Toyota is recalling the 2010 Lexus GX 460 sport-utility to fix the software in the sport utility vehicle’s stability control system. Testing by Consumer Reports and Toyota found the vehicle to be an SUV rollover risk, and the automaker has taken immediate action to fix the problem.
So far, there are no reports of injuries or deaths related to the auto defect. The problem became public knowledge after Consumer Reports issued a “Don’t Buy” warning to car buyers because its testers found that the GX40 was in danger of rolling over during certain emergency situations. Toyota immediately began conducting its own tests and suspended the sale and manufacturer of its SUV’s to determine if there was a problem and if so, how to fix it.
The need for a recall is the latest bad news for Toyota, which has recalled more than eight million autos for sudden acceleration-related defects and brake problems. Last week, the automaker recalled approximately 600,000 1998 -2010 Toyota Sienna minivans because of concern that if road salt causes the carrier cable to corrode excessively, the spare tire may fall off, potentially causing a traffic crash.
Toyota has been trying hard to regain consumer confidence, which has faltered in the wake of so many auto defects and resulting injuries and deaths. Since the mass recalls, dozens of people have filed auto products liability lawsuits and wrongful death complaints against the automaker.
On Monday, the auto manufacturer agreed to pay the $16.4 million fine imposed by US safety regulators because it waited too long to address the “sticky” gas pedal defect that prompted a mass recall in January. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that by not acting fast enough to notify the public and the government about the problem-Toyota automaker may have known about the problem in September-the automaker put people’s lives at risk.
Toyota Recalls Lexus GX 460 SUV Rated ‘Safety Risk’, BusinessWeek, April 20, 2010
Toyota to Pay $16.375 Million Civil Fine, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, April 19, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Don’t Buy: Safety Risk–2010 Lexus GX 460, Consumer Reports, April 13, 2010
Recall Information, Toyota
Massachusetts Auto Products Liability
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