Lexus Was Alerted to GX Issue Last Week

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News broke earlier today that Consumer Reports was issuing a “Don’t Buy” recommendation on the redesigned 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, but the publication alerted Toyota to the problem last week, and engineers from the automaker were on hand last Friday to watch the tests themselves.

Lexus spokesman Bill Kwong said it had rained at the Consumer Reports proving grounds, so another test could not be replicated for the engineers. Kwong said the company has been working to replicate the tests since that time and was instantly in contact with teams in Japan via video conference. He said the company was very concerned about Consumer Reports’ tests and that “all hands are on deck” to reproduce the problem and fix it if found.

He explained that the tests Consumer Reports and Toyota run are very similar but have slightly different speeds and approach angles.

Kwong also explained why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lacks a rollover rating for the GX. The federal government doesn’t actually crash-test low-volume or high-end vehicles. It requires automakers to complete crash tests in accordance to set guidelines, and the tests can be audited if needed. We have not heard back from NHTSA if it will look into this matter specifically.