2010 Lexus GX 460 Recall Expands Globally

Just the Facts:

• Toyota's 2010 Lexus GX 460 recall now includes the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, an SUV not sold in the U.S.
• The GX and Land Cruiser Prado are both susceptible to weight distribution issues that may make the stability control system less effective.
• No other Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall in the U.S.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan — The 2010 Lexus GX 460 recall announced yesterday by Toyota in the U.S. has morphed into a global recall of 34,000 Toyota vehicles worldwide. Toyota announced on Tuesday that the recall now includes the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, which is not sold in the U.S.

Toyota said this recall now involves 13,000 units of the GX 460, including 9,400 vehicles in the U.S., about 1,000 vehicles in Russia and 1,000 vehicles in Oman. The Land Cruiser Prado recall involves about 21,000 left-hand-drive models, including 4,400 vehicles in Oman, 4,000 vehicles in Russia and 1,500 vehicles in the United Arab Emirates. Toyota said no right-hand-drive versions of the Land Cruiser have this problem.

The Japanese automaker also provided more details on the cause of the problem with the Lexus GX 460 and Land Cruiser Prado.

A combination of factors is involved in the problem first pointed out by Consumer Reports when it issued a "don't buy" warning to U.S. consumers on the GX 460 because of a rollover risk. Toyota said the factors contributing to the rollover risk include components such as 18-inch wheels, as well as heavy components, such as the fuel tank, which is located on the left side. Plus "the left side is made even heavier because of the presence of the driver," noted the automaker in Tuesday's statement.

Toyota said the activation of the vehicle stability control "may not be sufficient in certain circumstances due to the setting of the VSC program.

"As a remedy, Toyota will update the VSC program to enhance the effectiveness of the VSC so that the risk of the vehicle sliding, even to the point that it is almost sideways, will be reduced," said the automaker in a statement.

Toyota's U.S. arm also issued more information on the Lexus GX 460 recall yesterday, including the update that it is still in the process of conducting driving tests for all Toyota and Lexus SUVs in light of the Consumer Reports warning and will "make the results public when they are available."

It noted that "no other Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall in the U.S., due to differences in a combination of weight balance, front and rear suspension design and equipped tires."

Toyota said it "believes that the GX 460 is safe to drive, provided that the vehicles are driven under normal driving conditions. However, customers are advised to reduce vehicle speed when turning and to press firmly on the brake pedal if making a sharp or high-speed turn."

Toyota noted that if the GX 460 is driven through a sharp turn under "certain high-speed conditions, the rear tires could lose traction."

Inside Line says: Toyota has not yet wrapped up its tests of other SUVs, so we'll have to wait and see if this problem spreads further. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent