Previously, we reported the Ford F-150 was the only pickup truck to receive a “good” rating in the frontal, overlap crash test, and the only truck to be awarded a “top safety pick” by the IIHS.
Fiat-Chrysler Authority has reported on the latest video finding, which show the F-150, Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 all compete for the accolade. Good news: the Silverado fairs much better than the Ram, but the Silverado still lags behind the safety in the F-150.
The Ram, however, performs quite poorly. As seen in the video, the dashboard and pedals are pushed into the dummy, which would mean serious injury and possible entrapment in the event of a crash.
Also interesting is the difference between the crew and extended cab models, with the extended cab performing better for each truck. Watch the results for yourself above.
Comments
The problem I see with these crash tests run by the insurance institute is the thing they run the vehicle into is an immovable, stationary object. Take a 3 ton vehicle and the laws of inertia apply. The ass-end of the vehicle catches up to the front. However, if I took my 3 ton/6,000 lbs. Suburban and had a left front-to-left front crash with a econ-box, that econ-box is moving…..backwards, with severe damage. I’m sure another one of Newton’s laws applies here. I walk away from the crash, not so much for the econ-box driver.
They are testing for the WORST CASE scenario of a crash in all the vehicles they test, not the most likely scenario.
Obviously, the vehicles would perform better in a test with a deformable barrier or one that is on wheels, but then what would be the point of that test? It wouldn’t show the absolute limits of the Suburban’s crash performance, the very attribute that the structural engineers need to show for in a test. Consumers want to see the worst kinds of crashes a car can endure and to see it’s star rating. The thinking goes that if it can withstand that kind of abuse in a controlled setting, then running a Suburban into a Sonic shouldn’t be a problem.
You may feel confident in a Suburban in a 25% overlap crash with a Sonic, but I don’t think you’ll have the same confidence with a concrete bollard or a Freightliner.
Mike, I see what you are saying, but all accidents are not with other vehicles. An accident could be with a tree, bridge pillar… all stationary items. So all accidents are not relegated to accidents with other vehicles only. Chevy, Toyota, and especially FCA have some work to do!
Time for General Motors to get serious.. as in recent months we’ve seen GM vehicles get redesigned using the latest engineering techniques to make them bigger while lighter; it’s time that GM spends the supercomputer time to make their trucks structurally safe or they risk having Ford hit them over the head with this fact in their commercials which could impact sales.. because what good is a steel truck when it acts like toilet paper in a crash.
At the risk of sounding like a
socialist (!), you could make a case for safety being the most important info vehicle makers share with each other.
MPG, payload, towing capacity, curb weight, technology, price, etc., provide plenty of room to compete –
Crash- worthiness and safety is kind of an insidious advantage, when you think about it. Ya, Volvo built their business on it.
But there’s an oppty for GM to take a leadership position, undo some past suppositions, and take the lead to make safety an open forum.
Crazy, I know. But there’s plenty to compete about without safety being part of the equation.
Let the downvotes begin! ?
No downvote from me. I think that you are correct – all other elements are important features but if your vehicle kills you why care if it has more power?
The fact is they all know pretty much the same thing. They all do the same test and have the same data.
What it comes down to is who has the newest platform. The newest platform generally always wins. It is not steel, it is not aluminum and it is not stiffness. What determinds the outcome is engineering and that comes with each and every new platform new data is applied.
The Ford is all new so it is expected they would do a little better. As for the Chevy it was updated but still pretty much based on the past platform as that is why we will see a new truck around 2018.
The Ram is very old. it has had some updates but not a complete new platform for a while and it is showing.
Note too that some of these test have been added and or changed since the Ram has come about. They Alter the test to make them tougher as the truck have gotten better over the years. They used to have an offset test but now they are just catching the outside. The deformation of the frame and body determine penetration into the cab as you can see with the Ram.
Most of these deflections can not be done unless you redesign the whole structure in a new platform.
For when they went to aluminum had to change everything as the aluminum has different needs in a crash and they had to engineer it to collapse in the right order and deflect in the right directions.
The other issue is you do not want it too stiff and not collapse as you will break the necks of everyone inside.
The IIHS do all they can to break these vehicles to find the weak areas. Most test are over the top but that is how you find the weak areas. Also they like to play the agenda publicity card too. They love to make big deals out of major issues as well as minor issue. To be honest they do a service but also their cry wolf issue at times also hurt them. I wish they would play it straight and better inform people of the how and why’s so they would better understand the results where.
Putting a scare into people is how they thrive legit or not.
Anyways watch GM will have the next new half ton and it will be the top dog till Ram replaces there and then Ford theirs.
The fact is anymore size does not always matter in crashes as much as it once did. Newest generally matters most but the laws of nature always are around to prove us wrong too.
Scott, GM should not wait until 2018 with the redesign–needs to be addressed now!
2015 Ford F-150 had some issues passing the test and they corrected for 2016. No reason why GM can’t have resolved next year or 2017 at the latest.
Martin it all depends on what they have to fix. If it is a simple fix then it will be sooner. From what I heard the Ford fix was simple.
Now if it is a major fix then it has to wait till they have the money and man power scheduled for the new platform that takes 5 years to develop and no way of making it come any sooner.
Cars and truck like this are not always like a race car where you can just weld in a new part to the cage.
Some times it is a simple fix adding a new bar to the frame to deflect and other times it takes a whole new frame and body structure.
One thing to keep in mind too the GM and Ford trucks did not get any worse. They are the same 5 star rated trucks that we had last year and the year before. But as like the Camaro one upped the Mustang in performance the Ford truck being all new just one upped everyone else.
These vehicles did not get worse and are far from a death trap. As time goes on and with new computer simulations more is learned and better performance is found be it HP or crash test results.
As of now the sky is not falling and generally trucks are a very loyal fan base. Hell The small Toyota’s were rusting in half in 8 years a few years ago. They were breaking in half as I know someone it happened too. It was a well known problem and much more extreme than a crash test that simulates a rare type of crash, Most are more on center and it takes even more impact. Notice how they just catch the edge. They used to test at the half way mark and reduced the crumple area.
Besides the Chevy did not get a poor rating it got acceptable and that in its self is not a black mark.
Martin you really need to put this into perspective of all that it takes to make changes and understand the standards used and just what it would take to make these changes.
That is unless you are an engineer and could explain how simple, easy and fast it would be to re engineer.
And I mean an Engineer with a degree not an internet engineer.
The small overlap test is what is shown and discussed in the video. IIHS has only introduced this test since 2012. The test involves a 40mph collision into a 5ft tall stationary barrier with only the outer 25% of the width striking the barrier.
When you think about it, the inertia of the entire truck is partially absorbed by the front wheel and suspension system with much of the force transmitted to the cab. It largely bypasses the front frame rails on older vehicles. The cab has to be exceptionally strong to absorb and/or deflect the impact.
These tests are designed to simulate reasonable worse case scenarios (and rightly so). However, it is important to take that into account when evaluating the overall vehicle safety. All of these are safe vehicles – even the Ram. As Scott3 alluded to, the Ram chassis was designed before the slight offset tests were implemented. These safety expectations are being raised continually. All are safe trucks, the Ford is just the safest as measured by the IIHS. Just wait until the IIHS designs another test that the manufacturers haven’t designed for. It doesn’t make the older vehicles any less safe – it just raises the bar to make the next generation autos even better.
You are very correct and informed.
The offset test I think used to take 50% of the truck and now 25% as you stated. GM did some upgrades but not en entire new truck, Most of the upgrades were interior and styling with some suspension mods.
You put this into very good perspective.
The thing I don’t get is, if you look at the small over lap crash test, the one they are talking bout. How does the Ext GM truck get a lesser rating then the ext cab F150, because under the Technical measurements on the GM trucks Ext cab you have 0% of Knee-thigh-hip injury risk compare to the 1% in the F150. If any thing beef up the GM crew cab as it has a 2% risk of Knee-thigh-hip injury compare to 0% with the crew cab F150.
Again right from IIHS site, how can the Ext cab F150 get a better rating when you have a higher % of being injured?
This has got to be the biggest waste of time, energy, and money! The safety rating of a vehicle is complete garbage. I have never given these reports 1 once of interest. These test do nothing but make these vehicles more expensive, and heavy with more and more government mandate items that must be involved.
When ever I am at a dealership and a salesman starts talking about how safe this car or truck is I just walk away.
The message that needs to be sent to the public is not hey let’s build tanks that can survive any crash, lets teach the driving public a way to stop getting into accidents! I am 43 years old and I have never been in anything other then a minor fender bender. If these major crash stopped the public wouldn’t need the manufacturers to even focus on safety!!!
Not really. I am not a big fan of how the IIHS does so much self agitation here but they have driven companies to try harder and keep reaching for more durability.
Companies really strive for the 5 star ratings and it has shown how much better cars are. Now GM is working to make them lighter but also stronger. This makes not only for safer but better MPG and better handling as a stiff structure is best for handling. The new Camaro is proof of both lighter weight and stronger structure working so well.
it not because the truck is stronger ford add a little steel bar in a front and back of the wheel the front peace is job is to broke the wheel and the seconds one change the trajectory of the wheel so he didn’t go inside the cab ,,,it’s the front wheel damage the cab not because gm have a bad frame good ex look Ford last years test crew cab did better compare to extended cab ,,now they add this steel bar I think in the extended cab this I think why Ford did a better test,,,,
Yes there was a steel bar added to the Fort that fixed their issue. Some problems are easily resolved but others like the Ram may take a entire new vehicle as the test are much tougher since they introduced that truck.
Now all we have to see , Is the information on cost to repair each vehicle from this Insurance organization . I am not talking these particular vehicles because i would say they were totaled, but the repairable ones.
Just a quick question: will the 2017 Camaro ZL1’s motor come with the dry sump lubrication system as found in the Z/06? Hopefully the answer is yes!
Thank you.