A voluntary recall of the 2010 Lexus HS 250h has been announced by Toyota USA—from the press release:

The ABS, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly (many times per second) as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage. Some 2010 model year Prius and 2010 HS 250h owners have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the ABS is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction.

Toyota has responded to owner concerns with a running production change for 2010 Prius that was introduced last month, improving the ABS system’s response time, as well as the system’s overall sensitivity to tire slippage. The production change for the HS 250h is planned for later this month.

The ABS system on the Lexus HS 250h is similar in design to the Prius. The software adjustment planned for HS 250h production and dealer modification is being finalized and will be announced very soon.

If a Prius or Lexus HS 250h owner were to experience this condition, pressing hard on the brake pedal will stop the vehicle safely. The vehicles are safe to drive because pressing hard on the brake pedal will stop the vehicle.

Toyota has published a list of frequently asked questions, and the Lexus Customer Assistance Center can be reached at 1-800-255-3987 if you have any questions about this recall.

The full press release after the jump.

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Lexus Japan is offering a two unique customization options for the Lexus RX 350 & RX 450h, starting with this aggressive under-spoiler:

Hard to judge with only the front-end visible, but it’s similar to the LX 570 Sport Luxury package we saw last week in that it doesn’t seem to fit all that well.

The other option of note are these LED fog-lights:

They may be expensive (¥136,500 / $1,529 USD), but they would be fantastic paried with the RX 450h LED headlights. Hope to see them as an option here in North America.

[Source: Lexus Japan via Club Lexus]

Even with the winter weather, one of the real pleasures during my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h has been driving at night. It all starts with the on-demand all-wheel drive system—there hasn’t been a single slip, really nothing more than a flash of the yellow traction light, and that brings a lot of confidence no matter the road conditions.

But more than that, it’s also when the RX 450h’s real luxury shines through, as much of the vehicle’s best technology takes a starring role once the sun goes down.

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There’s an interesting column by Eddie Alterman at Car & Driver—I recommend reading the whole thing, but here’s some choice quotes:

...try to figure out what an IS F could possibly be doing next to an HS250h hybrid. Or why the LFA, a bona fide super-premium super-GT, looks like somebody’s old Supra that crashed into a JC Whitney parts warehouse…You’ll certainly leave wondering what it is that Lexus believes in.

The real answer to the question of Lexus’s product convictions is that it has none. It’s a fine mimic, but there’s no dynamic cohesion among its cars. However blasphemous this may sound to the car enthusiast, those great performance Lexuses represent the problem. They are elaborate ways of confusing the brand’s message and scattering its resources. What’s really killing Lexus is waywardness.

A business, especially a luxury-car business, should stand for something more than just best practices and profit taking. A great car company needs its own animating idea, expressed through the entire product line—a spirit that holds the enterprise together.

What I find most interesting about Alterman’s column is that he almost gets it—it’s right in front of him, but he takes a wrong turn and ends up at the wrong conclusion.

The answer is here in this audio interview with Lexus Head for Global Design, Simon Humphries:

Mr Humphries’ comments are strictly broad strokes, but there’s a lot that can be taken away—particularly when he says “Lexus is about changing, or redefining, the luxury experience”.

This sentiment is the very essence of the brand, the “animating idea” that Alterman is looking for. It’s the common thread that ties every Lexus model together. Alterman mistakes it for a “fine mimic”—Lexus is not copying, they’re improving.

It’s the pursuit of perfection.

It explains the very first LS 400 as much as it does the IS F or LFA, and it’s the reason behind every vehicle in the lineup. Most importantly, it’s been the brand’s slogan since its introduction in 1989—I’m surprised Alterman didn’t know about it.

[Source: Car & Driver & Lexus Magazine]

For the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japanese tuner company Wald International outfitted a 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport with their Executive Line body kit and Renovatio wheels:

Wald’s tendency to overcomplicate the simple Lexus design is too over-the-top for my tastes, especially with the front-fender vents and the massive 22” Renevatio wheels, but it isn’t hard to see the appeal of muscling up the LS with some more aggressive lines.

Superb photography as well, here’s the full gallery:

[Source: Winding Road]

Taking the upmost caution in the face of increasingly ridiculous media attention, Toyota has announced that the Lexus HS 250h will be investigated alongside the 2010 Toyota Prius for a software glitch that is causing problems with Toyota’s hybrid braking—even though the two models don’t even use the same software:

The mechanical parts that make up the brake system in the Lexus model are identical to those in Toyota’s 2010 Prius, but the two gas-electric hybrid cars use different software systems to control the way the brakes are used, said Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman.

Still, he said, the Lexus is now part of Toyota’s investigation.

“If you’ve got an issue with the Prius, then you are going to look at the [Lexus] HS 250h too,” Lyons said. “The two cars have the same components, so we are looking at both cars despite the difference in their software tuning.”

To be clear, not a single complaint has been received about the HS 250h’s braking system, and neither the HS 250h or the 2010 Toyota Prius have been recalled—in affected Prius’, there can be a temporary “disconnect” in the braking system when going over a bump. Tellingly, it mirrors Ford’s recent Customer Satisfaction Program that fixes a similar issue with the Fusion Hybrid, and which was not classified as a recall and was fixed with a software update.

(It’s unfortunate that media coverage has reached such a fevered pitch, as it’s becoming difficult for consumers to separate hype from fact—events this week with U.S. Transport Secretary Ray LaHood & the UAW have only confused the matter more—and I have to recommend that everyone read this story from the Financial Post (titled appropriately enough “The War on Toyota”) for an alternative look at this entire situation.)

[Source: The LA Times]

Update: Here’s another well-reasoned article, this time by Autocar’s Steve Cropley. Nice to see some “Positive Backlash”, as The Guardian’s Edmund King puts it.