Lexus Slips Under the Media Radar

Lexus ES

While Toyota's problems and its inept cover-up have been widely reported, Lexus, the Toyota luxury headliner, has escaped practically unscathed--at least according to Kellley Blue Book which says Lexus' sales are increasing.

But as NYT reports: "...on a per-vehicle basis, Lexus is responsible for more reports of unintended acceleration than the rest of Toyota, federal records show. And more than half of the roughly 300 such complaints to regulators since 2000 about Lexus ES and IS series models--the only two models subject to recall--involve vehicles from years that have not been recalled...... Because Toyota sells about seven Camrys for every one Lexus ES, The ES is linked to more injuries per vehicle." (NYT 3/12/2010)

As we have come to expect from Toyota, their initial response is to divert adverse attention from the Lexus brand with its sales increasing while the rest of Toyota deals with rapidly decreasing sales.

The question is: how long is Toyota going to pretend that their Lexus nameplate does not have some serious safety problems?