GM Delays March U.S. Sales Data Due To Computer Issue

(RTTNews) - General Motors Co. (GM) said Tuesday that its March U.S. sales will be delayed several hours due to a computer systems issue that impacted dealer sales reporting.

The company, which originally scheduled to release at 9:30 a.m. EDT today, expects to report its sales this afternoon before the close of business.

On Monday, GM said that it would recall more than 1.3 million vehicles in the United States to fix their power steering.

The defect, found in seven models manufactured between 2004 and 2010, can cause a sudden loss of electric power steering assist, making the vehicles more difficult to maneuver and increasing the risk of a crash, the Detroit, Michigan-based company said.

GM said Monday that it expects to take a charge of up to about $750 million in the first quarter to cover the cost of recalls announced in the quarter, including the previously disclosed $300 million charge for three safety actions announced on March 17 and the ignition switch recall announced on February 25.

On Friday, the largest U.S. automaker expanded its global recall of vehicles with defective ignition switches to 2.6 million. On March 17, GM said it is recalling about 1.55 million vehicles including full-size crossovers, vans and sedans in the U.S. to implement a range of repairs.