Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Most Pickups Need Better Passenger-Side Protection


Most pickups need better passenger-side protection

ARLINGTON, Va. — The majority of pickups recently put through the passenger-side small overlap front test struggled to maintain their structure, but two trucks — the Ford F-150 and the Nissan Titan — earn a good rating.

The F-150 and the Titan join the Ram 1500, whose good rating in the test was released late last year.

The Honda Ridgeline, which earns an acceptable rating in the passenger-side test, is the only pickup so far to qualify for the 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK award, thanks to available good-rated headlights, which the other models all lack, and available superior-rated front crash prevention. The Ridgeline qualifies for the award only when equipped with those features.

The Toyota Tacoma also earns an acceptable rating in the passenger-side test, but it falls short of an award because of headlights.

In total, IIHS has rated 11 crew cab pickups in the passenger-side test — four small and seven large. The Toyota Tundra, a large pickup, earns the only poor rating, while five of the trucks rate marginal.