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COLUMBIA -- Toyota owners are finding out the company has ordered a temporary stop to sales and production of eight top models because of safety concerns.

If you own one of those vehicles, you'll likely have to take your car into the dealership to be serviced. The recall affects thousands of Toyota owners in central Missouri.

"It is a concern,” Joe Machens Toyota manager Dan Kellar said. “That's why Toyota's doing what they're doing, and doing it in a proactive way."

Toyota is recalling cars, trucks and SUV's. About 1,200 Joe Machens customers are affected by the recall.

The vehicles involved include the RAV4, Corolla, Camry, Matrix, Avalon, Highlander, Tundra and Sequoia. Local dealers say Toyota will be contacting affected owners by mail sometime this month and the recalled vehicles will likely have to be brought into the local dealerships for new parts.

It's a move that surprises both owners and analysts.

"This seems to be an unprecedented decision for a company to stop selling cars to address a safety issue,” Jeanine Fallon with Edmonds.com said.

Local dealers say the recall affects far less vehicles than what's being recalled.

"There was actually eight vehicles out of 1.4 million that had a documented case of accelerator's sticking,” Kellar said.

Regardless, the move will likely have an affect on sales. But local dealers believe this is just a speed bump and the precaution won't tarnish Toyota's image down the road.

"It's gonna have an impact on sales,” Kellar said.  “I think long-term the way Toyota's handling this will actually have a positive effect on Toyota's outlook."

If you have one of the recalled cars and have trouble with the gas pedal sticking, press firmly on the brake and put the car into neutral. Let the dealership you bought the car from know immediately if you have problems before you are told to bring your car in.