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Consumer Reports has pulled its "Recommended" status from the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers because the new MyTouch telematics system is "unwieldy, difficult to use and requires drivers to take their eyes off the road.
More than one Detroit insider had said this day was coming, that Ford boss Allan Mulally's one weak spot was his belief, forged in his days of running Boeing, that complex onboard electronics are a good thing. What those insiders say Mulally doesn't get is that there are at least two people at the controls of a jumbo jet, auto-pilot is always an option and air traffic control has your back...none of which apply on the road.
Yep...Toyota was able to replicate the sideways slide that prompted Consumer Reports to label the GX 460 a safety risk last week. And their engineers formulated a software update to prompt the stability control to step in sooner.
Toyota Japan issued a news release with a lot more in the way of hard facts:
TMC Announces Remedy for Vehicle Stability Control in Lexus GX 460 and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Toyota City, Japan—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces its remedy for the problem concerning the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) program in its Lexus GX 460 and certain Land Cruiser Prado vehicles.
In circumstances in which advanced driving skills are required, such as when a driver of the involved vehicle sharply turns the steering wheel in high-speed conditions, or when the driver negotiates a curve at excessive speeds, the vehicle could slide sideways, due to the insufficient activation of the VSC.
The following conditions combine to cause the problem:
- 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.
As a remedy, Toyota will update the VSC program to enhance the effectiveness of the VSC so that the risk of the vehicle sliding, even to the point that it is almost sideways, will be reduced.
Vehicles involved are as follows:
- GX 460: Approx. 13,000 units in total Approx. 9,400 units in the United States, approx. 1,000 units in Russia, approx 1,000 units in Oman
- Land Cruiser Prado: Approx. 21,000 units in total (only left-hand drive vehicles with KDSS and VSC) Approx. 4,400 units in Oman, approx. 4,000 units in Russia, approx. 1,500 units in the United Arab Emirates. No right-hand drive units have this problem.
In total, approximately 34,000 units worldwide are involved. In North America, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) and Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) each announced a voluntary recall on April 19 (local time). As for other regions and countries involved, such as in Europe and the Middle East, TMC will work to implement similar measures as soon as possible.
Post Title → VIDEO: Lexus GX 460 Stability Issue: Before and After Proposed Fix
Here's how stacked the deck is against Toyota. When it does respond, and respond quickly, the Feds leak it so they can say it first.
A "NHTSA official...who declined to be identified" says Toyota is about to issue a recall for the Lexus GX 460 after replicating the same stability issues that caused Consumer Reports to brand it a "safety risk" last week.
Ever since NHTSA got raked over the coals in a Senate hearing last month, they've been trying too hard. Big talk, big fines....all designed to send a subtle-as-a-neon-sign message of "We got this."
No, NHTSA...you don't. Consumer Reports did your work for you. Toyota took it seriously and the fix is hours away. But you'll whip up an investigation anyway...it will take months, it will cost millions (like your $3 million, 15 month investigation with NASA into unintended acceleration that's just now starting)...and we'll be astonished if it contributes anything that Consumer Reports and Toyota didn't in 72 hours.
The automaker says it is testing the stability of all its SUVs, both Lexus and Toyota brands. CR says the GX 460 can get sideways in an emergency maneuver before the electronic stability control intervenes. Toyota says it has had no customer complaints about the issue.
Lexus GX 460s will stay on dealer lots while Toyota figures out if there's merit to Consumer Reports' assessment of the SUV as a safety risk and what to do about it. In a news release, Toyota said:
"For more than 20 years, Lexus has made customer safety and satisfaction our highest priorities. We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports identified. At this time we have asked our dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the 2010 GX 460.
Lexus’ extensive vehicle testing provides a good indication of how our vehicles perform and we are confident that the GX meets our high safety standards. Our engineering teams are vigorously testing the GX using Consumer Reports’ specific parameters to identify how we can make the GX’s performance even better.
For any customer who has purchased a 2010 GX 460 and is concerned about driving their vehicle, we will provide a loaner car until a remedy is available.
As always, Lexus is committed to providing our customers with outstanding products and service.
Customers who have any questions or concerns should contact Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987."
Consumer Reports says the recently redesigned SUV gets sideways in emergency handling maneuvers, with the electronic stability control kicking in too late, creating a rollover risk. Here's video of their test:
Enthusiasts snicker at Consumer Reports, but millions of Americans buy based on their recommendations and won't buy if CR doesn't rate a vehicle highly. So CR making the first two words of their headline on the 2010 Lexus GX 460 "Don't Buy" is bad, bad, bad stuff.
CR says its emergency-handling test managed to put the GX 460 into a skid that brought the SUV almost sideways before the the electronic stability control kicked in. CR says that could result in a rollover.
Well, Consumer Reports says whether your acceleration is unintended or not, brake override cuts the stopping distance of your car...which is a good thing.
Consumer Reports does a lot of things differently (like not accepting advertising, buying the cars they test). And one of them is creating a separate list of Top Picks from American car companies.
Well, this year's list is out now...and it's a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, Chevy/GMC/Cadillac list. Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep are nowhere to be found. For that matter, Buick is MIA.
Interestingly, the editors couldn't recommend an American vehicle in the "family hauler" category.
It's report card day at Consumer Reports...Hyundai and Ford are happy. Toyota? A mixed bag. But the Prius keeps its Recommended status. Read the results here.
