Toyota has said it will recall 1.3 million Corolla and Matrix cars in the United States and Canada because of defective engine control modules that could cause the vehicles to stall.

The recall of the Corolla and Matrix cars adds to the 11 million vehicles Toyota has recalled in the past year, mostly for unintended acceleration, denting its reputation for quality and gaining intense scrutiny by US safety regulators.

General Motors have also said that some 200,000 Pontiac Vibes, a sister car to the Toyota Matrix, would be recalled in the United States and Canada because of the same issue.

Toyota said it had unconfirmed reports of three accidents and one minor injury in the US in connection with the problems with the units on vehicles from the 2005-2008 models. It will replace the modules.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has intensified a probe into reports of stalling in the vehicles from the 2005-2007 models, upgrading a preliminary investigation opened in November 2009.

Toyota spokesman John Hanson said 32 engine control modules had been obtained from cars in service and four malfunctioned during tests that subjected them to extreme heat and cold, prompting the decision to replace the components.

The recall covers 1.13 million vehicles in the US and 200,300 in Canada, Toyota said. Toyota Canada said it had no reports of accidents or injuries. The UK remains unaffected.