Toyota halts sales of Lexus SUV

Toyota announced Tuesday it is suspending sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 following a rare "Don't Buy" warning from Consumer Reports magazine.

The magazine says a problem that occurred during routine handling tests could lead the SUV to roll over in real-world driving. During a test of how the SUV handled unusual turns, the rear end slid until it was nearly sideways before a stability system kicked in.

Consumer Reports said in real-world driving, such a scenario could cause a rollover accident. As a result, the magazine gave the seven-seat SUV a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" label until the problem is fixed.

Toyota, already beset by pedal problems that have forced the recall of millions of its vehicles, said late Tuesday it has asked dealers to temporarily suspend deliveries of the GX 460 while it conducts its own tests.

"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 vice-president and general manager.

Toyota Canada said that 149 of the affected SUVs have been sold in Canada, and that Lexus will supply a loan car to any GX 460 owners who request one.

"Lexus's engineering teams are vigorously testing the GX using Consumer Reports’ specific parameters," the company said in a statement.  

Consumer Reports said the previous vehicle to receive a "Don't Buy" warning was the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited, before the Lexus SUV got the rating.

"In a real world situation, by that time, the car can hit the curb or the side of the road and that's the situation where, in a vehicle like that, it could cause it to roll over," said Gabriel Shenhar, senior auto test engineer at Consumer Reports, who was one of four testers to experience the problem in the GX 460.

Blow to Toyota's reputation

Starting at about $52,000, the GX 460 is a small-volume vehicle for Lexus, Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury brand. The company said it has sold 6,000 of the 2010 model worldwide since they went on sale in December.

But the warning represents yet another blow for Toyota's tarnished reputation for safety following recalls of millions of vehicles for faulty gas pedals. The GX 460 is not covered by the pedal recalls.

Consumer Reports said the problem occurred during a handling test on its test track. During the test, the driver approaches a turn unusually fast, then releases the accelerator pedal to simulate a typical driver's response. This causes the rear of the vehicle to slide.

In normal cases, the vehicle's electronic stability control should quickly correct the loss of control. But Shenhar said in the case of the GX 460, the stability control took too long to adjust, causing a risk of rolling over.

However, Consumer Reports said it is not aware of any reports of the vehicle rolling over. The magazine said it tested two separate vehicles, both of which experienced the problem, but neither rolled over.