Legal news for automobile product liability attorneys – Toyota faces new charges that Lexus GX 460 SUVs pose rollover risks.
Consumer Reports has labeled Lexus SUVs as “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk.”
Yonkers, NY (www.NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – Consumer Reports has reported it has given the Lexus GX 460 SUV a “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” label because of a problem the organization experienced during a standard emergency-handling test.
According to reports, when the SUV was pushed to its limits on their track’s handling course, the rear end of the GX slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system kicked in to take control.
The test consists of driving a vehicle through a turn, where the driver quickly lifts his or her foot off the accelerator pedal in order to see how the car reacts. This test evaluates lift-off oversteer. All four of Consumer Reports’ automobile engineers who conducted the test experienced the problem.
Consumer Reports stated, “We believe that in real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death.”
The organization even acquired a second GX 460, and experienced the same problems.
Consumer Reports explained that lift-off oversteer could occur when a driver enters an exit ramp or goes through a sweeping turn and encounters an unexpected obstacle or finds the turn is too tight for the vehicle’s speed. Lifting the foot off the gas is a natural impulse.
According to the report, if the Lexus GX were to encounter any issue that would activate lift-off oversteer, the rear-end of the vehicle could slide around far enough to strike a curb or slide off the asphalt, possibly causing a rollover.
Resultant to the findings, Consumer Reports has issued a statement warning consumers to steer clear of the GX 460 until the problem has been resolved. The model has been on sale since November 2009.
A representative from Toyota said in an email response the company is concerned with the findings, though their engineers never experienced this problem. They will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports test in order to determine what should be done.
Legal News Reporter: Tara Monks – Legal news for product liability lawyers.