The Wall Street Journal - Autos
By KATE LINEBAUGH
DETROIT—Consumer Reports magazine dealt
Toyota Motor Corp. a blow Tuesday issuing a rare "don't buy" recommendation for the 2010 Lexus GX 460 sport-utility vehicle.
Four of the magazine's auto engineers found a safety risk during their standard emergency-handling tests.
The Lexus luxury SUV "slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system was able to regain control," the magazine said in a statement. The electronic stability control system is designed to prevent vehicles from sliding out in a turn.
In a real-world driving situation such as exiting a highway ramp, the condition could cause a serious rollover accident, Consumer Reports said in a statement. "Because the GX is a tall SUV with a high center of gravity, our concern for rollover safety is heightened," the magazine said.
The magazine said the "don't buy" designation is rare, and the last time a vehicle's performance was considered not acceptable was with the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited. The recommendation comes as Toyota tries recover from a safety crisis that has hurt its reputation as a quality leader amid concerns that its Toyota and Lexus products are prone to sudden acceleration.
"We're concerned with the results of Consumer Reports testing on the Lexus GX 460," Lexus spokesman Bill Kwong said in an email. "Our engineers conduct similar tests and we feel these procedures provide a good indication of how our vehicles will perform in the real-world."
Mr. Kwong said the auto maker will try to duplicate the tests to determine if any adjustments steps need to be made, and noted that the vehicle "meets or exceeds" all federal testing requirements.
"Customer safety and satisfaction remain our highest priorities," Mr. Kwong said. "We take the Consumer Reports' test results seriously and appreciate Consumer Reports bringing it to our attention."
The magazine's auto engineers performed the test on all 95 SUVs the company has ratings on, and said: "No other in recent years slid out as far as the GX 460, including the Toyota 4Runner, which shares the same platform as the GX."
In the first three months of the year, Toyota has sold about 4,800 of the Lexus SUV.