Toyota Tundra fails to score five stars in NHTSA frontal crash test
Toyota's not having an easy time with the Tundra so far. It's been criticized for lacking a fully-boxed frame, the internet is alight with Tundra-hate, and now along comes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Both Regular and Double Cab variants of Toyota's intended domestic-fighter were crashed by the agency, and both only managed four stars. While a four star crash test rating isn't horrible, the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra and Dodge Ram all have the strength to ring the 5-star bell and win the stuffed bunny. The likelihood of injuries in a Tundra could be up to 10-percent greater than the domestic brands because of its one-star deficit. The difference could also be as small as one-percent, however, so this news may not be as significant as it sounds at first blush. All we can really say with certainty is that the Tundra performs worse when crashed into a concrete barrier at 35mph than its competition.
No doubt the Tundra's performance in this test will again focus scrutiny on the truck's frame, which is not fully boxed like its competition. According to Mike Levine from Pickuptruck.com, the Tundra's frame is split into three parts and the front piece actually is boxed. However, the frame under the cab and bed are C-channel, and they are also affected by a frontal crash. As Levine told us, the rest of the Tundra's competition now has some ammo to aim back at the Tundra in their marketing efforts.
We expect that acceptance of the brawny fullsizer from Toyota will take a little while, and it may not come until the current generation Tundra is dead and buried, but when Toyota wants something, they don't mess around. They were up front in expecting the Tundra to receive five stars and a Best Pick from the IIHS, so don't expect this 4-star rating to last long.
[Source: Pickuptruck.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Jersey Dave 10:17AM (8/20/2007)
Take away the XYZ and ABC plans and $4700 cash on the hood
put the trucks side by side and see what people buy
Toyota will pass GM this year, 3 years ahead of schedule as the worlds largest car company
Watch the movie Gung Ho and you will see why
Toyota is into full size trucks for one simple reason, it is the only growth area left for the company to conquer.. if they are going to continue to grow they have to go to where they have the least market share ...large trucks
My customer just traded in his F150 and his Mustang Shelby Cobra for the 381hp 5.7 Tundra..now he has speed towing reliability AND resale value
ajumper1 9:47PM (3/07/2008)
I just had a head on collision in my 2007 tundra. The other vehicle, a 2000 plymouth mini van was a total disaster. My tundra was messed up in the front but I was completly uninjured! The impact was at aprrox. 45mph with the on-coming vehicle. I was maybe doing 5 mph, as i was coming out of a turn. I was amazed at the mini-van compared to my tundra! I have nothing but praise for this real-live crash test!
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Jens 6:12AM (3/27/2009)
that is *a* sexy car !!
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robz4 11:59PM (3/16/2007)
To quote one of Autoblog writers favourite phrases: AW SNAP !!
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aaron 12:18AM (3/17/2007)
Someone at Toyota just lost their job...or maybe more than one person did.
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Toyota Tundra 12:32AM (3/17/2007)
Aw thats not good at all.. I wonder how this is going to effect sales. Look out for some major incentives!
http://www.tundratalk.net
2007 Toyota Tundra Forums
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Ken 12:46AM (3/17/2007)
Not that this by itself is a big deal - it just seems Toyota has been making some bad moves in the past few years (poor-rated models, reliability issues, recalls, and other very non-Toyota issues).
However, their sales numbers are strong, and I wonder how much of that is momentum, or just the fact they know how to market a car properly?
We all lament the lack of a sports car, but thats a small piece of the pie. For example, the new Camry doesn't seem to be that hot (bad reviews, heard is wasn't reaching sales goals), the Yaris is a dud (Fit slaughters it), and now this with the Tundra.
Whats going on?
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Snix 1:39AM (3/17/2007)
Sucks to be Toyota lately. And it's gonna get worse.
Buy American if you want a real truck.
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Jim Sanders 12:54AM (3/17/2007)
OWNED!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111
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Bryan 1:11AM (3/17/2007)
This has just been a fantastic news day. It made my weekend! Why doesn't Toyota just give up on trucks? They are never going to win. I love their one and only commercial here for it in the Houston area touting it has the largest brakes in its class. Whoop de do, My F150 stops just fine with smaller ones. Oh and Dan Roth do us a favor and quit sucking up to Toyota. Bury a brand new model? They have wanted to play full size for over a decade now. They do really want it. They just can't hack it. Oh and Ken, please, this is very Toyota-like, they just hide their recalls and magically transform them into non-design errors and blame customers. It's the Toyota way.
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22REbaby 1:51AM (11/28/2007)
please bro, one star cant can't knock off the MIGHT T off its feet, dont be mad that ford has ONLY its TRUCK LINE to save the damn company.
yeah... tundra bragging about its 4 MASSIVE 4 DISC BRAKES.. makes you mad...
you need Massive brakes to stop THAT BEAST
you only need small ones, for " Found On Road Dead ", woops i ment F.O.R.D
Silver 1:20AM (3/17/2007)
"They have wanted to play full size for over a decade now. They do really want it. They just can't hack it." - Bryan
Yes, because only Americans are smart enough to build full size trucks. Which, of course, also explains why we can't build a decent car worth buying...
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Rene Curry 1:21AM (3/17/2007)
Toyota has created many distorted marketing propaganda to date. Things such as they are a real American company employing people just like the big three.
I say it's fair game for the big three to seize this opportunity to use this crash test to promote their pick-ups against theirs.
The big three must do this immediately and exploit it for all they can. This propaganda can extend past the point of where Toyota fixes the problem.
No guts, no passion, no glory, DO IT!
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fabian h 1:41AM (3/17/2007)
wow nothing but haters here, geez nothing but nice openminded people here, i took my car in last week for a front bumper touch up at the auto body shop, and there was a 2006 F150 all busted up from the front, the owner of the shop was telling that the the air bag failed to open, AW SNAP how you like them apples
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Bryan 1:48AM (3/17/2007)
Hey silver--wake up, it's called the Aura, Fusion, Milan, MKZ, Mustang, just to name a few. There are plenty of good cars. Automakers build what is in demand. Thats why Ford and Mazda are bringing smaller cars over. However, Americans love trucks. There is no other vehicle that can do what truck can. Thats why I will always own one!
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Bryan 1:51AM (3/17/2007)
Hey Fabian have you ever owned a full size truck? That, and, you just commited the hate crime you are accusing people of in here. Toyota trucks blow. End of story!
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JarryHames 2:32AM (3/17/2007)
Whatever! Hating Toyota and Honda is so cliche. Let's get real and original. Anytime Autoblog posts any article about Toyota or Honda. The haters come out with their typical "hate fan mail." The Tundra will do fine and Toyota will not lose any sleep or profits because some loser added a negative comment on Autoblog. You people tiRED!
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iQuack 2:44AM (3/17/2007)
I'd take a Toyota (truck or car) over any Ford. But if I were shopping for a truck, the Chevy Silverado seems to be the best among the big ones.
GM appears to be coming back and its cars (Aura, upcoming Malibu, and '08 CTS) are likely to be winners.
Chrysler is the big disappointment--no benefit at all from being owned by Mercedes. I expected much more from Chrysler--not just a few strange looking Mitsubishi variants to compete with other high-volume cars.
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Make a Lincoln as a Lincoln PLS 3:38AM (3/17/2007)
New Ford challenge Ads:
NHTSA head-on test:
Toyota tundra: 4 star
Ford edge: 5 star
Folks, you're safer in this cute turd than in that ugly monster !!!
Hey beautiful hair Fields just copy this idea for free
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lawstud 6:40PM (3/17/2007)
I think lacking a full-size frame was a cost saving move that makes me not want one. Yet with a 5.7L V8 381/401 and a six speed, those apples are speaking my language. Yummy.
Chevy needs those 6 speed trans soon and some more gusto from those engines.
I do not care where the truck is made or who is making money, be it US companies paying health care costs to old union members or Japanese executives buyer a bigger boat and investing 7 billion more than GM in R&D (10 vs 3 bill.). I want the best truck for the dollar, usually that means the most horsepower per dollar.
Chevy trucks now have a 100k warranty, considering I was in 2 suburbans that died around 50-60k I swore I would never buy a chevy. That warranty may be enough for me to go back to chevy, but they better make more of those gmt900 trucks, "classic sierra" is a waste.
Tundra trucks for me do not look macho enough, the size is there but not the work truck look. Let alone a work truck configuration.
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