Toyota stops selling SUV deemed unsafe

About 12 hours after Consumer Reports magazine warned consumers that Toyota’s 2010 Lexus GX 460 sport utility had a dangerous handling problem, the automaker said late Tuesday it would temporarily stop selling the SUV.

The carmaker’s actions came after Consumer Reports issued a rare “don’t buy” warning for the 2010 Lexus GX 460 because the SUV had a handling problem that could lead to a rollover and possibly “serious injury or death.”

There was no doubt the action was necessary, said David Champion, senior director of the magazine’s auto test division. The litmus test was whether the testers would want their families in the vehicle. The answer was “no,” he said, so “I wouldn’t want anybody else in it.”

The magazine’s action is yet another public relations problem for Toyota. In addition to complaints about unintended acceleration and Prius brakes, there have been questions over whether the automaker was prompt in reporting problems to federal safety investigators.

Most recently the federal government said it was seeking a $16.4 million fine, accusing the automaker of not acting quickly enough.

In response to the magazine’s report, Mark Templin, Toyota group vice president and general manager, said in a statement Lexus had “asked our dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the 2010 GX 460.” Templin said the carmaker was taking the situation “very seriously” and was determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports identified.”

“For any customer who has purchased a 2010 GX 460 and is concerned about driving their vehicle,” he said, “we will provide a loaner car until a remedy is available.”

The last time the magazine made a similar warning was in 2001 for the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited.