When Consumer Reports issued a “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” rating for the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, it sparked yet another recall for the embattled automaker. However, Toyota found the solution and quickly remedied the problem, which has subsequently caused Consumer Reports to lift the “Don’t Buy” warning.
The reason for the Consumer Reports’ harsh warning was due to a lack of traction under sharp cornering. During testing at its track in East Haddam, Conn., the magazine reported the tail of the Lexus slid until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control brought it under control.
“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,” CR said. “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.”
It was determined that the electronic stability control system was the culprit. Worst case scenario, this issue could cause the SUV to roll over, which is a concern to a pre-owned Lexus Richmond dealer.
Toyota responded by recalling about 10,000 Lexus GX SUVs and halted sales of the newly redesigned vehicle. On April 29, Toyota provided the GX with an update to the vehicle stability control system which fixed the issue.
A used Acura Chantilly dealer stresses that safety is one of the top priorities for a premium car buyer. As a result, the ‘Don’t Buy’ rating likely took a toll on the brand. However, since the GX is a relatively low-volume model compared to the ES or IS models, Lexus will likely move past this episode relatively unscathed.
* * *
Read more Lexus news on this blog. Subscribe now.
You must log in to post a comment.