One of Toyota's most popular cars, the corolla has been banned in one of Brazil's biggest states, which says the model is a safety risk.

The Minas Gerais regional government stopped sales of vehicle, claiming an acceleration problem was "putting in danger the lives of occupants".

It said nine Corollas in the state had shown problems that Toyota said were caused by badly installed floor mats.

Toyota has recalled more than 8million vehicles internationally.

In February, US authorities began an investigation into problems of the corolla, amid complaints the car would accelerate suddenly. At least 34 deaths in the United States have been blamed on the problem.

Stability Issues.

Earlier this week, Toyota agreed to pay a record fine of $16.4m in the US for failing to report some defects in some of its vehicles accelerator pedals.

The Japanese carmaker denied hiding the defects, but again acknowledged that it could have handled the issue better.

Some 2.3million Toyotas were recalled in the US in January amid reports that the accelerator pedals become stuck.

This week, Toyota announced it was recalling about 34,000 Lexus GX 460 and Land Cruiser Prado SUVs worldwide.

The company said it would update the vehicles'stability-control software programme to reduce the risk of them sliding sideways when turning sharply at high speeds, partly because the fuel tank and the presence of the driver might make the left side of the vehicle heavier.