China's product safety watchdog said Thursday Toyota would recall over 75,000 automobiles in the Asian nation, extending a programme that has already affected millions of vehicles in the United States.

The recall in China involves the RAV4 sport utility vehicle, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in a statement on its website.

The 75,552 cars, all made between March 2009 and January this year, are being recalled over accelerator pedal problems. In some cases, the pedal can block, influencing the speed of the vehicle, the statement said.

"In extreme circumstances, when the driver lets go of the accelerator pedal, it can stick, and the vehicle cannot slow down in time, which affects driving safety," the statement said.

Toyota last week recalled 2.3 million cars and trucks because of problems with sticking accelerator pedals.

The company said that in rare cases, the pedal mechanism could become worn and harder to depress or stuck in a partially depressed position.

The company now plans to extend that recall to Europe, although it has not yet decided which models and how many vehicles will be affected there.

Another 5.3 million of its cars and trucks have also been affected by faulty floor mats that can trap accelerator pedals.