2010 Lexus GX 460
In a move that would have done them well in the notorious sudden acceleration fiasco, Lexus has acted with lightning quickness to fix the traction control software issues in the GX 460 SUV, and it's back on sale at dealers today. The GX 460 had been the subject of a minor scandal after Consumer Reports issued a "do no buy" recommendation on the vehicle following private testing.
The problem was that the GX 460 would get far too sideways for safety even with the traction control on when entering corners at high speed combined with a sudden lift-off of throttle. It might not be an everyday scenario, but the video revealed the sliding result would be scary at best and catastrophic at worst with typical road-side obstacles and other traffic around.
Owners of GX 460s purchased before the problem was discovered can bring their SUVs in to dealerships for the software update, and all new models going off lots will have it in place.
Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager, said in a press release, "We are confident that the update will make the performance of the GX even better for our customers...Thanks to the quick response and hard work by our engineers, we were able to identify and correct the issue in just about two weeks. This is our assurance to Lexus customers that their safety and satisfaction are our top priorities."
The GX 460 issue came on the heels of what has been a tremendously bad year for Toyota and Lexus in terms of safety and recall issues, and while it represents yet another lapse in the initial setup of their vehicles, the quick response may serve to restore some of the confidence in the brand buyers have lost over the last several months.
[Lexus]
