Toyota Stops Sale of Suspect Lexus SUV
To cap what must have been a long day at Toyota headquarters, execs there tonight said they were halting sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 that Consumer Reports had labeled a "don't buy" because of potential rollover issues.
It was Consumer Reports first "don't buy" recommendation since 2001. For Toyota, it was another reminder of the recalls the company has faced since last fall, and this one came just as the furor over those recalls seemed to be dissipating.
For those who already own the GX 460, corporate cousin to the Toyota 4Runner, Lexus will “provide a loaner car until a remedy is available,” Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager told the New York Times.
Templin told the newspaper that the automaker is taking the issue “very seriously.”
Lexus Stops Selling S.U.V. That Was Called Unsafe (New York Times)
Earlier today:
NHTSA Responds to Lexus GX 460 Report
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WOW is all i got to say.... LOVE Toyoa Motor Corporation though.
I was gonna say WOW too but my wow was more like - "Wow talk about a company that recognizes it can't handle any other embarrassing scandals big or small." Eliminating an entire product is dramatic and probably the right move. Very big picture.
I live in the middle east and we have here the donor car i.e. the Toyota version called the land cruiser "Prado". This SUV has been notorious for rolling over. Simply because its too high and sits on too narrow a wheelbase to handle such mass (high COG).
I think this decision came from Toyota USA, not Toyota Japan.
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AP: Former Toyota exec said in e-mail: ‘We need to come clean.’
Irv Miller, a Toyota vice president, wrote an e-mail in January five days before the automaker issued a 2.3-million vehicle recall, saying: “I hate to break this to you but WE HAVE A tendency for MECHANICAL failure in accelerator pedals of a certain manufacturer on certain models,” the Associated Press is reporting. (Emphasis in original.)
“We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet,” wrote Miller, who recently retired. “The time to hide on this one is over.”
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/economy-watch/2010/04/ap_former_toyota_exec_said_in.html
Who in there right mind would continue to buy Toyota?! I have always hated Toyota and now I hate them even more because I had to drive one for my driving test. That was before the recall was issued. The car I had to drive was a Toyota corrola and I noticed a problem with the gas pedal immediatly after I started driving. Sometimes I would have the pedal on the floor and it wouldn't respond. Bottom line, DON'T BUY TOYOTA! Keep the money in the USA for God's sake, Buy Ford, GM, or Crysler.
P.S. I have noticed an unusual amount of toyotas for sale in the classifieds, Gee, I wonder why?
For someone who just took a driving test, sure knows a lot of cars.
@Ford Owner: ever consider the power of suggestion? just because SOME Toyotas have accelerator issues, doesn't mean they all do. Your comment of keeping the money in the US is also ridiculous because Ford outsources work to Mexico and Canada and GM outsources work to South Korea. Also, I wouldn't trust buying advice from someone who (a) just took a driver's test and (b) can't spell Chrysler or Corolla right. Sounds to me like you formed an opinion long before you were able to drive and are too stubborn to see anyone else's point of view.
Im a Toyota owner i currently drive n 99 Corolla 5 speed and two month ago got a 2010 Corolla S and the 2 cars just works perfectly fine. This recall is just stupid in my opinion because any car that doesnt meets the federal safety regulation it cant go on sale so now why they release the vehicle and then the NHTSA and Consumer Reports say not to buy. If you dont want your car,suv or truck to rollover just drive carefully its all about it. When your driving a Land Rover LR3,LR4, Range Rover Sport or Range Rover if the suspension height is on off road and your driving too fast the car onboard computer tell you to slow down or the suspension gets lowered and the stability control wont let you get over certain speed to minimize rollover
This discussion thread is great! In only a few posts we've seen tremendous ignorance from both sides of the domestics vs. imports flamewar! Awesome!
I find it fascinating that CR has gathered that much influence over the automakers, that's really incredible.
This whole thing is an example of how things should work. First, let's note that other cars, such as the Montero, Sidekick, Omni/Horizon, 360, Matador, etc. didn't get a "Don't Buy" desigination; they got "Not Acceptable". CR has softened its language of late. Secondly, there's simply no reason for this SUV to do this when others don't. CR has tested some of the SUVs mentioned above and they didn't have the problem either. Toyota, for its part, is doing the right thing. Certainly it's not the reaction that came from Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Chrysler, Subaru, or AMC. No matter what they've done in the past, this is the right thing and it's hard to imagine they won't have this fixed in short order. At least for their current owner base, this will be more something to keep them loyal than to scare them off.
I just have a question. why every government agency is focus now on Toyota recalls the media don't say anything else about any other automaker recall. It might be because Toyota is outselling GM or what?
@FordOwner: maybe you see a lot of Toyotas in the classifieds because they are some of America's best selling cars. It only makes sense that there would be a lot of used cars from America's best selling manufacturer, you know, because they're the BEST SELLING!