REPORT: Toyota Tundra finally earns its fifth star... but how?
2010 Toyota Tundra Platinum Package - click above for high-res gallery
When Toyota crashed the domestic automakers' pickup party with the arrival of the 2007 Tundra, the truck-buying public took notice. Bad news struck the Tundra from the start, though, as heavy rebates were needed to move the new truck, and numerous quality issues were reported. Toyota has since addressed those issues, but one problem has continued to follow the truck: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Tundra a four star rating for front driver and passenger collisions, denoting a 11-20% chance of serious injury in a 35 mph crash. That's one fewer star than the competition from Dodge, Chevy, and Ford, and a big-time marketing disadvantage for Toyota. The four star rating became a bit more puzzling when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the Tundra a Top Safety Pick for 2008. Toyota seemed dumbfounded as to why its truck received a four star rating, but the Japanese automaker may have received some vindication for the 2010 model year.
The star power of the Tundra has finally been amped up for the new model year, as NHTSA is now giving the Double Cab and Crew Max configurations of the truck a five star rating. The regular cab Tundra hasn't been tested. There have been several changes to the 2010 Tundra, including interior and exterior updates, plus a new 310 horsepower 4.6-liter V8 engine. Pickuptrucks.com contacted Toyota to see what structural changes were made to the Tundra to improve its crash test scores, and Toyota reportedly told the website that no structural changes to the trucks frame were made, and no safety enhancements have been added. Interesting.
[Source: Pickuptrucks]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
wee2006 1:14PM (8/04/2009)
I'm a salesperson at a toyota dealer in CA and I know that they added Knee Airbags for both the driver and passenger...
That could be the reason
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Colin Smith 1:31PM (8/04/2009)
In Europe the star rating can be upped by just this sort of improvement. Another airbag or two will give the manufacturer another star.
We may think they are talking structural integrity with their ratings, but in fact they are also including passive systems in the tally.
Vincenzo 2:18PM (8/04/2009)
THAT IS ONE - UGGGLY TRUCK!!!
seanleeforever 3:16PM (8/04/2009)
all trucks are ugly, they are functional machines, not eye candies. so unless you buying a truck only to get groceries, why would you even care?
Rich 7:42PM (8/04/2009)
seanleeforever: You're right, of course; but so many people buy trucks for their looks *and* for buying groceries; or in the case of the truck-driving public: "gross-eries".
the4thheat 9:24PM (8/04/2009)
Well I got in a fairly high speed accident once and the only injury I had was actually from my knee colliding with the dashboard, so something like this could very well get those few injuries off the list and bump it to 5 stars.
George 1:15PM (8/04/2009)
still a POS
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Other Man 2:25PM (8/04/2009)
They can keep the updated V-6, new V-8, and the 5.7, but the rest of the truck needs to be all new.
texmln 8:28PM (8/04/2009)
Spoken like somebody who's never so much as seen one up close, George.
Level 1:15PM (8/04/2009)
so you are saying that Toyota bribe The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into getting that fifth star ?
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Osprey 1:23PM (8/04/2009)
Sounds like it to me (that they are saying that, not that Toyota is doing it).
Out of curiosity, is there a basis for the bribing comments?
Samurai Jack 3:48PM (8/04/2009)
As long as you're posting conspiracy theories, why not consider the opposite case too:
NHTSA conspired with the domestic manufacturers to deny Toyota that 5th star for the initial model year. They had to do something to protect the market share of their cash cow pickup trucks and playing on the safety fears of the public was a good way to do it.
I don't believe either case actually. Just sayin'. I think the additional airbags someone else mentioned is the true reason for the upgrade.
MoonRover 9:05PM (8/04/2009)
Exactly, Toyota simply told them they were wrong, that Toyota was the best truck in the whole wide world and NHTSA got on their knees kiss a Turdra's ass end and said "YES SIR! One totally f'ed up truck.
KT 1:15PM (8/04/2009)
Or, could it be......$$$$$$$$
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Diego3336 1:16PM (8/04/2009)
Maybe they bought the fifth star, like they do with almost reviews...
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laser 1:18PM (8/04/2009)
When this latest iteration of the "full-sized" Toyota pickup hit the market, I was alarmed at the frame design and construction. Toyota does not use a fully-boxed frame design in the Tundra and has three different constructions on the frame with the weakest and flimsiest at the front of the truck with a transition just under the footwell of the cab - this is alarming since the crashworthiness of the Tundra is significantly compromised. Furthermore, what struck me about the Tundra is that the truck looks like it is designed to sag in old age - I believe the "fully boxed" area is under the cab with the second weakest area under the cargo box - with the two ends of the frame being weaker than the center, this truck will bend in the middle - and - since Tundras are known to have corrosion issues in the Northeast and Midwest to the point that the suspension attaching points are rusted OFF THE FRAME (!), this Tundra is an wreck waiting to happen. While Toyota grew the Tundra this time to "full-sized" proportions, it built it like it was a Corolla - strong enough to carry passengers and a few bags of groceries, but not strong enough to handle anything substantial. I can't wait to see these Tundras after five years.
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Osprey 1:27PM (8/04/2009)
I think that's what most truck owners use them for. My 05 Tundra is there to haul around big items, but nothing that is ever remotely near its payload capability.
Brian 1:35PM (8/04/2009)
Fooled by marketing. A fully boxed frame is NOT something you want on a truck. Go look at the frame rails on any large commercial truck and they are all C-channel. This allows the frame to twist as it crosses uneven ground while carrying heavy loads without breaking. Fully boxed frames are much stiffer and must use the suspension to absorb any unevenness in the ground. This requires soft suspension at the same time you need stiffness to carry heavy loads. Once you reach the limit of suspension travel somethings got to give.
As long as you don't expect your truck to handle like a car, C-channel is far superior.
wtfJeeper 1:50PM (8/04/2009)
Brian - please do not compare the Tundra to large commercial trucks. Apples to oranges.
dave1w41 2:49PM (8/04/2009)
Brian... Just stop man.. Lol! Trying to justify the garbage chassis that Toyota has stuck under the Tundra by using large commercial trucks as an example is not helping your already blown-out crediblity.