Toyota Upset with IIHS Top Safety Picks

Finding itself, for the first time, with no vehicle among the 27 chosen by the IIHS as the 2010 Top safety Picks, Japanese carmaker Toyota now says the report is misleading. Toyota also expressed its disapproval of the way in which the IIHS decided to state this reality in its official press release.

“Not a single model from the world’s biggest automaker by sales is represented among this year’s winners. Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subsidiaries had a strong showing in 2009 with 11 winners, but were shut out for 2010,” said the IIHS release.

Toyota argues that the unclear IIHS press release leaves room for interpretation that the entire Toyota line-up has been tested and did not qualify. According to the carmaker, only three of its models have been tested.

“They made the statement without disclosing the fact that only three vehicles had been tested,” Brian Lyons, safety and quality communications manager for Toyota said according to the New York Times. “We look at that release, and it would appear to us — and to others — that every vehicle in the lineup, or at least the five model segments, had been tested. But that is not correct.”

The IIHS however says the vehicles sent for testing by Toyota are the choices of the manufacturer, who could have very well sent other vehicles.

“All vehicles were eligible, but because we can’t test everything at the start of the model year, in January we sent letters to all manufacturers saying here is the new test we are going to be doing. If you have vehicles you believe will earn a good rating in the new rollover test, give us the names and we’ll test them outside of our normal schedule,” Russ Rader, IIHS spokesman, told the source.