Unregulated Truck, SUV Bumpers Cost Car Drivers
Out of all the types of collisions you can get into, a small fender bender is probably the most minor. That’s most likely true in relation to your health, but not to your wallet, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's latest testing.
The organization tested seven pairs of 2010-11 models, pairing a compact car against a compact SUV and collided them into each other at 10 mph. The results showed that collisions where bumpers are supposed to be preventing extensive damage are costing thousands of dollars to repair.
IIHS points out that SUV bumpers often don’t align with those of a passenger car – even when both vehicles are made by the same automaker.
Typically, the bumper of the SUV, which is raised higher, bypasses the car's bumper and causes extensive damage to the hood, engine cooling systems, fenders, bumper covers and safety equipment. The SUV doesn’t go home scott-free, either. Some SUVs ended up inoperable after the collision test due to a destroyed cooling system as the Nissan Rogue experienced in the tests. This was after a 10-mph crash.
The worst offenders in the study, according to IIHS, include the Toyota Corolla and RAV4 pairing, which collectively totaled nearly $10,000 in damage. That's the worst out of the bunch. The Ford Focus versus Escape and Nissan Sentra versus Rogue pairings didn’t fare well, either.
There were a few bright spots, however; the Honda Civic and CR-V as well as the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Forte matched up fairly well. Despite the better alignment of the bumpers in those vehicles, IIHS can’t point to a single model as performing well due to expensive repair bills for all the tested models.
IIHS says the excessive damage comes from a long standing inconsistency in a uniform bumper design law between passenger cars and the unregulated light truck bumpers.
That means minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks don’t have to abide by any standard. In fact, IIHS points out that light trucks aren’t required to have any bumpers at all. An example of this is the Toyota RAV4. According to the institute, the RAV4's “so-called” bumper is really just a piece of stamped metal supporting a bumper cover. In testing, the bumper didn’t absorb the Corolla’s impact at all; instead, the RAV4’s tailgate-mounted spare tire acted as a poor man’s bumper.
IIHS has petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to regulate bumpers on light truck models, and the federal agency agreed to look into the matter. Since then, the light truck petition has stalled in the commenting stage.
For complete data on repair costs between the tested pairs, check out our chart. You can also read IIHS’ full report here.
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I'd hate to see what would happen if a jacked-up F-250 hit a compact or sub-compact. Some of those trucks sit ridiculously high on aftermarket parts.
I got one of these from sparebumper.com for my SUV. It lines up better with passenger cars, saves my bumper and reduces whiplash if I'm hit from the rear.
I agree on the bumper height regulation..Parking space width should be regulated too. Every door ding I've gotten has been from one of these behemoth vehicles that never seem to fit in the provided parking spot.
Why should truck/suv's have to conform to what the cars are when trucks are #1 in sales? It's bad for car driver no question. I however wouldn't put my family at risk driving a small passenger car. SUV's are safer because they sit higher. This is just my opinion but I can understand both sides. You can't regulate everything....
John, r u an idiot or what? Putting family in a small passenger car doesn't not equate to putting ur family in danger, as long u r a defensive driver.
Trucks are NOT #1 in sales. Cars are! In fact, far more cars are being sold than trucks. It is a particular brand of truck that sells more than a particular brand of car. Using ur logic, why do cars have to conform with the standard of trucks?
In addition, SUVs and trucks are more dangerous to your family due to the fact that they do NOT have to confirm all the safety features that cars have to (which are whole lot more).
The bumper is for cosmetic reason only. In a crash, it will be destroyed. The are companies that have designed their bumpers of their SUV/trucks to align with cars for the said reason. I saw it on one of those Popular Mechanics (or sthg alike). That was 5 years ago. Really surprise to see that this is, AGAIN, no longer the case.
That was a great piece of information., I enjoyed reading it
These are wonderful! Thank you for sharing
The advantage of having a central air conditioning system is that it can distribute cool air through the whole house as opposed to window units, which are generally designed to cool a single room. Despite larger, up-front costs, a central cooling system can still save you money by reducing your monthly utility bill.
Having a dealership close by can be a blessing. If there are no dealerships nearby, buy a domestic car which most mechanics can work on. It is also important to examine the warranty offered before making a decision.
I have an idea, why don't all of those of you who buy those small cars becuase you think your saving the earth wise up and get some steel around you. This information is just more information for those who want to over regulate.
don't drop pickup and suv bumpers raise car bumpers. one of the reasons to have a truck is clearance if you take that away it is not as good offroad.