by Chevrolet on Wednesday, some of the recalled vehicles are still on dealer lots.
Loading Twitter messages...
Slide Show: 2011 New York Auto Show
Brad Spurgeon, a longtime auto racing reporter based in Paris, discusses all things about Formula One: the competition, the gossip, the technology and the politics. Join him in the virtual paddock.