2010 Lexus GX 460

2010 Lexus GX 460 sport-utility vehicle, says Toyota Motor Sales.

Last week, Toyota had promptly halted sales of the GX 460 after Consumer Reports noted an unexpected handling behavior, and possibly a malfunction of the electronic stability control system.

The test behavior, in which the stability system allowed the back of the vehicle to slide out sideways when the driver lifted abruptly off the accelerator while going tightly around a corner (lift-off oversteer), could potentially result in a higher chance of rollover if the vehicle were tripped by a curb, dropoff, or change in surface.

Consumer Reports subsequently gave the 2010 Lexus GX 460 a rare "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" designation.

Toyota later confirmed that its own engineers had duplicated the behavior

Curiously, there's more to the story. Now Toyota Motor Corporation has also released a confession of sorts, explaining that several different conditions contributed to the issue:

- In the GX 460 and Land Cruiser Prado, heavy components, such as the fuel tank, are located on the left side, and in left-hand drive versions, the left side is made even heavier because of the presence of the driver.
- For vehicles with certain tires (on 18-inch wheels) and equipped with the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS*) and VSC, the activation of the VSC may not be sufficient in certain circumstances due to the setting of the VSC program.