"For 20 years, Lexus has made customer safety and satisfaction our highest priorities," Di Felice said.
"We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and understand the issue Consumer Reports identified.
"At this time, we have asked our dealers to temporarily suspend delivery of the 2010 GX 460."
A statement from Toyota said the Japanese automaker is confident that the GX meets its high safety standards.
"Lexus' engineering teams are vigorously testing the GX using Consumer Reports' specific parameters to identify how we can enhance the GX's performance," the company said.
The decision to suspend deliveries reflects Toyota's attempt to respond more quickly to safety concerns after U.S. and Canadian politicians and investigators accused the company of delaying earlier recalls to address faulty gasoline pedals. The U.S. Transportation Department is seeking a $16.4 million (U.S.) penalty from Toyota in relation to those recalls.
Canadian regulators have not taken any punitive action against the automaker.
Consumer Reports on Tuesday pulled its ``recommended" rating on eight vehicles from Toyota under recall for sticking gas pedals that could cause unintended acceleration and increase crash chances.
The influential, non-profit U.S. magazine said the Lexus problem occurred during tests on its track.
In a standard test, the driver approached a turn unusually fast, then released the accelerator pedal to simulate the response of an alarmed driver.
This caused the rear of the vehicle to slide outward.
In normal cases, the electronic stability control should quickly correct the loss of control and keep the SUV on its intended path.
But with the GX 460, the stability control took too long to adjust, which could cause a rollover accident if one of the sliding wheels were to strike the curb or another obstacle, according to the magazine.
Consumer Reports said it is not aware of any reports of GX 460 rollovers.
It tested two separate vehicles, both of which experienced the problem but neither rolled over.
The warning label by the magazine on the model will remain until Toyota addresses the handling issue with the seven-seat Toyota Motor Corp. has temporarily halted deliveries of the Lexus GX460 sport utility in Canada and the United States after Consumer Reports posted a rare "Don't Buy" warning over concerns about handling that could cause rollovers leading to "serious injury or death."A Toyota Canada spokeswoman said Tuesday night dealers here will not deliver any more 2010 models until the company completes tests to verify the vehicle's safety.
Toyota plans to provide a temporary car to any of the 150 owners in Canada who have concerns.
The decision comes as Toyota tries to rebuild its long-standing reputation for quality after major recalls relating to brake and accelerator problems. Toyota has faced criticism over the way the company dealt with customers and regulators during the still-unfolding crisis that has tested public confidence in its products.
Toyota said it has sold about 6,000 GX 460s from the 2010 model year in North America since it entered showrooms late last year.
Spokeswoman Sandy Di Felice noted the company would not deliver the sports utility vehicles until it finishes testing to alleviate concerns about the GX460's handling in sharp turns.