Toyota will test stability of all of its SUVs

Toyota Motor Corp. said on Thursday that it will conduct safety tests on all of its SUVs after suspending sales of the Lexus GX 460 following a report of a risk of rollover accidents.

Toyota stopped GX 460 sales earlier this week. Consumer Reports, which admitted it has automatically given certain Toyotas "recommended" ratings without ever driving them, warned against buying the GX 460, calling it a potential safety risk in certain corners. Toyota also suspended sales in the Middle East and Russia, the other markets where the GX 460 is sold. Toyota has sold 5,400 2010 GXs in the United States and Canada in the four months it has been on the market, 580 in the Middle East and Russia.

Toyota said it is testing stability-control systems on all of its SUVs, hoping to allay concerns drivers might have. Toyota says it has received no reports of the problems described by Consumer Reports from GX drivers and added that it offered a loaner for any concerned 2010 GX 460 driver until a remedy was available.

Toyota is embroiled in the recall of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide for problems related to unintended acceleration. U.S. safety regulators fined the company $16.4 million for knowingly delaying one of the recalls.

The U.S. government is requiring electronic stability control on all vehicles by the 2012 model year.

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