Safety of 1st gen

I haven't had much luck finding crash test information on the 1st gen tacomas. I'm specifically looking at a 4x4 reg cab (maybe Xtracab) from 2000 to 2004. I test drove an '04 yesterday and my only concern was that the cab walls/doors feel very 'thin'. Can anyone give me some information on the structural integrity of the cab? Any other general crash safety info work be appreciated.


Thanks!

 

Edmunds is always a good place to start.
Here's a link:

http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/tacoma/2004/safety.html?style=100339757

You can pick which truck you're looking at from the drop-down menu.

 

It surprises me how much better the Double Cab scored than the Xtra cab.

 

Anecdotal, but I once saw a 1st gen roll twice over rocks, and I was surprised by how little damage was done to the cab. There's a sandwich of sheetmetal pieces that makes up the A and B pillars, and it's pretty stout.

I'm personally confident enough in the structural strength of the pillars to forego installing a rollcage in my 1st gen regular cab, but that doesn't say so much, as I'm no longer into anything particularly hardcore anymore.

 

More crumple zone, maybe?

 

Well I can say from experience that these trucks are like volvos. I've been in 6 accidents and she is still running.. Finally just fixed the entire front end. I've probably totaled like 2 or 3 cars with my truck. The worst damage I've ever done was bent my driver side upper control arm. I hydro planned down a hill at 30+ mph and hit a parked car sideways (direct hit to the upper control arm..)

 

Most of the rollovers I've seen on here survived very well. Some were brutal, but for the most part it looked like the driver and passenger wouldn't have been crushed.

With that said, the way I ended up with a Tacoma was from totaling a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab Z71. Getting t-boned by a Tahoe going 30 mph on the drivers side door was enough to crush the door in enough to bruise my ribs and rupture my spleen. That was not a fun surgery on Christmas morning!

I went with a smaller truck to get around on the 2-track roads around here better. In my mind the Tacoma is a tin can compared to a full size Silverado. However, I know that the risk of impact is slim and I have better things to worry about. When it's your time, it's your time. I did go with an Elite front bumper and some other things, but hopefully I never have to use the bumper for its intended function.

 

Why do two extra doors improve front side impact by 2 stars...

 

Thanks. Its too bad they don't have anything for the regular cab models. I assume its pretty similar to the Xtracab though.

 

Hey Mudfinger,

do you have any more information about the construction? I'd be curious to know what they changed between the 1st and 2nd gen. I used to have a 2nd gen regular cab. it seems like the pillars were bigger and the walls thicker on the 2nd gen, but I don't know if that's just more plastic molding and sound proofing or if there is a structural component.

 

I don't know enough about Tacomas to say what, if anything, changed between gens 1 and 2. I was looking at the construction of mine recently while working on the interior with the plastic removed, and it appears to be at least 3 layers of sheet metal (exterior, interior, and internal brace). Perhaps more. I think that's probably typical for modern trucks in general? I suspect the larger appearance of 2nd gen pillars is probably just that, appearance. The structure is probably the same or very similar given that the basic characteristics of the 1st and 2nd gens are essentially the same.

Also, the doors on mine have an internal strut to absorb side impacts, and it's pretty stout, too. I'm used to old American iron, and I don't have any undue concerns for my safety when I drive my Tacoma. It's probably much safer than say, my 72 Wagoneer was.