Toyota recall applies to only a few Canadian cars

Toyota Canada saysan investigation into potential problems with floor mats in some Toyotamodelsthat forced a recall of four million vehicles in the United States does not affect vehicles sold in Canada.

"There is no risk of accelerator-pedal entrapment when compatible Toyota and Lexus Canadian-designed, all-weather floor mats are properly used in the affected models as they are different in design and material composition from the Toyota-supplied mats in the U.S.," the company said in a news release Thursday.

"Properly installed and secured compatible carpet floor mats also do not give rise to pedal entrapment."

However in a situation unique to Canada, the company recommended Toyota Venza owners take out any Toyota-brand driver's side all-weather floor mats. The company said the Toyota-brand carpeted floor mat is OK if properly installed and secured.

Toyota plans to replace the gas pedals on four million vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats and cause sudden acceleration.

In plans outlined Wednesday, dealers will offer to shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January as a stopgap measure while the company develops replacement pedals. New pedals will be installed by dealers on a rolling basis beginning in April, and some vehicles will get a brake override system as a precaution.

The massive recall is the largest in the U.S. for Toyota Motor Corp. The Japanese automaker had earlier told owners to remove the driver's side floor mats to keep the gas pedal from becoming jammed.

Popular vehicles such as the midsize Camry, the top-selling car in America, and the Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid, are among those to be fixed. The recall also includes the luxury Lexus ES350, themodel involved in a fiery fatal accident in California that focused public attention on the danger.