JessePS

Tell all here

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

hrm..interesting..

bizzy928

Ouch that is a big blow! How could Toyota NOT develop the Tundra to meet/exceed a 5-Star rating?

Let's see what the iihs.org comes up with.

GFerg

Any interior pics?? The safety cage looks pretty well intact to me.

It got a 4/5 rating. Still very good, but not the best.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

yea. people are going to misinterpret 4 out of 5 as not being good. To some, if it's not 5, then its bad

encore888

They should improve, 4/5 is not bad though, the headline reminds me of the recent hyperbole over Toyota not getting the very top spots for regular cars...it was written like Toyota scored dead last in its testing when it was 2nd best.

Still for a market leader they should be the class leaders in safety, and not just the high-tech safety firsts on the LS 460.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Not good and will push some buyers away. I remember when the last gen F150 blew apart and was a realistic death trap in this test. The new gen improved greatly on it (though I will never buy one). The last gen Tundra was tops when it came out in all of the test with Chevy coming behind and Ford a very distant last. Appears Toyota has some explaining to do on this one. This may sway my vote from replacing my current Tundra with a new one and instead just pick up a new GX470 which is cool as it means more mods for the 996TT.

BUt, didn't the Silverado 2007 score a 4 star and 3 star in the test?

TRDFantasy

This is indeed surprising, and a lot of Toyota management in Japan will be asking questions. I typically don't place much importance on NHTSA crash tests though, and whether they are better or worse, I will wait to see IIHS crash tests for the Tundra. I'm also wondering about the Tundra's side impact scores.

Let's hope Toyota does something to improve the frontal score for the Tundra.

doug_999

I really wish th NHTSA would do offset frontal crash testing. The fact is, we rarely plow head first into brick walls at 35Mph here - but we do have offset frontal impacts at much higher speeds. That's the data I want to see/know.

TRDFantasy

Doesn't the IIHS do offset frontal crash tests?

Mr. Jones

IIHS does offset.

this is not good news for the new Tundra, visiting some other boards they're having the time of their lives.

then again they laughed at the Tundra for having a $1500 rebate, even though all other competitor fullsize trucks offer even larger rebates.

doug_999

Right - but the NHTSA should be doing it - not the unrealistic full frontal into a brickwall test. I remember a while back some cars were doing terrible in the NHTSA test but were spectacular in the offset test done in Europe - who knows, maybe the Tundra is better in an offset.

Either way, this test will be used by the competition - which is unfair if you ask me.

TRDFantasy

I just watched a video of the Tundra crash test, and the cab remains relatively intact - I believe it got 4 out of 5 stars because the test dummy experienced quite high G loads and rapid acceleration/deceleration. I believe the problem may actually be that the cab was not absorbing enough of the forces during the crash. This is also a consequence of a full frontal crash.

In offset, I believe the Tundra should do well.

Either way though, unfortunate for Toyota.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

I don't think this will have any effect on sales. You don't buy a pickup for its safety rating, you buy it for its utility.

I don't imagine it putting any potential Tundra buyers off, and those who wouldn't have bought one anyway (die hard narrow minded 'domestic' buyers) will snicker.

bizzy928

I think this WILL have an effect on sales.

Judging by observation (especially in urban areas), many people don't buy pickup trucks for their utility. Its like saying "people buy SUVs to drive offroad."

I for one take crash test ratings seriously (as you already know). If I were in the market for a pickup, I would definitely be looking into the F-150 (assuming IIHS rates the Tundra below "excellent").

Will this kill the Tundra? Probably not. But Toyota should be on top of this!