Three SUVs Get Top Ratings in NHTSA Crash Tests- Plus Complete Results
 2004 Dodge Durango- Poifect |
DETROIT, May 5, 2004; Reuters reported that only three 2004 model year sport utility vehicles earned perfect scores in the latest series of U.S. government frontal and side-impact crash tests, federal safety regulators said on Wednesday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the Infiniti FX, Saturn Vue and Toyota Highlander all got five out of a possible five stars for protection of their occupants against serious injury in the closely watched tests.
The redesigned Dodge Durango also won a perfect rating in the frontal crash test, in which vehicles are pulled into a fixed barrier at 35 miles per hour. But side-impact tests were not conducted on the Durango, NHTSA said.
Vehicles scoring poorly in the frontal tests were all from General Motors Corp. . They included the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Buick Rainier, GMC Envoy and GMC Envoy XUV, Isuzu Ascender, Oldsmobile Bravada, which are built off the same platform or chassis. All got a lowly three-star rating for protection of front seat positions in a crash.
The Cadillac SRX and Toyota RAV both got four-star ratings in the frontal crash tests, NHTSA said.
2004 Sport Utility Vehicles Crash Test Results
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that crash test results for model year 2004 sport utility vehicles (SUV) are posted on the agency's World Wide Web site, www.safercar.gov. The Infiniti FX35, Saturn VUE and Toyota Highlander received the government’s top rating in both the frontal and side-impact crash tests.
New 2004 frontal impact ratings for SUVs are provided for the Cadillac SRX 4x4 sport utility, Dodge Durango 4x4 sport utility, GMC Envoy XUV 4x4 sport utility, Infiniti FX35/45 4x4 sport utility, Saturn VUE 4x4 sport utility, Toyota Highlander 4x4 sport utility, and the Toyota Rav4 4x4 sport utility.
New 2004 side impact ratings for SUVs are provided for the Buick Rainier 4x4 sport utility, Cadillac SRX 4x4 sport utility, Chevrolet Trailblazer 4x4 sport utility, GMC Envoy 4x4 sport utility, Infiniti FX35 4x4 sport utility, Isuzu Ascender 4x4 sport utility, Oldsmobile Bravada 4x4 sport utility, Toyota Highlander 4x4 sport utility, and the Volkswagen Touareg 4x4 sport utility.
A fact sheet containing explanatory information and tables showing New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) crash test results for recently released model year 2004 vehicles can be obtained by calling the NHTSA Auto Safety Hotline, 1‑888‑327‑4236; or by writing to NHTSA Consumer Information, Room 5320, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, DC 20590. Crash test information is available at NHTSA’s web site by clicking on "Crash Tests" under "Popular Information" in the index on the left side of the screen.
| Make and Model | Curb Weight (lbs) |
Class Size | Frontal Driver |
Frontal Passenger |
Side-impact | Side-impact Rear Passenger |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac SRX 4-DR 4x4. w/std SAB | 4441 | SUV | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Chevrolet Trailblazer 4-DR 4x4 | 4560 | SUV | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Buick Rainier* 4-DR 4x4 | 4560 | SUV | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| GMC Envoy* 4-Dr 4x4 | 4560 | SUV | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Isuzu Ascender* 4-DR 4x4 | 4560 | SUV | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Oldsmobile Bravado* 4-Dr 4x4 | 4560 | SUV | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Dodge Durango 4-DR 4x4 | 5034 | SUV | 5 | 5 | NT | NT |
| GMC Envoy XUV 4-DR 4x4 | 5108 | SUV | 3 | 3 | NT | NT |
| Infiniti FX 35/45 4-DR 4x4 w/ std SAB | 4323 | SUV | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Saturn VUE 4-DR 4x4 | 3437 | SUV | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Toyota Highlander 4-DR 4x4 | 4079 | SUV | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Toyota Rav4 4-DR 4x4 | 3201 | SUV | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Volkswagen Touareg 4-DR 4x4 w/ std SAB | 5140 | SUV | UR | UR | 5 | 5 |
* = corporate twin of Chevrolet Trailblazer 4-DR 4x4
NT = Not Tested
UR = Under Review
SAB = Side-impact Air Bag
std = standard equipment
SUV = Sport Utility Vehicle
