re: Safety Equipment "disparity" in popular Ford truck prompts IIHS re-test

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especially considering no other manufacturers trucks have been similarly analyzed.

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Yeah, but no other manufacturers been caught leaving out structural reinforcement in models they know are not tested.....at least not yet.

Fuel efficiency and costs are pretty big concerns for buyers these days. Leaving what is likely heavy, expensive parts out of some models to improve EPA ratings and reduce costs can go a long way to a company's bottom line.

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2015 F150 Crash Test
2015 Silverado Crash Test
This is the government head-on test. They're both rated 5 stars but it's not hard to see which one you'd rather be in.

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Both of those tests look identical

ETA: I agree with you FWIW. Ford would only stand to lose by "rigging" the test - I don't see any reason why they would do that purposely. I'll wait to form an opinion until after the additional tests and/or word from Ford.

I am a huge fan of IIHS.

I like to go fast, but I like a safe vehicle. This is a bad mark for Ford.

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It obviously isn't random enough, because Ford figured their formula out. Wonder what other cars they did it on

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It's not really shocking, but the government agency tests don't really cover the more likely scenarios tested by the IIHS. IIHS doesn't test all cars, and still only test the most popular configurations of said cars they actually get around to testing.

I personally think heavier trucks are at a natural disadvantage in these tests since they include much greater mass. That's why I think a good crash test rating on a truck is more impressive than a good crash test on a smaller car. Crash a "good" rated Suburban into a "good" rated Civic, and you'll see why.

In the early 1990s, the IIHS started doing offset crash tests to simulate a more common crash test scenario. A lot of manufacturers had some embarrassing results, but they've since figured out how to improve their designs in a way that improves their results.
Offset:
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Fairly recently, the IIHS started the "small overlap" test to simulate a scenario where a driver may face a head on collision and swerve away. It's much harder to get a good rating on this particular test, and IIHS doesn't test every configuration. This involves a collision with the corner of the vehicle. The wheel lugs sheer off and the wheel either goes into the passenger compartment or is deflected around the A pillar of the cab.

Again, a few manufacturers were really embarrassed by their results....but some also did pretty well. It's not a test a heavy truck will do well in without having structural reinforcements baked into the design.

Small Overlap
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In both of those IIHS tests, it's pretty important that the wheel doesn't intrude into the floor of the cab, which would cause leg, hip, and pelvis injuries to a passenger. That's especially problematic in trucks that are a little higher off the ground (and usually higher mass, which translates to more force), which is why Ford reinforced the truck they knew would be tested. They installed a beam to deflect the wheel around the truck instead of underneath.

It's pretty shady that they didn't reinforce the models they knew wouldn't be tested. Even if it's just 30% of all models sold, it's a huge number because of the relative popularity of full sized trucks.

Which is why I'm anti-Honda Pilot.

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Did you not read the article? They reinforced only the versions tested by IIHS. NHTSA does not test for offset crashes....the IIHS does.

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This is the third time someone has stupidly suggested that I didn't read the article. This article - by a source I've never heard of - is not the end-all-be-all encyclopedia of this issue. Just use some common sense for a minute. Your position is that ford, a company with tens of billions of dollars at stake, would knowingly make their Supercrew trucks (70% of all f150s) "ringers" for an IIHS test to the detriment of the other 30%? You don't think someone at Ford piped up during a meeting and said "what if IIHS decides to test all cab configurations"? Your position is that Ford wanted to cut costs so they "only" included this feature on a vast majority of trucks sold?

I think it is laughable that Ford would rely solely on IIHS - an organization with tons of money - to not spend another $50k to buy two more trucks for a more comprehensive report. As I said earlier in a point that went totally over your head: NHTSA does test all cab configurations, why would Ford risk that IIHS wouldn't start doing the same?

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NHTSA does test all cab configurations, why would Ford risk that IIHS wouldn't start doing the same?

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You seem to have serious trouble accepting that a major corporation would prioritize profit ahead of everything else. Perhaps their core motivation was to save production costs or to cut vehicle weight....but it happened. It's happened before and it will happen again.

Whatever their motivation, the fact that Ford got caught doing it has prompted the IIHS to retest the F150 and to start testing all truck configurations in the future.

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I really don''t get why they are so popular.

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Frankly, I think they are very ugly. The few that I've driven had a loud interior....so I probably wouldn't buy one. It's a Honda, so it probably has a reputation for being fuel efficient and reliable though.