IIHS’ small overlap frontal crash test meant bad news for the 2013 Toyota RAV4, with the Japanese crossover earning a poor rating for protecting its passengers.
Even though Toyota made additional changes to the models built starting April, “a combination of poor structure and inadequate control of the dummy's movement prevented the RAV4 from earning better than a poor rating overall,” the IIHS revealed.
The agency’s test shows that the driver’s space was compromised by intruding structure, while the dummy almost missed the airbag, hitting the instrument panel. This was caused by the steering column moving more than seven inches to the right and the safety belt allowing excessive movement.
The 2013 RAV4 earned the Top Safety Pick rating by scoring well in the Institute's four other tests, but failed to earn the Top Safety Pick+ because of the “Poor” small overlap test rating. So far, only two SUVs claimed the top score - the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and the 2014 Subaru Forester.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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