Sales of the Lexus GX460 SUV have been suspended in the US after it was branded a safety risk - but sales of the Toyota Land Cruiser on which it is based are not affected.
The Lexus GX460 was tested by American magazine Consumer Reports, which concluded the rear end of the car "slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability-control system was able to regain control."
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Lexus responded by instructing dealers to halt sales of the 2010 model GX460 temporarily, while it investigated the complaint.
“We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports indentified,” Lexus said in a statement released today.
Lexus’ engineering team are currently working to recreate the parameters of the Consumer Reports’ test and have offered a loan car to any current 2010 GX460 owners concerned about the issue.
The Lexus GX460 is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser. However, a Toyota UK spokesman confirmed that the Land Cruiser is unaffected.
Although the GX460 is not available in the UK, it is sold in the US, Middle East, Russia and Australia.
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Re: Lexus GX460 sales suspended
No its not, its called presenting the facts on an impartial basis. No conclusion was drawn by the BBC and opinion was taken from a wide range of observers.
It was good quality programming and Toyota have questions to answer.
Watchdog has and always will be trash telly.
Re: Lexus GX460 sales suspended
Try watching the "Total Recall" documentary shown by the BBC a couple of weeks back. Toyota are far from the "put upon" company they would like you to believe.
If there products are defective, like anybody elses products, they should be held accountable.
Re: Lexus GX460 sales suspended
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I suppose if the Lexus behaves like the video, and other vehicles tested don't, then there is a case for asking
Lexus to move the electronics closer to the other vehicles.
As far as people being daft to throw a car around like this, I assume
this is supposed to re-create an emergency avoidance manouver
like the old Elk test ?
Why doesn't the same agency that issued this report, issue a DON'T DRIVE
message to all old vehicles ( 4 x 4 or not ) that drift in a similar fashion
( like before the majority of vehicles had any stability control ) ?
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