Toyota Pulls Lexus SUV After Receiving Ominous "Safety Risk" Rating from Consumer Reports Magazine

Toyota is in trouble again, it appears: the company recently decided to stop selling its Lexus GS 460 SUV after Consumer Reports magazine urged consumers to forego purchasing the vehicle because of a high risk of a rollover accident during certain types of turns.

In fact, Consumer Reports issued an ominous “safety risk” rating to the Lexus SUV, the magazine’s first such label in nine years. Furthermore, because the non-profit magazine is viewed as an objective voice on the safety and reliability of vehicles, the low safety rating is an additional blow to the already tarnished company’s reputation. In addition to the recent rating, Consumer Reports also pulled its “recommended” rating from eight Toyota vehicles in the aftermath of the sudden acceleration accidents due to faulty gas pedals.

According to Consumer Reports, the SUV can slide during certain turning maneuvers, which could be a prelude to a rollover accident. The magazine editors stated: "We believe that in real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death.” Additionally, some auto safety experts argue that Consumer Reports’ findings highlight flaws in the government’s system for reviewing vehicle safety in new models. Indeed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to conduct a safety test on the 2010 Lexus GS 460 SUV. Moreover, critics also argue that the type of rollover problem in these vehicles would’ve gone undetected in a governmental safety test because their tests are less involved. As a result, Toyota issued a statement on Tuesday, maintaining that they would use the Consumer Reports’ safety testing methods to identify any safety problems with the Lexus SUV prior to putting the vehicles back on the market.