The 2008 Chevy Cobalt, one of the 1.3 million cars GM is recalling over power steering concerns. Photo credit: Dino Abatzidis

US carmaker GM has, in the parlance of our time, “pulled a Toyota”: The automaker is recalling 1.3 million of its compact vehicles over concerns that the cars’ power steering could fail.

The cars affected are the 2005-2010 model of the Chevrolet Cobalt; the 2007-2010 Pontiac G5; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit, sold in Canada; and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4, sold in Mexico. According to a GM press release, the vehicles are being recalled after both an internal investigation; the press release also noted that the National Highway and Transportation Safety Authority had opened its own investigation into the Chevrolet Cobalt after receiving more than 1,100 complaints and reports of 14 crashes and on injury.

GM’s announcement came hours before Toyota is due to make another appearance before Congress today, for further investigations into the carmakers’ treatment of the safety issues in the more than 8 million of its cars recalled over the last few weeks. Like most Congressional hearings, this one has tended to devolve into ritual public shaming, as very grave congressmen pronounce judgments on Toyota and the state of vehicle safety in general.

In other words, it’s not shaping up to be a good week for the auto industry.