Consumer Reports Deems The Lexus GX Safe, Lifts "Don't Buy" Rating

Consumer Reports...reports:

Consumer Reports is lifting the Don't Buy: Safety Risk designation from the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV after recall work corrected the problem it displayed in one of our emergency handling tests. (See the original report and video: "Don't Buy: Safety Risk--2010 Lexus GX 460.")

We originally experienced the problem in a test that we use to evaluate what's called lift-off oversteer. In this test, as the vehicle is driven through a turn, the driver quickly lifts his foot off the accelerator pedal to see how the vehicle reacts. When we did this with our GX 460, its rear end slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways. Although the GX 460 has electronic stability control, which is designed to prevent a vehicle from sliding, the system wasn't intervening quickly enough to stop the slide. We consider this a safety risk because in a real-world situation this could cause a rear tire to strike a curb or slide off of the pavement, possibly causing the vehicle to roll over. Tall vehicles with a high center of gravity, such as the GX 460, heighten our concern. We are not aware, however, of any reports of injury related to this problem...