Consumer Reports Deems The Lexus GX Safe, Lifts "Don't Buy" Rating

Consumer Reports...reports:

Consumer Reports is lifting the Don't Buy: Safety Risk designation from the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV after recall work corrected the problem it displayed in one of our emergency handling tests. (See the original report and video: "Don't Buy: Safety Risk--2010 Lexus GX 460.")

We originally experienced the problem in a test that we use to evaluate what's called lift-off oversteer. In this 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. When we did this with our GX 460, its rear end slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways. Although the GX 460 has electronic stability control, which is designed to prevent a vehicle from sliding, the system wasn't intervening quickly enough to stop the slide. We consider this a safety risk because in a real-world situation this could cause a rear tire to strike a curb or slide off of the pavement, possibly causing the vehicle to roll over. Tall vehicles with a high center of gravity, such as the GX 460, heighten our concern. We are not aware, however, of any reports of injury related to this problem...

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truckman - 5/7/2010 1:57:07 PM

+5 Boost

I have no faith in CR, although they were right in stating that it needed work, it was never dangerous, and I am not a Toyota fan.

quizz - 5/7/2010 2:35:23 PM

-7 Boost

"it was never dangerous"

And who are you to make such a sweeping statement? A product is discovered to be dangerous when it's too late. It is nearly impossible to pronounce that something is "never dangerous".

truckman - 5/7/2010 5:02:14 PM

+2 Boost

Did you watch the video? At any moment did it look like it was on two wheels? NO! And remember that the test driver was going way too fast to begin with, Remember this is an suv, and why am I defending Toyota? lol Again I don't believe that it was ever a safety issue.

uaw_lax - 5/7/2010 4:23:07 PM

-2 Boost

IF THERE WAS NO PROBLEM THEN WHY DID TOYOTA STOP SELLING IT AND MADE CHANGES?

truckman - 5/7/2010 5:06:03 PM

+5 Boost

Politics mostly, but there is no denying that it wasn't working up to par, It would only be dangerous to someone that drove like they stole the vehicle and couldn't drive.But still most of the time all that would happen is it would slide sideways. In saying that it is dangerous then ALL vehicles before before traction control... would be deemed as dangerous.