General Motors has recalled 20,000 Cadillac CTS vehicles in the United States due to increased risk of injury to short people who don't wear seatbelts, a spokesman said Friday.
Crash testing showed the vehicle was not in compliance with federal regulations on the amount of force which reaches the legs of unbelted small people sitting in the front passenger seat, spokesman Alan Adler said.
"Only passengers not wearing a safety belt are affected," Adler told AFP.
"Recalls were not needed in other countries because they have national safety belt use laws."
No known injuries were associated with the defect, which affects 2009 and 2010 model years of the Cadillac CTS and CTS-V, Adler said.
Studies by federal safety regulators show that about 85 percent of Americans wear their seatbelts, he added.
Dealers will reduce the excessive injury risk by replacing the glove compartment at no cost.
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