Here’s what you don’t want to do — for now, anyway — while driving a 2010 Lexus GX 460: Accelerate to 60 miles per hour, yank into a fast right turn and then abruptly lift off the accelerator. Watch the video below for a demonstration of the results.
The video goes on to show the same maneuver performed with stability control programming modifications prompted by a Consumer Reports test and its resulting “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” rating. It makes for far less compelling video . . . unless, of course, you happen to own this new iteration of Lexus‘ middle-child SUV (in which case it’s blockbuster stuff).
The video accompanied a statement by Toyota out of Japan that it had remedied the problem, which it characterized as “insufficient activation of the VSC” in situations like that described above.
Here’s a summary of the problem in Toyota‘s words:
– 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.
– Circumstances may require advanced driving skills, such as sharp turns of the steering wheel in high-speed conditions or negotiating a curve to the right at excessive speeds.
In a previous statement announcing the voluntary recall, the automaker said Lexus would begin mailing letters to GX 460 owners starting in early May, and that it would provide courtesy vehicles to affected owners concerned about driving their vehicle in the interim.
[Source: The Lexus Enthusiast ]
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