Toyota is recalling 870,000 of its Sienna minivans in Canada and the United States because of a potential problem with the cable that secures the spare tire.

The Sienna minivan was not part of an earlier Toyota recall to address accelerator-pedal problems. (Toyota Canada)

In cold-weather climates, road salt can corrode the cable and might cause it to snap. The tire could fall off onto the road and cause a crash.

Toyota Canada said Friday the voluntary recall affects 270,000 two-wheel-drive Siennas from the 1998-2010 model years.

"Toyota Canada is asking owners of affected vehicles to bring their vehicles to their local dealership for an inspection in order to assess the condition of the spare tire carrier assembly," the automaker said in a statement.

Affected Sienna owners will receive a letter in the mail beginning next month, with subsequent notices once a fix has been developed.

In the U.S., the recall affects 600,000 minivans in 20 Midwest and northeastern states. The U.S. government says it has received six complaints involving spare tires falling off Siennas.

The Sienna is not one of the vehicles plagued by sticky-accelerator problems.

Toyota Canada also announced Friday a voluntary recall of 4,774 floor mats sold as an optional accessory in some SUVs and trucks.

If the "tray type" mats aren't properly installed on the driver's side, they can catch on the accelerator pedal.

Affected vehicle models are the 2008-2010 Highlander (including the hybrid version) and the 2007-2010 Tundra, Toyota said. The company advised owners who have one to remove it from the driver's side. Refunds are forthcoming.

Bad week for automaker

The recalls are the latest in a litany of woes for the world's largest automaker.

Earlier this week, Toyota halted sales of its Lexus GX 460 after the influential magazine Consumer Reports gave the sport-utility vehicle a "Don't Buy" rating amid concerns it could roll over on tight turns. On Friday, Toyota said it had confirmed what the magazine found in its road tests and will not sell any more GX 460s until the flaw is fixed.

Toyota also must decide by Monday whether it will appeal a $16.4-million US fine that the U.S. Transportation Department has proposed. The penalty is being levied because the company failed to promptly notify regulators about defective gas pedals in some of its vehicles.

Those gas-pedal issues have forced the company to recall more than eight million vehicles worldwide since September.

With files from The Associated Press