Tipsy Vehicles Spark Debate Automakers Reject Findings Of Tests By Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports charged Tuesday that 1995-96 Isuzu Troopers and 1996 Acura SLXs can roll over during sudden turns at low speed, and it demanded a recall of the sport-utility vehicles.

“To consumers who are considering buying one of these models, our advice is: Don’t. Not until a satisfactory repair is made,” said R. David Pittle, Consumer Reports’ technical director.

The warning was issued at a news conference at which Consumers Union, the publisher of the magazine, released the results of tests conducted earlier this month.

It branded the vehicles, which are nearly identical, with its rare “not acceptable” rating and recommended that the companies either fix the models or offer owners a replacement or refund.

It also asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate the models and establish a set of emergency handling standards for all sport-utility vehicles.

The carmakers responded by saying the vehicles meet all current safety standards while the federal safety agency said it would consider the consumer group’s petition.

“We’ll be looking at Consumers Union’s testing, but we should say that vehicles that do not perform well in tests do not necessarily have poor performance records on the road,” said spokeswoman Liz Neblett at the safety agency.

About 60 of the 1995 and 1996 Isuzu Troopers have been sold in Spokane and Kootenai counties in the past year and a half.

Only two dealers sell Isuzus - Wendle Ford Nissan Isuzu in Spokane and Dan Barton Oldsmobile Cadillac Isuzu Inc. in Coeur d’Alene. They’ve each sold about 30 of the sport-utility vehicles, said representatives of both companies.

Only one dealer in the area sells new Acuras, including the 1996 SLX. Officials at Ponderosa Acura on East Sprague chose not to comment.

American Suzuki Motor Corp., which was targeted in a similar Consumer Reports study eight years ago and has sued Consumers Union, denounced the tests as a “stunt maneuver” that was rejected by the safety agency years ago.

The tests were designed to rate the vehicles on their ability to avoid sudden hazards, like a child or animal running out into the street.

The driver, on a two-lane road, was forced to make a fast turn into the left lane to avoid a traffic cone, then turn back to the right to avoid oncoming traffic, then a left to return to the original lane.

Consumer Reports drivers did numerous runs at different speeds. In 33 runs, two wheels lifted off the road, said auto testing director Robert Knoll. The worst result came at about 33 miles an hour when the 1996 Trooper tipped over at about a 45 degree angle. If the driver hadn’t been an expert, the vehicle would have probably flipped onto its side, Knoll said.

“This is a maneuver that can threaten any driver on any road at any time without warning,” Pittle said.

Isuzu Motors Ltd. and the Acura division of American Honda Motor Co. said they haven’t yet reviewed Consumers Union’s test methods.

“Nevertheless, Acura believes the SLX is a safe and reliable vehicle when driven in a responsible manner,” said Kurt Antonius, a company spokesman.

Sport-utility vehicles are generally rugged models that have become increasingly popular in recent years. The Acura SLX was introduced in 1996, Consumers Union said, as essentially a Trooper with an Acura nameplate. Both are made in Japan by Isuzu, Pittle said. They sell for about $30,000.

About 35,000 of the vehicles - a relatively small number - have been sold in the United States and Consumers Union said there have been no meaningful accident statistics yet.

However, since 1988, Consumers Union said 46 out of 47 similar vehicles have completed the same test without any tendency to tip up or roll over. Consumers Union said the owners of the Trooper and SLX should drive them only when necessary and with extreme caution.

Consumers Union had tested the 1992 Trooper and it won an acceptable rating, Pittle said. He speculated that changes in the vehicle’s suspension may have hurt its stability, but declined to offer suggestions on how the problem can be fixed.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: LAST ROLLOVER WARNING TOOK BIG TOLL The last time Consumer Reports magazine issued a strong warning about vehicle rollovers, the effects on sales were quick and dramatic. In July 1988, the magazine said the Suzuki Samurai, a vehicle designed for off-road use, tipped over easily during an accident avoidance maneuver. It said the maneuver was one that any driver could be called upon to perform at any time. Suzuki Motor Corp. sold 77,493 Samurais in the 1988 model year. The next year, sales dropped to 1,435. The report also touched off a wave of lawsuits from accident victims. Suzuki stopped selling the Samurai in the United States in August 1995. This past April, the Japanese automaker filed a libel suit accusing Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, of mishandling a road test and ignoring evidence the vehicle is safe. Consumers Union stood by the report and characterized the lawsuit as frivolous. The Suzuki suit, which seeks unspecified damages, is pending. -Associated Press