Well that was pretty quick. It’s been just over a week since Consumer Reports first found the safety issue on the Lexus GX 460, and Toyota is already recalling it to install a fix.

To fix the severe lift-off oversteer, dealers will update the Vehicle Stability Control software. Despite what previous reports suggested, no other parts of the car will be changed. Also, in the testing of other SUVs, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was discovered to be affected, and will also be recalled.

All Lexus dealers will have the fix in by the end of April, and notifications will begin going out to owners in early May. About 13,000 units are affected worldwide, with 9,400 in the US, 1,000 in Russia and 1,000 in Oman. As for the Land Cruiser Prado, only LHD variants are affected, with about 4,400 units in Oman, 4,000 in Russia and 1,500 in the United Arab Emirates.

Lexus Japan released a video in which they show the behavior of the car before and after the remedy. You can have a look at that below.

Press Release (USA)

Toyota Announces Voluntary Recall on 2010 Model-Year Lexus GX 460 to Update Vehicle Stability Control Software

TORRANCE, Calif., April 19, 2010 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 9,400 2010 Model Year Lexus GX 460 sport utility vehicles to update software in the vehicle’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system.  No other Toyota, Lexus, or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall.

The VSC system helps control a loss of traction in turns as a result of front or rear wheel slippage during cornering.

“Toyota’s objective is to provide a high level of safety and quality, while meeting or surpassing governmental regulations.  Our engineers have conducted tests to confirm the VSC performance issue raised by Consumer Reports, and we are confident this VSC software update addresses the concern,” said Steve St. Angelo, Toyota chief quality officer for North America.

All Lexus dealers will have the VSC software update by the end of April.  Once the software update is available at dealerships, vehicle owners are encouraged to bring their 2010 GX 460 to a dealer at their earliest convenience for the update at no cost.  The update should take approximately one hour depending on the dealers’ work schedule.

“From the moment we heard about this issue, Lexus and our dealers acted quickly to resolve the situation. Our dealers will now personally reach out to customers to set up appointments to make this modification.  Lexus has always been about providing exemplary customer satisfaction and this will be another opportunity to demonstrate that,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager.

Starting in early May, Lexus will begin mailing letters to GX 460 owners included in this recall.  Lexus will provide a courtesy vehicle to anyone who has purchased a 2010 GX 460 and has concerns about driving it until the recall work has been completed.

Detailed information about this recall is available through Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987 or at www.lexus.com/recall.

Press Release (Japan)

TMC Announces Remedy for Vehicle Stability Control in Lexus GX 460 and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Toyota City, Japan—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces its remedy for the problem concerning the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) program in its Lexus GX 460 and certain Land Cruiser Prado vehicles.

In circumstances in which advanced driving skills are required, such as when a driver of the involved vehicle sharply turns the steering wheel in high-speed conditions, or when the driver negotiates a curve at excessive speeds, the vehicle could slide sideways, due to the insufficient activation of the VSC.

The following conditions combine to cause the problem:

– In the GX 460 and Land Cruiser Prado, heavy components, such as the fuel tank, are located on the left side, and in left-hand drive versions, the left side is made even heavier because of the presence of the driver.
– For vehicles with certain tires (on 18-inch wheels) and equipped with the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS*) and VSC, the activation of the VSC may not be sufficient in certain circumstances due to the setting of the VSC program.
– Circumstances may require advanced driving skills, such as sharp turns of the steering wheel in high-speed conditions or negotiating a curve to the right at excessive speeds.

As a remedy, Toyota will update the VSC program to enhance the effectiveness of the VSC so that the risk of the vehicle sliding, even to the point that it is almost sideways, will be reduced.

Vehicles involved are as follows:

– GX 460: Approx. 13,000 units in total Approx. 9,400 units in the United States, approx. 1,000 units in Russia, approx 1,000 units in Oman
– Land Cruiser Prado: Approx. 21,000 units in total (only left-hand drive vehicles with KDSS and VSC) Approx. 4,400 units in Oman, approx. 4,000 units in Russia, approx. 1,500 units in the United Arab Emirates.  No right-hand drive units have this problem.

In total, approximately 34,000 units worldwide are involved.  In North America, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) and Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) each announced a voluntary recall on April 19 (local time).  As for other regions and countries involved, such as in Europe and the Middle East, TMC will work to implement similar measures as soon as possible.

Source: Toyota and Lexus Enthusiast