Consumer Reports Flags 2010 Lexus GX 460

Consumer Reports recently tested the 2010 Lexus GX 460 and found that it could tip over during extreme cornering tests. These tests are supposed to simulate the type of sharp turn drivers experience when taking highway off-ramps, where the first reaction to a steep turn is to lift your foot off the accelerator to slow down.

Consumer Reports says in these instances, it takes too long for the stability control to engage and could lead to rollovers. The publication has flagged the 2010 GX with “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk.” It paid for a second GX to retest and got the same results. Neither GX actually rolled over, however. Consumer Reports also tested the new Toyota 4Runner, which the Lexus is based on, and didn’t experience the same problem.

Toyota has already responded to the report, saying it has tested the GX rigorously and that it meets all federal safety guidelines. Toyota will try to re-create the Consumer Reports test to conclude whether the company thinks the publication’s finding has merit or not.

Unfortunately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does not have a star rating for rollover or any other crash tests listed for the GX on its website. We have left voicemails with the agency to see if the tests have actually been completed or not. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also has not tested the GX.

The GX was completely redesigned for 2010 and went on sale in late 2009. It was not part of either of Toyota’s two recent recalls for sticky pedals and pedal entrapment. Through March, sales of the GX were up 185% for the year compared with 2009. Almost 5,000 have been sold in total. While that number is small, the GX starts at $52,000 and is a profitable model for the brand.

A video of the test is embedded below.

Comments

At this point even I am starting to get suspicious. C-O-N-spiracy? Ok, well maybe not but I am strarting to think Toyota might be under some undue scrutiny. One day the "best" the "most reliable" and now they're making the Suzuki Samurai?

I just leased new lexus gx 460 4 days ago and asked if it had any recall or safety issues and they said no. Now 4 days later find this. Can I return the car and cancel lease?

kelly durrett where ever you are getting your facts from are false, as of now toyota does not have an recall out for lexus gx 460 consumer reports flaged it unsafe toyota responded on thier website, pressroom.toyota.com

West Philly Forever,
Supposedly these are the same tests that every car/suv go through so it could have happened to any others if it had a similar issue. The fact that it is unique to all SUVs they've tested since 2001 says something unique about the GX especially since the 4Runner doesn't exhibit this problem. However, you're right, these issues seem to be coming in torrents.

Kelly D,
I don't think you can return the vehicle due to this report. CR is not the federal government and there is no recall on the car. It has nothing to do with the two Toyota recalls regarding accelerator pedals in the news.

As a driver of a large SUV you should be extra cautious when taking severe curves at high speeds, like on highway off ramps. Brake and slow down before exiting and turning.

Kelly, Toyota will likely issue a voluntary recall to reprogram its stability control system. Drive carefully for now, but a fix is probably on the way.

@Dave: Yes, I understand that this appears to unique to the GX and that makes it noteworthy - so unique that even the sister vehicle doesn't exhibit the same behavior. I'm guessing there's something in the tuning of the suspension and/or the anti-rollover gizmos that's unique to the GX, probably [ironically] for "comfort."

Watching the video again, I wonder; are there any considerably heavier components or features that the GX might have in the rear-end that the 4-Runner might not have? Something so heavy that it might swing the whole tail-end when combined with different tires than the 4-Runner may have been tested with?

I wonder how 90s body-on-frame SUVs like the Explorer, Blazer and Trooper perform in the exact same test. None of these cars had stability control. My guess? Worse than this Lexus. CR: "worst we have tested in recent years." So keep it in perspective. It is probably still better than most old SUVs on the road - and CR seems to be overreacting a little.

SUVs are top heavy and clumsy (although some are obviously better than others). Regular cars handle better and are easier to control in extreme situations.

WestPhillyForever,
Yes, I'd guess the third row mechanisms in the GX add a lot more weight than the 4Runner's.

Check out the comparison here

http://www.cars.com/go/compare/trimCompare.jsp?acodes=USC00TOS072B0,USC00LES151B0

GX is 500 lbs heavier, 2 inches taller. That alone could be enough to cause a difference.

Just speculation of course on raw data.

Considering how CR has been Toyota's #1 supporter for decades I doubt they would be involved in any conspiracy to defame a brand that they basically worship. I do think they are trying hard to prove they are objective by bringing ANY Toyota flaws they find to light.

Although I would typically have a smile on my face when Toyota is involved with anything negative, this report came out from Consumer Reports so I don't give it much credit.

Tor- the explorer and blazer have never been as tall, soft, or or looked as tippy as the gx. The Trooper was though. You do have a point though - my guess is that the handling standards have been raised since SUVs have stability control now.

Broq

This might actually be an enthusiast's SUV as it's capable of drifting around corners.

Here's some perspective: this SUV starts at 52 large and is advertised as being nimble and able to handle well in emergency situations. Other vehicles that cost far less like the Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Explorer, and Kia Borrego didn't have this problem. And it's 2010. It's not unreasonable to expect better capabilities than two decades prior, especially in such a pricey vehicle.

I'm almost positive it's because of the 4 corner hydrolic suspension that is not offered on the 4Runner. It is a totally different suspension system with it's own caractaristics.

I live in the Middle East and we have the Toyota "donor SUV" for the Lexus GX 460 here- the Land cruiser "Prado" and this SUV is notorious for roll over. Looking at the vehicle it is evident that the COG is way too high and the wheelbase is too narrow to be stable.

this is b.s. i have never owned a toyota, but i do know people that do, and from my experience in them there is nothing wrong with them at all, consumers reports tested the vehicles and deemed them unsafe, even though they never rolled over, how is that? i personally think they are doing unwarranted attack on toyota because they are the number 1 car sales in america, not chevy not ford not chrysler but toyota. therefore they have to say something bad about toyota in order to boost sales of the big three.

I have one on order and I have called to cancell.I have two young children and it is not worth the risk to their safety.

This is ridiculous! It's a 5500 lbs SUV people! Not a sports car. Considering its weight and size it did pretty well. It didn't look like it was close to tipping over and the way that driver took that corner look more like a "Top Gear" run around the track. There was no brakes applied either.

I doubt most drivers of this car will corner so quickly.

The panic that this has caused is silly and CR can't be taken seriously. A huge three-row SUV can't handle well? Shocking! But it did stay planted on the ground

I've been skimming through the comments on the posts related to this story and have noticed two major perspectives: either people are trying hard to defend Toyota or they are bashing Toyota and saying "buy American!" Why can't Ford and Toyota owners get along? I own a 2007 Toyota Camry and a 2004 Ford Explorer and think they're both great cars. As for this Lexus, well the jury's still out on that...

"It's not unreasonable to expect better capabilities than two decades prior, especially in such a pricey vehicle."

I completely agree, but going from that to "don't buy" is a stretch. CR could just have said the GX has poor handling and feels insecure at its corning limits compared to other SUVs...and given it a bad rating.

Anyone have any real details on this? I want to see the test requirements - required lateral G applied to vehicle at corner entrance (e.g. 0.75g etc..), radius of the corner, corner bank angle, and required time till the ESC corrects the oversteer as well as information on other vehicles who 'performed better'. There is some human error variability in this test that I can see immediately after watching the video, at what point exactly the driver is releasing his foot off of the gas and at what radius he begins to travel. There aren't any cones or lines it looks like for him to follow. He's just turning on a very wide path. I think other engineers need to look at their claims in regards to this Lexus. It just seems suspicious and I would imagine this vehicle went through thousands of miles of real-world testing including the Electronic Stability Control System. Please post if you have info on this or link.

Also, just one other comment... does anyone else find this suspicious that 'no other vehicles have performed this poorly in recent years' according to Jon Linkov. You mean to tell me that a Ford Excursion, Expedition, Hummer, Nissan Pathfinder, Mercedes G-series, Chevy Suburban, Tahoe, etc.. that none of these performed worse in the tests in recent years - doubtful.

@Colby: I lean towards agreeing with your statement about the Excursion, Hummer, Pathfinder, etc. But at the same time, you might be surprised at how dramatically a slight difference in center of gravity can change the course of events. A little too narrow, a little too tall, an extra 20lbs here or there and you're rolling like a cannoli.

Att Tate : You state that in the Middle East the Prado is notorious for rollovers yet here in Australia not only is the Prado highly respected but comfortably the single biggest selling (volumn) 4WD yet not once has the vehicles reputation ever been questioned for being rollover prone especially considering it is by far-n-large used as an off-road vehicle as per it's design.

Not only is the Prado highly respected in Australia but so is every other Toyota 4WD which includes the Landcruiser, Troopy (70 series) and ofcourse the Hilux.

@WestPhillyForever: Yes I understand how there are little aspects that can drastically change the vehicle dynamics - I'm an engineer. I just did a quick search on a comparison between other vehicles:

A GX460 weighs 5305 lb curb, is 74.2" high, 74.2" wide, and has a 109.8" wheel base.

An H2 is 6614 lb, 79.2" high, 81.2" wide, and has a 122.8" wheel base.

A 2010 Tahoe is 5524 lb, 76.9" high, 79.0 wide, 116" wheel base.

Now I understand that even though the other two vehicles are higher (5" for the hummer which is a big difference), it doesn't necessarily mean the CG is higher. But being that these vehicles are higher, if the velocity and turning radius is kept constant, the vehicle is going to have a linear increase of force applied to it (F=mv^2/R. As the mass increases, so does the force on the vehicle when it enters the turn. Being that these vehicles are wider means they may be able to handle the weight better...maybe not. Maybe their suspension is stiffer and results in less roll, maybe not.

The increased weight may also increase the static coefficient of friction on the tires for the H2 and Tahoe which would obviously help with the cornering. There's a lot of variables here that I'm well aware of. I would just like to see CR actually publish the data they are 'feeling' around this corner like what I said before with the response times for the ESC, the distance the vehicle is sliding, etc.

I'm just still skeptical when Linkov made that comment, that's all. But hey, maybe there is just some s/w glitch causing the delayed reaction in the ESC or something similar.

This problem already test and fix by toyota.he upgrade the vehichle stability control(vsc)

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