Toyota extends recall to Europe amid US problems

The announcement Thursday in Europe comes after the company earlier this week said it was suspending U.S. sales of eight models - including the Camry, America's top-selling car - to fix faulty gas pedals that could stick and cause acceleration without warning.

The scale of recalls over problems with sticking gas pedals and floor mats that can trap the accelerator have rapidly snowballed. On Thursday, Toyota announced an additional recall of 1.09 million vehicles in the United States covering five models - 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Venza, 2009-2010 Matrix, and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe.

A week before the U.S. sales suspension, Toyota issued a recall for the same eight models, affecting 2.3 million vehicles.

Those steps came on top of a recall in late 2009 involving 4.2 million vehicles amid concerns that floor mats could bend across gas pedals, causing sudden acceleration.

In Europe, Toyota is still unsure how many vehicles are affected.