About 2.3 million vehicles are affected by the recall, which was, Toyota said Tuesday in a statement. That's more autos than the 1.8 million Toyota sold in all of 2009.
"Toyota has a legal obligation to stop the sale of vehicles that would be affected under the recall," a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) spokesman said.
While stopping sales of recalled is standard procedure, stopping production of the cars is unusual, a Toyota spokesman admitted.
But because no remedy has been found, it's not known how long the sales suspension will last. That meant Toyota would be producing cars it couldn't sell and that would only need to fixed later before they could be sold.
"Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," Toyota USA group vice president Bob Carter said Tuesday. "This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized."
The situation is rare, Toyota said last week, but can occur when accelerator pedal mechanisms become worn. The problem will usually develop gradually, Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said.
The pedal may become harder to press and may become slower to return when released. In the worst cases, it may become stuck in a partially depressed position.
In that case, applying the brakes should be enough to get the car back under control, the automaker said.
Owners who are not experiencing any problems should be able to continue driving their cars, Toyota said. If they experience any sticking or hesitancy in the gas pedal, they should stop driving the car and call the nearest Toyota dealer.
A Toyota spokesman said there are no confirmed deaths traceable to the defect.
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