General Motors posted an 11.5% increase in February US sales, the automaker said today.
The results came hours after GM announced it will recall 1.3 million cars in North America over a potentially faulty power steering motor following a federal probe into the problem in January.
GM, like most other automakers, was expected to see a sales gain in February in the wake of a series of mass recalls at Japanese rival Toyota.
The automaker - which is shedding Saab, Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac amid a broad post-bankruptcy restructuring - attributed its gains to a solid lineup at its four remaining 'core' brands.
Sales at Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac rose 32.2% in February to 138,849 while total sales rose to 141,951 vehicles in February from 127,296 a year earlier.
Meanwhile, Toyota reported an 8.7% drop in February US sales to 100,027 vehicles, as the Japanese auto giant's top executives faced a third grilling by US lawmakers. The number of American deaths blamed on defects in Toyota vehicles has risen to more than 50.
Critics have attacked Toyota for its sluggish response to complaints and accused it of covering up defects and incorrectly blaming accidents on floor mats or sticky pedals while ignoring possible electronic problems.
