WASHINGTON – General Motors Corp. said Friday it would recall nearly 300,000 Saturn L Series sedans and wagons because of problems with brake and tail lights.

The problem could make it difficult for the driver of another vehicle to realize the Saturn’s brakes were being applied and lead to a rear-end crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

GM, the world’s largest automaker, said in some vehicles the plastic coating in the rear taillamp assembly could become distorted if the brake light remains on for an extended period of time. It could make the brake or tail light inoperable or cause it to short-circuit, leading to the failure of both brake lamps and the center, high-mounted stop lamp.

The defect was found in certain 2000-2002 model years of the L Series sedan and 2000-2004 model year L Series wagon, potentially affecting 291,652 vehicles.