Toyota accelerator fault could spread to Europe

Toyota has put the brakes on its US sales due to a safety scare over a faulty accelerator pedal in eight of its models.

It is thought the fault, which involves the accelerator pedal sticking and causing the car to speed up, could mean the company will need to halt European sales in order to ensure the cars haven't suffered the same fault.

Last week Toyota recalled a total of 2.3 million cars and has halted production at six of its North American assembly plants. As yet there is no date for production to restart.