April 13, 2010
Don't Buy: Safety Risk--2010 Lexus GX 460
Consumer Reports

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...fety-risk.html

Consumer Reports has judged the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV a Don’t Buy: Safety Risk because of a problem we experienced during our standard emergency-handling tests. When pushed to its limits on our track’s handling course, the rear of the GX we bought slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system was able to regain control.

We believe that in real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death. We are not aware, however, of any such reports.

All four of our auto engineers who conduct the test experienced the problem in an exercise used to evaluate what’s called lift-off oversteer. In the test, as the vehicle is driven through a turn, the driver quickly lifts his foot off the accelerator pedal to see how the vehicle reacts.

We perform this evaluation on every vehicle we test, which includes the 95 SUVs in our current auto Ratings. No other SUV in recent years slid out as far as the GX 460, including the Toyota 4Runner, which shares the same platform as the GX.

To confirm our results, we paid for the use of another GX 460 from Lexus and experienced the same problem.

In real-world driving, lift-off oversteer could occur when a driver enters a highway’s exit ramp or drives through a sweeping turn and encounters an unexpected obstacle or suddenly finds that the turn is too tight for the vehicle’s speed. A natural impulse is to quickly lift off the accelerator pedal. If that were to happen in the GX, the rear could slide around far enough that a wheel could strike a curb or slide off the pavement.

Either of those scenarios can cause a vehicle to roll over. And because the GX is a tall SUV with a high center of gravity, our concern for rollover safety is heightened.

Like almost all current SUVs, the GX has standard ESC. That system is designed to prevent a vehicle from sliding out in a turn and has generally worked very effectively in the vehicles we’ve tested. It does that by applying individual brakes and cutting engine power to help keep the vehicle on its intended path. But the GX’s system doesn’t intervene quickly enough to stop the slide, and the rear end swings around too far.

As a result, we are urging consumers not to buy the GX 460 until the problem has been fixed. The GX 460 has been on sale for about three months and about 5,000 vehicles have been sold. We have notified Toyota, Lexus’ parent company, of the problem. We urge the company to develop a remedy as quickly as possible and implement it in new vehicles produced at the assembly plant and those already purchased.

In an e-mail response, Toyota spokesman Joe Tetherow said, “We're concerned with the results of Consumer Reports' testing of the Lexus GX 460 and the suggested buyer recommendation. Our engineers conducted similar tests during the development of the new GX and had no issues. However, we will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports test, quickly evaluate the results and determine what appropriate steps need to be taken. It's important to remember that the 2010 GX 460 meets or exceeds all Federal Government test requirements. Customer safety and satisfaction are our highest priorities. We are taking this very seriously and appreciate Consumer Reports bringing it to our attention.”

We have also informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The designation is rare for Consumer Reports; the last time we judged a vehicle’s performance not acceptable was with the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited in the August 2001 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Consumer Reports warns against 2010 Lexus GX460
1st such statement for a Toyota product
BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Consumer Reports, the widely respected arbiter of quality and reliability, urged customers not to buy the 2010 Lexus GX460 because it may roll over in certain situations based on tests by the magazine's automotive test drivers.

This is the first time the magazine has issued a "don't buy" recommendation on any Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicle.

The warning is rarely used. The last time the publication deemed a vehicle unacceptable was the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited SUV, said Consumer Reports spokeswoman Rachel Zuckerman.

The specific problem, according to the magazine's testers, involved the slow reaction of the vehicle's electronic stability control system when a driver takes it through a turn while quickly lifting his or her foot off the accelerator.

"All four of Consumer Reports' auto engineers who conducted the test experienced the problem in an exercise used to evaluate what's called lift oversteer," the magazine said in a statement.

The Lexus GX460 has been on sale for about three months. Consumers have bought or leased about 5,000 of the luxury SUV, which shares the same underbody as the Toyota 4Runner.

The same rollover risk didn't occur in the 4Runner because its stability control system took effect sooner than in its higher-priced counterpart.

"The two vehicles performed very differently, partly because of differences in weights, perhaps differences in tires," said David Champion, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

A Lexus spokeswoman said the GX460 met and exceeded all federal safety regulatory and testing requirements.

"Our engineers conduct similar tests during development of all SUVs," Lexus said in a prepared statement. "We feel our test procedures provide a good indication of how well our vehicles will perform in the real world.

"We will take a very serious look at this and appreciate Consumer Reports bringing it to our attention."

Contact GREG GARDNER: 313-222-8762 or ggardner@freepress.com

Lexus Statement Regarding Consumer Reports 2010 GX 460 Handling Test Results
April 13, 2010

We’re concerned with the results of Consumer Reports testing on the Lexus GX 460 and their suggested buyer recommendation. Our engineers conduct similar tests and we feel these procedures provide a good indication of how our vehicles will perform in the real-world; however, we will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports’ test to determine if appropriate steps need to be taken. Please keep in mind that the 2010 GX 460 meets or exceeds all federal government testing requirements. Customer safety and satisfaction remain our highest priorities. We take the Consumer Reports’ test results seriously and appreciate Consumer Reports bringing it to our attention.

Customers who have any questions or concerns should contact the Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800 25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987.

'Consumer Reports' says Lexus GX 460 is too unsafe to buy
USA Today Autos

Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, did not return calls for comment. But Consumer Reports included a comment from a Lexus spokeswoman:

"We're mystified by the results of Consumer Reports testing on the Lexus GX 460," spokeswoman Allison Takahashi said. "Our engineers conduct similar tests during development of all SUVs. We will look into this and we appreciate Consumer Reports bringing it to our attention."

Toyota’s Lexus GX SUV Called ‘Safety Risk’ by Consumer Reports
April 13, 2010, 6:01 AM EDT

By Alan Ohnsman

April 13 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp.’s new Lexus GX sport-utility vehicle was labeled a “safety risk” by Consumer Reports, complicating efforts by the world’s largest automaker to repair its image after record recalls.

The 2010 GX 460 received the designation because of handling in emergency driving tests, Consumer Reports said today in a statement. The magazine, published by Yonkers, New York- based Consumers Union, said it hadn’t deemed any vehicle a potential safety risk since 2001.

“We’re concerned with the results of Consumer Reports testing on the Lexus GX 460 and their suggested buyer recommendation,” Bill Kwong, a Lexus spokesman, said in an e- mail. While the model meets or exceeds U.S. safety rules, Toyota will try to duplicate the test results, Kwong said.

Lexus SUV a rollover risk -- Consumer Reports
by Peter Valdes-Dapena, senior writerApril 13, 2010: 6:08 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Consumer Reports has issued a safety warning on Toyota's 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV because of an increased rollover risk during a turn.

About 5,000 GX 460s have been sold in the roughly three months the model has been on sale, the magazine said. It advises current owners of this vehicle to approach exit ramps with caution, and to call Toyota demanding a fix for the problem.