General Motors recalls 800,000 trucks worldwide over steering defect

US auto giant General Motors has recalled nearly 800,000 pickup trucks worldwide over defective steering.

The largest US auto manufacturer’s pickup trucks have steering problem, according to documents made public on Friday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  ( NHTSA) said the US automaker’s 2014 model year Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 have this problem.

The defect causes the drivers to temporarily lose control of the steering wheel, raising the chances of having crashes, injuries or deaths.

The recall includes about 690,000 vehicles in the US, 80,000 in Canada, and about 25,000 in other markets.

GM is to notify pickup owners when GM dealers will begin repairing the defective vehicles.

GM dealers will overwrite the vehicle’s software to address the defect and update the electric power steering software free of charge.

The NHTSA fined GM $35 million in 2014 for failing to recall cars with faulty ignition switches for a decade, despite knowing there was a problem with the switches.

The ignition switch recall involved 2.6 million GM cars worldwide.

GM paid compensation for 124 deaths linked to the defective switches.

The US auto industry has been in dire economic straits in past years.

It received roughly $80 billion in a government rescue package.

US President Donald Trump has pledged to save the ailing US auto industry and promote an American auto boom.

In March, he promised to boost manufacturing by encouraging companies to hire and produce in the United States while punishing those who do not.

"The assault on the American auto industry, believe me, is over," Trump said.

"We're going to use the full economic powers of our country to protect our workers and to protect our jobs."

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