- Toyota suspends sales of its 2010 Lexus GX 460.
- The action comes after Consumer Reports labeled the SUV with, "Don't Buy."
- Toyota is offering loaner cars to GX owners until a remedy is in place.
TORRANCE, California — Toyota suspended sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 on Tuesday after Consumer Reports told shoppers not to buy the $52,845 SUV because it posed a "safety risk." The move is the latest embarrassment for the Japanese automaker, which has been embroiled in an ongoing quality crisis in the wake of massive recalls.
"We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports identified," said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager, in a statement issued late Tuesday. "At this time we have asked our dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the 2010 GX 460."
Templin said that Toyota "engineering teams are vigorously testing the GX using Consumer Reports' specific parameters." He said that "for any customer who has purchased a 2010 GX 460 and is concerned about driving their vehicle, we will provide a loaner car until a remedy is available."
As of Wednesday morning, at least one frightened consumer had posted a complaint about the 2010 GX 460 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"On 4/3/2010 we purchased a 2010 GX 460 from Lexus of Spokane in Washington State," the unidentified consumer said in a complaint filed with NHTSA that included a reference to the Consumer Reports "don't buy" warning. "Lexus says the vehicle is safe. The SUV is in our garage, has 250 miles on it, and we are afraid to drive it. What should we do????"
As of Wednesday morning, no recall of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 had been posted on the NHTSA Web site. Toyota has sold about 5,400 of the Lexus GX 460 in the four months since it has been on the market, according to Automotive News. It is unclear how Toyota will deal with the GX 460s already on the road.
Consumer Reports said the big SUV was prone to slide when driven in sweeping turns. The rare safety warning and subsequent suspension of sales of the GX 460 is the latest chapter in Toyota's quality crisis — a public relations nightmare for the automaker, which had routinely won endorsements from Consumer Reports in the past.
U.S. safety regulators have proposed a record $16.4 million fine against Toyota, accusing the automaker of knowingly delaying a recall over defective accelerator pedals.
Inside Line says: 2010 Lexus GX 460 owners might want to check with their dealers about those loaner cars until this issue is resolved. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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tszk says:
10:00 AM, 04/16/2010
this is totally stupid about stability control system... when toyota and other manufacture make the stability control to be overly sensitive so that u can't do burnouts, drifts, etc..., people complain how these manufacture take the fun away out of all these cars and trucks... now this happen, now they complain that the stability control should have more control of the car/truck cuz it might be unsafe... i mean let see CR and NHSTA build a car? let see how well u can build it and than mass produce it around the world....
carlover71 says:
01:15 PM, 04/15/2010
A vehicle can only make up for so much inadequacy in a driver. There's a point where a driver needs to have some common sense behind the wheel of a vehicle that is not a sports car. If an idiot wants to throw a top heavy SUV into a corner, fine. Just don't expect it do stay on all fours. I owned a GX470 and found it to handle better than any SUV I've driven. It took corners at speed in a composed state that would have made an Explorer explode. Toyota/Lexus manufacturer the product, it's in the hands of the owner to operate it in a reasonable manner. It's the old "guns don't kill people" argument...
cmike2780 says:
06:30 AM, 04/15/2010
I just viewed the video..talk about a whole lot of nothing. From the way the news was spinning it, I thought the GX would flip over. I guess they should put a "do not buy" on Camaro's, Corvettes, Mustangs, 370Z, Challenger's, any Ferrari, Porche, Etc...also. Instead, it looks like a pretty good power slide. I see them doing this on "24" with Suburbans and cargo vans every week. Anyway, I didn't Consumer Report was still around. I guess this was good publicity on their part.
They should have at least put a cage around the car & tried to flip it before issuing this warning. Douchebags in SUV's shouldn't drive like this anyways.
tszk says:
02:27 AM, 04/15/2010
is it true that these 2010 Lexus GX hav basically the same suspension setup as the last gen... so y would they only complain this gen and not the last?... and GX is basically a rebadge Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, so this problem should be worldwide, yet y only north america?... c'mon people especially the media, the toyota/lexus crap is done and over with, lets get on with life... i think u people out there is smart enough to not drive suv like that anyways..
calspecial68 says:
05:36 PM, 04/14/2010
Can someone explain what the criteria is for measuring the durability of a car?? For cars (as well as so many other things), doesnt it come down to the individual owner how well the car will stand the test of time?? Isn't this durability argument only arbitrary?? I mean, if you take any real care with any car, even the "worst" ones can last forever. Ex: The million-mile car. Just an '89 Saab that was pampered and maintained the way a car should be.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16070928
tbone85 says:
05:19 PM, 04/14/2010
"Call me crazy, but I'm getting convinced that there's a conspiracy against Toyota to bring the American automakers back into contention. "
OK, you're crazy. Conspiracy is too easy to prove. There's always a money trail, and there's always a competing journalist itching to increase ratings/circulation by outing the conspirators. If there's actually a conspiracy, you'll likely find out. If there isn't will you admit you were both parnoid and wrong?
beermagazine says:
04:38 PM, 04/14/2010
Dumb. A big SUV doesn't handle like a sports car....now that is news. CR is a worthless opinion usually based on the general public opinion and complaints.
desmolicious says:
12:57 PM, 04/14/2010
As long as the Aston Martin Cygnet is ok, I'm cool.
mirde98 says:
12:32 PM, 04/14/2010
Ehhh. All in the USA. In the 80's The Suzuki Samurai was screwed with the Dont Buy label. I still see them used for mud roading and drag racings. In the early 00's was the Mitsubishi Montero, which is an outstanding off roader, Dakar Rally champion, used on South America's deserts and mountains, they are by the thousands on Central America, Caribeean, where the topography demands true off roaders. Russia, Asia, UK they still sell and trusted for its reliability. Now The Lexus GX. Which most likely will outlast a Dodge Durango or a Chevy Tahoe years from now. Watch any Discovery Channel/Travel Channel programs and what vehicles you will see being driven thru mountains, snow, hills, tundras and ice? Land Rover's, Toyota Land Cruiser's and Mitsubishi Montero's.
Mitchington says:
11:41 AM, 04/14/2010
I'm also thinking that there is something fishy about all these recalls. I'm not a fan of overrated Toyota vehicles but Lexus has had an outstanding quality rating that other auto makers have been trying to match for years