Toyota accelerator pedal recall is for 2.3M vehicles

Toyota said yesterday it is recalling 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix accelerator pedals that can become stuck, the latest in a string of quality problems that have bedeviled the Japanese automaker.

The recall affects the 2010 Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia and Tundra, and earlier versions of some of the same models.

The latest move comes just months after Toyota Motor Corp. recalled 4.2 million vehicles over concerns that accelerator pedals could become lodged under floor mats, causing sudden acceleration. But Toyota said Thursday's recall is due to potential problems with the actual gas pedal mechanism, causing the accelerator to become stuck regardless of whether the vehicle contains a floor mat. Toyota said in certain rare cases, the gas pedal mechanism wears down, causing the accelerator to become harder to press, slower to return or, in some cases, stuck.

Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said the automaker does not yet have a solution to the latest problem but is working to develop one.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that the problem is "a serious safety issue."