NHTSA Rates Silverado & Sierra Worst in Crash Tests

[Guest hoss]

On top of the serious financial problems GM is having, this is not what they want to hear...... 8-[ 8-[ 8-[

April 7, 2005

Two GM '05 Pickups  

Rank Worst in Crash Tests

Associated Press  

April 7, 2005; Page D4

WASHINGTON -- Two General Motors Corp. pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, fared the worst in a new batch of government crash tests of 2005 pickups, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.  

In rollover tests, Ford Motor Co.'s Ranger and Mazda Motor Corp.'s B-Series fared worst among a list of pickups with four-wheel drive. The trucks received two out of five stars and had a 30.6% chance of rollover, according to the NHTSA.

The agency gave both the two-door and four-door versions of the Silverado and Sierra three out of five stars for passenger-side frontal crash tests. The vehicles, which merited four stars for driver-side frontal crash tests, are considered corporate twins and share the same test results.  

Chevrolet Silverado fared among the worst in 2005 pickup-truck crash tests.  

Three stars equals a 21% to 35% chance of serious injury in a similar real-world crash. Four stars equals an 11% to 20% chance of serious injury. The NHTSA conducts the front-impact test at 35 miles an hour.  

Two 2005 pickups -- the two-door versions of DaimlerChrysler AG's Dodge Dakota and Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tacoma -- received five stars for all seat positions in frontal and side crash tests. Two-door and four-door versions of the Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram 1500 received top scores in frontal crash tests.  

Alan Adler, a General Motors spokesman, noted that the Silverado and Sierra received four stars in rollover ratings and are equipped with safety items such as antilock brakes and daytime running lamps, a feature that has been credited with slicing through fog and glare to reduce collisions with pedestrians.  

He said the ratings were consistent with previous scores for the trucks and added that the pickups would be redesigned in the next few years.