Lexus Halts Sales of GX 460 after Consumer Reports Warning

When it rains, it pours. The last few months have not been good to Toyota, to say the least. Unintended acceleration wreaked havoc on sales, forcing the company to resort to incentives to keep sales up.

Today, Consumer Reports first reported that there was issue with the Lexus GX 460 rolling over. They even went as far as to issue a "don't buy rating." Toyota is taking this seriously, announcing a stop to all sales of the model.

This is the first time the magazine has ever issued a "don't buy" recommendation on any Toyota-made vehicle, and the first warning of its type since the Mitsubishi Montero Limited in 2001.

Consumer Reports said the problem is due to the electronic stability control system taking too long to kick in. When the vehicle was going around corners at speed and the driver quickly lifted off the throttle it created a situation called “lift oversteer”.This is a ripe situation for a rollover, especially after hitting into a curb or another object, which is the primary risk here.

In attempt to pinpoint the problem, Toyota is currently testing the GX 460 using the same test that Consumer Reports did. Existing owners of the GX 460 will be offered replacement loaner cars. Ouch, this can't be good for public relations - especially after the unintended acceleration problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T34fsDdVH8M