Toyota recalled about 2.3 million vehicles in North America yesterday to fix sticking accelerator pedals.

In a statement issued by Toyota, it said, “Our investigation indicates that there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.”

The car models included in the 2010 Toyota recall are the following:

2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 RAV4 SUVs, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix hatchbacks, 2008-2010 Sequoia SUVs, 2007-2010 Camry, 2007-2010 Tundra pickups, and 2005-2010 Avalon sedans.

No Lexus or Scion models are affected by the recall because the defective accelerator components were only used in the models recalled yesterday, Toyota said.

An email from Karen Aldana, spokeswoman of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said, “Toyota has been discussing this issue with the agency over the last several days. We believe it is a serious safety issue and we are pleased that Toyota is taking immediate action to address it.”