Lexus GX 460 no longer a 'don't buy'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Consumer Reports is lifting its "don't buy" label from the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, the magazine said Friday.

In April, the magazine stamped the safety risk label on the vehicle, citing increased rollover risk it discovered during routine tests. It cautioned car shoppers not to buy the GX 460 until Toyota, the parent of Lexus, fixed the problem.

Toyota, which has recently bounced back from massive recalls this year, suspended sales of the GX model in North America and worldwide within days of the magazine's "don't buy" announcement. In total, it recalled some 34,000 SUVs worldwide.

"Lexus recently duplicated the problem on its own test track and developed a software upgrade for the vehicle's ESC (electronic stability control) system that would prevent the problem from happening," said Consumer Reports in a statement.

Consumer Reports said its engineers followed with their own series of emergency handling tests and found that the ESC system intervened sooner and the vehicle's rear did not slide out in the same fashion as earlier tests.

"Overall, CR did not experience any safety concerns with the corrected GX 460 in CR's handling tests," the magazine said.

Still, CR urged all consumers with affected models to have the recall work done as soon as possible. The GX models have since gone back on sale.

"With the fix, the GX 460's handling is ultimately secure but is still ponderous and ungainly, as is common with traditional body-on-frame SUVs," said Consumer Reports.