Ford F-150 'Poor' In Crash Test

June 5 -- Ford's F-150 pickup, the world's best-selling vehicle, has been rated "poor" in a new offset crash test by an insurance industry group.

In its first test of heavy pickups, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety called the F-150 "by far the worst performer" of the four 2001 trucks tested.

In the offset test, the four trucks were crashed at 40 miles per hour, with 40 percent of their front ends hitting a barrier.

The F-150 — which consistently receives high safety ratings in government tests — was the worst damaged, with its cab smashed in what the testers called a "major collapse."

"The occupant compartment literally collapsed," said Brian O'Neill, president of the insurance industry group. "So the part of the vehicle that is referred to as the safety cage was basically not there after the crash."

The Dodge Ram 1500 also earned a "poor" rating, with "significant intrusion" into the cab. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (which is also sold as the GMC Sierra 1500) was rated marginal.

The U.S.-made Toyota Tundra fared best in the test, earning a rating of "good."

Government Tests Tell Different Story

Ford spokesman Jason Vines said the F-150 does well on government crash tests and on the road.

"We've got a job to do to reassure customers who might be confused by this," said Vine. "The real performance of the F-series is that it is the safety leader and it will continue to be the safety leader."

F-150s consistently receive four or five stars in crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Dodge Ram has also fared well in the NHTSA tests, in which the vehicle's entire front end is crashed into a barrier at 35 miles per hour.

Offset tests are more demanding on a vehicle's structure, while full-width tests challenge restraints, according to the insurance group.

Ford is currently fighting claims by tire maker Firestone that the popular Ford Explorer SUV is defective, likely to rollover after a tire failure. And the company's U.S. market share fell from 24.6 percent to 23.1 percent in the first four months of this year, according to Autodata Corp.