2023 Toyota Tundra Truck Retains Dominance in 1 Crucial Area
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Safety systems in all cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs have come a long way in recent years. Once 2017 hit, there was a push to include more standard systems on all vehicles to make the roads safer. While some brands and segments have been slow on the uptake, Toyota is not one of those. This large Toyota truck impressed on the most recent IIHS testing, and the winner group was relatively small. You can find the Toyota Tundra safety scores below.
How safe is the 2023 Toyota Tundra truck?
The good news is that Toyota’s large truck earned high marks in a recent round of IIHS testing. These high scores for the 2023 Toyota Tundra were enough to earn the Top Safety Pick Plus award. Only the Rivian R1T and Tundra scored high enough to earn this year’s award. The IIHS tested both the Tundra extended cab and crew cab options, both of which did well.
| IIHS Safety Test | 2023 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab | 2023 Toyota Tundra Extended Cab |
|---|---|---|
| Small overlap front: driver-side | Good | Good |
| Small overlap front: passenger-side | Good | Good |
| Moderate overlap front: original test | Good | Good |
| Moderate overlap front: updated test | Good | Not Tested |
| Side: original test | Good | Not Tested |
| Side: updated test | Good | Good |
| Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle | Superior | Superior |
| Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-pedestrian (day) | Superior | Superior |
| Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-pedestrian (night) | Advanced | Advanced |
The Tundra extended cab did not get tested in all areas, but it earned high marks in the segments it did test in. Both truck versions earned high marks for the Front crash prevention vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian daytime tests. Toyota’s large pickup truck earned a slightly lower score for the night version, earning the “advanced” rating.
What makes the Toyota Tundra truck safer than others?
According to the press release from the IIHS, this Toyota truck offered better side protection and protected backseat passengers better than similar trucks. Data showed that while modern vehicles protect the front seat occupants quite well, the backseat is underserved for safety.
Only the 2023 Ram 1500 crew cab, 2023 Ford F-150 crew cab, and 2023 Tundra crew cab earned the highest rating of “good” in the updated side crash segment. The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew earned a score of “acceptable.” On the updated moderate overlap front crash test, with its new emphasis on backseat passenger safety, the Tundra earned a “marginal” rating. The F-150, Silverado, and Ram 1500 earned a “poor” score.
The IIHS uses a dummy in the second row to measure how much damage passengers are susceptible to in crashes. Data showed that trucks with lower scores saw more significant damage to the dummies, and submarining was also an issue. Submarining is what happens when passengers slide forward under the lab belt upon impact, which can cause more severe abdominal injuries.
The 2023 Tundra has Toyota Safety Sense 2.5
All trim levels of the Toyota Tundra truck come with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5. This adds the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and Lane Departure Alert With Steering Assist. Toyota also includes systems like Lane Tracing Assist, Road Sign Assist, and Automatic High Beams. When Toyota sent us the 2023 Tundra Capstone a few months back, Road Sign Assist was one of our favorite systems.
Most automakers will make some swift and significant changes upon receiving a negative score like this, hopefully resulting in safer backseats. There are few large pickup trucks to choose from in 2023 and 2024, so safety should be a top priority. The Toyota Tundra still proved to be one of the better trucks on the market. Excellent resale value, long history of reliability, and top performer for safety? Only Toyota trucks can do that.
