Lexus Announces Fix for 2011 GX460's Stability Problems

Lexus has released an update to fix its recalled GX460, and if you're an owner they should be contacting you shortly.

"Our dealers began contacting customers yesterday offering to make arrangements to perform the update, and we expect them to get in touch with most GX owners within one week."

Now that everything with the GX appears to be in order, sales will be back on track. While the safety aspect is definitely important, I fail to see how the GX's performance will be "even better". After all, it's still a top-heavy SUV. If anyone from Lexus would care to clarify, that would be great.

Lexus said that it will be continuing to offer courtesy vehicles for people worried about driving to the dealerships themselves.

By Phil Alex

Breaking News: Toyota Temporarily Suspends Sales of 2010 Lexus GX 460

It looks as if Consumer Reports' GX 460 "Safety Risk" story (click here for details) is picking up steam in a bad way. Mark Templin, Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager, has just added a little bit to Lexus' press release regarding the GX's rollover stats.

Here's what Templin-san has to say: "At this time we have asked our dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the 2010 GX 460."

Furthermore, he adds that Lexus engineers are "vigorously" reevaluating the GX SUV using the same testing methods used by Consumer Reports "to identify how we can make the GX's performance even better."

Owners, now's the time to call: 1-800-255-3987.

As one website put so well, it seems like Toyota has hit rock bottom and then found a shovel.

By Phil Alex

Consumer Reports Labels 2010 Lexus GX 460 as a "Safety Risk"

Consumer Reports claims people shouldn't buy the Lexus GX 460; no, not because of its fugly looks, but because the publication deems that it tends to roll over when performing evasive maneuvers (or "emergency handling"). That means it has been labeled as a "Don't Buy vehicle" and a "Safety Risk".

According to Consumer Reports, "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."

They go on to explain that nothing else in their garage is as poor as the GX in regards to the lift-off oversteer test (i.e. its ESC is slow-reacting), including its Toyota 4Runner platform-mate.

The test is meant to emulate scenarios such as turns that are too tight or avoiding obstacles while turning, both situations in which a driver's "natural impulse is to quickly lift off the accelerator pedal."

Toyota's expected response was that they were "concerned", that they have run "similar" tests without the same results, and that they will try to reenact Consumer Reports' test methods to see if there's a problem.

If anyone owns one of the new 2010 Lexus GX 460s and is concerned, the Lexus service number is 1-800-255-3987.

For reference, the last time anything this bad occurred was when CR tested the '01 Mitsubishi Montero Limited (the SUV that looked like it would tip over in a breezy parking lot).

By Phil Alex