Don't Buy This Lexus: Consumer Reports

The 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV is so dangerous that Consumer Reports has given it the rarely used "Don't Buy" designation, the magazine said today. The vehicle, which retails for about $52,000 to $57,000, responded so badly "when pushed to its limits on a handling course" during routine testing that CR's experts believe it could wind up in a rollover, reports the Los Angeles Times. Toyota, which owns Lexus, says it's "mystified by the results."

The bombshell of the "Don't Buy" rating—last issued in 2001—"comes at a time when many within Toyota must have been breathing at least a little easier," says an industry analyst. The problem occurred in a situation that mimics letting up on the gas on a sharp curve, as on an exit ramp or when unexpectedly encountering an obstacle, USA Today reports. CR says, "If that were to happen in the GX, the rear could slide around far enough that a wheel could strike a curb or slide off the pavement."
(More Consumer Reports stories.)