Pickups, vans score well in safety
A dozen 2008 pickup trucks and vans earned top safety scores in government crash tests released Tuesday.
The top-scoring pickups in 2008 include: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Dakota, GMC Sierra 1500, Honda Ridgeline, Mitsubishi Raider and Toyota Tacoma.
Among vans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the highest scores to the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Hyundai Entourage, Nissan Quest and the Kia Sedona.
Every vehicle in the fleet of 64 trucks and vans scored by the NHTSA received either a four- or five-star rating in front-end or side-impact tests. Some of the vehicles were not tested in all categories.
Most of the vehicles received four out of five stars in the government’s rollover test. Under the ratings system, a vehicle with four stars has a 10% to 20% risk of rollover and a three-star vehicle has a 20% to 30% risk.
None of the vans or pickups received five stars in the rollover test. The Ford E-350 15-passenger wagon was the only van or pickup to receive two stars in the rollover ratings, meaning it has a rollover risk of 30% to 40%.
Among popular pickups, the Ford F-150 got five stars in the front tests and was not tested in the side. It received four stars in rollover tests.
The Toyota Tundra received four stars in the front tests and did not undergo side-impact tests.
