Timeline: Global recalls in the auto industry

(Reuters) - General Motors Co is recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury, the company said on Tuesday.

Here are some details about previous major auto recalls:

1981 - GM recalled 5.8 million vehicles due to loose suspension bolts that affected steering.

1996 - Ford Motor Co recalled more than 8 million vehicles to replace defective ignition switches.

July 1998 - GM recalled close to 1 million Cadillac, Pontiac and Chevrolet cars over fears air bags may go off by accident.

August 2000 - Japanese tire maker Bridgestone Corp recalled 14.4 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires.

2004 - GM recalled nearly 4 million pickups because of corroding tailgate cables.

April 2005 - GM said it was recalling more than 2 million vehicles to fix a variety of potential safety defects.

-- GM said the largest of the safety actions included 1.5 million full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles from the 2003 to 2005 model years with second-row seat belts that may be difficult to properly position across passengers' hips.

October 2005 - Toyota recalled about 1.41 million cars globally, due to trouble with their headlight switching systems.

December 2007 - Chrysler LLC said it would recall 575,417 vehicles as long-term wear on the gear shift assembly could cause them to shift out of park without the key in the ignition.

August 2008 - GM announced a recall of 857,735 vehicles equipped with a heated windshield wiper fluid system for a potential short-circuit problem.

September 2009 - Toyota said it would recall approximately 3.8 million vehicles in the U.S. because of floor mats that could have come loose and force down the accelerator. The problem was suspected in crashes that have killed five people.

October 2009 - Ford completed a series of recalls affecting 14 million vehicles due to a faulty cruise control deactivation switch. The latest recall involved some 4.5 million vehicles.

-- The action effectively closed out a 10-year saga over the switches made by Texas Instruments that led to more than a half-dozen recalls, the automaker said.

January 2010 - Toyota issues a series of recalls covering 5.6 million vehicles in the United States due to sudden acceleration in some vehicles. It is the largest ever recall for Toyota and among the biggest for an automaker in U.S. history.

-- Honda recalled 646,000 of its Fit/Jazz and City automobiles globally over a faulty window switch after a child died when fire broke out in a car last year.

-- Toyota's problems touched other carmakers too: France's PSA Peugeot Citroen said recalled nearly 100,000 Peugeot 107s and Citroen C1s made in the Czech Republic where Toyota and PSA jointly make cars.

February 2010 - Toyota recalls a total of 437,000 units of its 2010 Prius, Sai, Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid) and Lexus HS250h hybrids globally, including 155,000 in North America, 223,000 in Japan and 53,000 in Europe.

-- Honda said it would recall another 438,000 cars globally to replace an airbag deflator that could rupture. The expanded recall is concentrated in the United States.

-- Nissan Motor Co, Japan's third-biggest carmaker, said on February 25 it would recall 76,415 cars across 10 models in Japan and 2,281 cars overseas due to a possible defect that may cause engine failure.

-- Suzuki Motor, Japan's No. 4 carmaker, said it would recall 432,366 units of two minicar models in Japan after two reported incidents of fire due to a possible defect in air conditioners. Daihatsu Motor recalled 60,774 units of four minicar models in Japan due to wiring problems.

March 2010 - GM says it is recalling 1.3 million compact cars covering the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the U.S.; the 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico.

(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Louise Heavens)