Lexus may be tarnished by ’safety risk’, report says

Toyota Admits Lexus Safety Problem
By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN
Updated 4:10p.m.

Toyota says its engineers in Japan have duplicated the same errant slide that prompted Consumer Reports to issue a rare “don’t buy” warning on the 2010 Lexus GX 460, and Toyota agrees the vehicle has a safety problem.

“They duplicated Consumer Reports’ results on the GX 460 and they are currently evaluating potential remedies, but at this point there is no details of what the remedy is,” said Bill Kwong, a Lexus spokesman.

On Tuesday, Consumer Reports announced what it considered a serious safety problem.

“When pushed to its limits on our track’s handling course,” the magazine wrote on its Web site, “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.”

On every other S.U.V. tested the same way –- including models from Lexus and Toyota –- the electronic stability control quickly caught the slide, the magazine said.

nah. NO long term effect.

most people now realize to what extent the whole unintended accel issue was WAY overblown.

the fearful freidas and the safety nazis have cried "Wolf!" too often and too loud. along with the fact that most suv drivers will NEVER try to fly thru corners so fast, most don't think this is that big an issue.

it did help that toyota/lexus has responded so fast this time. so that actually gives consumers more CONFIDENCE that toyota cares, and will fix whatever minor fault exists. likely, they dialed back the ESC too much, after all complaints about it being too aggressive.

Toyota, please get this death trap off the street. Aren't you in enough trouble with your brakeless Camry's and Priuses to pull a stunt like this. Stop trying to kill hard working middle class Americans, this is not good publicity for your company. Where is Mr.Toyota when you need him? Was he driving a GX 460? Is there something your hiding from us? You better come clean. We love Mr. Toyota. When that old man was building cars, we didn't have to worry about these death traps the new execs are building. This is terrible.

I find it amazing only Lexus cars are having problems and all the American made crap isn't

Me to!

Eh, maybe it's because Lexus is so overrated? Ever think about that, huh?

it's newsworthy when a lexus has a problem.

it's NO NEWS AT ALL when american crap have problems, because that is perfectly NORMAL.

I can count on badgewhore and huu to come to the defense of Toyota/Lexus. First people question CR's result and now that Lexus duplicated the undesired result, you say it's the people fault for driving in that manner. But isn't the intention of the driving pattern in the test is to closely replicate a normal driver (I guess that's me and not you professionals on this website) behaviour and that is to lift off the throttle in a curve and resulting in temporary loss of traction? I also thought although the result is a given, it's the length of the slide of the GX that is troubling as other cars slid less and the traction control kicked in earlier? I still think CR's comment is warranted and Lexus' own testing seems to indicate the same.

The GX is essentially the Landcruiser Prado. I thought Lexus is done with the rebadging. The Landcruiser in Asia is basically the LX flagship SUV. Don't believe what the American marketers are saying. It's all just a lie to get attention. I see it first hand. The level of refinement on the Fortuner is near or equal that of any RX or GX. It definitely matches both RX/GX in having a quiet interior. Everything feels premium. Why pay the extra bucks for an L badge when the Toyota would do just fine? at least outside of North America. I thank god my LS hasn't had any problems, but that car is on its way out by next year.