Toyota Dumbfounded As Tundra Now Recieves 5 Star Crash Rating

Can new five-star head-on crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration help the Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck regain sales traction with consumers and remove a marketing weakness that the Detroit Three have taken advantage of?

Toyota was surprised in 2007 when the all-new Tundra rated only four out of five stars for driver and front passenger safety (in all cab configurations) while its Detroit competitors — the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra 1500 and Dodge Ram 1500 — earned perfect five-star scores. Toyota's internal testing had indicated the Tundra should have also earned five stars.

A five-star score indicates that the chances of suffering serious injuries are less than 10 percent, while a four-star score means the chances are 11 percent to 20 percent.

The lower safety rating gave Chrysler, GM and Ford an opportunity to exploit the Tundra's federally measured safety gap in their marketing and promotional efforts, as they each launched all-new light-duty pickups during the past three years, even as the Tundra quietly earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's 2008 Top Safety Pick award — the first time a pickup had been recognized with this honor. The 2009 Ford F-150 later earned the same IIHS award.


2009 Frankfurt Auto Show Photo Gallery
 

topneuro - 8/4/2009 3:50:46 PM

+2 Boost

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=70

carguy68 - 8/4/2009 2:11:09 PM

+3 Boost

Well it wasn't one star that kept people away from the tundra, lets face it the big 3 just builds better trucks period.
Oh and the looks of the tundra doesn't help either.

r15mohd - 8/4/2009 2:29:41 PM

+2 Boost

i doubt that...Chevy/Ford have established themselves as the trucks in America. Hard for a newcomer to enter and instantly take huge amount of sales.

toyota is slowly chopping away at the blocks, wont be long before a tundra dually is offered...at least I hope!

inspirion7 - 8/5/2009 4:49:14 PM

+2 Boost

Toyota is chopping away at what, I know you aren't mentioning market share from domestics. Tundra sales are dismal at best. No conquest sales in this arena. If anyone has different info, I stand corrected.

XYZZ - 8/4/2009 8:19:03 PM

+1 Boost

safety, smafety!

almost NO modern car is UNsafe. those overconcerned with safety are the namby-pamby, lousy drivers always afraid they MAY CRASH or be crashed into.

the german car makers are still coasting on the prestige advantage they ONCE enjoyed. lexus and even TOYOTA far outclass them today on reliable, low maintenance, high tech vehicles with electronics that WORK.

few people really care about performance in todsy's traffic clogged streets. they care about NOT having to take their 'luxury' car to the dealer to fix one bug or another every month.

222max - 8/4/2009 2:28:07 PM

+13 Boost

And once again I'm DUMBFOUNDED at the choice of titles for these articles.

freshseth83 - 8/4/2009 5:49:34 PM

+2 Boost

yeah- dumbfounded? Highly unlikely, more like finally getting what they deserve. Their in house tests weren't any fluke. The truck is very safe, looks better than the stupid chevy and gmc trucks too. The Ford is 2nd with the Dodge but i like the design of the tundra the best. Anyone see the TRD version with the supercharged 5.7 litre V8?

rxh8me9000 - 8/4/2009 8:42:37 PM

+4 Boost

If i was getting a pick up it would be the Ram followed by the Tundra. For a new guy on the block,Toyota is not far off from taking their spots.

inspirion7 - 8/5/2009 4:57:26 PM

+1 Boost

Really, what do you base that on? As of July, F-150 had the top spot at 215,959 YTD 36,327 for the month. Tundra sales was next to last in front of the Titan.

Tundra sales 42,419 YTD, 6,313 for the month.

Want to laugh. Titan sales 10,721 YTD, 1,467 for the month. I don't see any gains here, I don't know I could be wrong. Please, someone tell me different.

009load - 8/4/2009 10:36:29 PM

0 Boost

Stop eating the 2 for $3 Whoppers.