Consumer Reports has lifted its “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” designation from the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV after Toyota recalled and fixed the vehicle.
In a statement Friday the magazine said that the recall work had corrected the problem that caused the SUV to fail an emergency handling test. The SUV was retested and performed well, passing the test. http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/05/video-lexus-gx-460-passes-retest-consumer-reports-lifts-dont-buy-label.html
Toyota quickly put out its own statement. http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/lexus/2010-lexus-gx-460-passes-consumer-158171.aspx
“We’re pleased that Consumer Reports announced this morning that they are lifting the Don’t Buy: Safety Risk designation from the 2010 Lexus GX 460 after the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) update addressed their prior concern,” said Mark Templin, Lexus Group vice president and general manager.
“When Consumer Reports announced on April 13 that the 2010 GX 460 did not pass their ‘Throttle Lift-Off’ test, we immediately stopped selling the vehicle and commenced a vigorous investigation,” Templin said. “Thanks to the quick response and hard work by our engineers, we were able to identify and address the issue in just about two weeks.”
The magazine had given the 2010 Lexus GX 460 the thumbs-down because of its poor performance, and possible rollover, during turns made at high speeds.
“Lexus recently duplicated the problem on its own test track and developed a software upgrade for the vehicle’s electronic stability control (ESC) system that would prevent the problem from happening,” Consumer Reports said. “Dealers received the software fix last week and began notifying GX 460 owners to bring their vehicles in for repair.”
Consumer Reports brought back the GX 460 it bought anonymously back to the dealer for the repairs.
“Following that, we again put the SUV through our full series of emergency handling tests,” Consumer Reports said. “This time, the ESC system intervened earlier and its rear did not slide out in the lift-off over steer test. Instead, the vehicle understeered — or plowed — when it exceeded its limits of traction, which is a more common result and makes the vehicle more predictable and less likely to roll over. Overall, we did not experience any safety concerns with the corrected GX 460 in our handling tests.”
Still, Consumer Reports comments on the fixed SUV were not exactly a glowing endorsement.
“With the fix, the GX 460′s handling is ultimately secure but is still ponderous and ungainly, as is common with traditional body-on-frame SUVs,” Consumer Reports said. “In addition, the vehicle rides comfortably, has a plush, quiet, interior, and provides quick acceleration, but its third-row seat is cramped. Overall, there are better choices if you’re looking for a seven-passenger SUV, including the Acura MDX and Buick Enclave.To help buyers see how the GX 460 compares with competitive vehicles, we are also posting our ratings and full road test of it today.”
