NHTSA Releases List of Model Year 2002 Vehicles to be Rated for Safety
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today released a list of the 72 model year 2002 vehicles it will crash test in frontal or side impacts, and the 61 vehicles it will rate for the risk of rollover, providing safety information to help consumers make buying decisions.
The safety agency said it will crash test 29 passenger cars, 32 sport utility vehicles, 5 vans, and 6 pickups in its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Forty-one vehicles will be crashed in the frontal direction and thirty-one vehicles will be crashed from the side. Once the crash testing is completed, NHTSA estimates that frontal and side safety information can be provided to consumers for about 80 percent of the model year 2002 vehicles to be sold in the U.S.
NHTSA will also test the rollover propensity of 61 vehicles. Many of these models are the same as the vehicles selected for crash testing. They include 22 passenger cars, 24 sports utility vehicles, one van, and 14 pickups. The agency estimates this rollover data will provide safety information for about 61 percent of the vehicles to be sold in the U.S.
Consumers can see test results for previous model years and can obtain additional information on the NCAP program by visiting the Web Site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ or by calling the agency's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 800-424-9393, or 202-366-0123 in the Washington area.
The list of vehicles to be rated follows.
Vehicles Selected for the 2002 Frontal, Side, and Rollover NCAP
Make Model Body Style Frontal Side Rollover*
Acura 3.2TL 4dr Yes Co Yes
Acura MDX 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
BMW MINI Cooper 2dr Yes Yes Yes
Buick Rendezvous 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Cadillac DeVille 4dr Yes Co Yes
Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 4x4 4dr Utility Yes N/A Yes
Chevrolet Blazer 4x4 2dr Utility Yes Yes
Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Co Yes Yes
Chevrolet Trailblazer 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Chrysler PT Cruiser Van Yes Co Co
Dodge Dakota 4x2 PU Excab Yes Co Co
Dodge Ram 1500 4x2 4dr PU Yes N/A Co
Ford Explorer 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Ford F-150 4x2 PU ExCab Co Co Yes
Ford F-150 4x2 4dr PU Co N/A Yes
Ford Focus 4dr Yes Co Co
Ford Ranger (EV) 4x2 PU Co Yes
Ford Ranger 4x2 PU Yes Co Yes
Ford Thunderbird Convertible Yes Yes Yes
Honda Civic 2hb Co Yes Yes
Honda CR-V 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Honda Odyssey Van Yes Yes Co
Hyundai Santa Fe 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Isuzu Axiom 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Isuzu Rodeo 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Co Co
Jeep Liberty 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Kia Rio 4dr Yes Co Yes
Kia Sedona Van Yes Yes Yes
Landrover Discovery 4x4 4dr Utility Yes N/A Yes
Lexus ES300 4dr Yes Yes Yes
Mitsubishi Eclipse 2dr Yes Co Yes
Mitsubishi Lancer 4dr Yes Yes Yes
Mitsubishi Montero Sport 4x4 4dr Utility Co Yes Co
Nissan Altima 4dr Yes Yes Yes
Nissan Frontier 4x2 PU Excab Yes Co Yes
Nissan Maxima 4dr Co Co Yes
Nissan Maxima w/side bags 4dr Co Co Yes
Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Co Co
Nissan Pathfinder w/side bags 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Co Co
Nissan Sentra 4dr Co Yes Yes
Nissan Xterra 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Co Co
Saturn LS 4dr Co Yes Yes
Saturn VUE 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Subaru Impreza 4w Yes Yes Yes
Subaru Legacy 4dr Yes Co
Subaru Legacy 4w Yes Yes Co
Suzuki Vitara 4x4 4dr Utility Co Yes Co
Toyota Avalon 4dr Yes Co Yes
Toyota Camry 4dr Yes Yes Yes
Toyota Corolla (2003) 4dr Yes Yes Yes
Toyota Corolla Matrix 4x4 (2003) 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Toyota Highlander 4x4 4dr Utility Yes Yes Yes
Toyota Prius (Hybrid) 4dr Co Yes Yes
Toyota RAV4 4x4 4dr Utility Co Yes Co
Toyota Sequoia 4x4 4dr Utility Yes N/A Yes
Toyota Tundra 4x2 4dr PU Yes Yes Yes
``Co'' means a rating for a previous model year vehicle carries over for Model Year 2002.
``Yes'' means a vehicle will be rated in this category during the 2002 Model Year.
``N/A'' means exempt from FMVSS No. 214, the federal safety standard for side-impact.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation