2016 Ford F-150 Bests Competition and Is the Only Pickup to Get IIHS Top Safety Pick Rating [Safety]

2015 ford f-150 f150 crew cab iihs crash test small overlap front aluminum
2016 Ford F-150

Safety is an important consideration when selecting a truck. Many people choose a truck versus a crossover or a sedan because it has inherent safety advantages of bigger size and heavier weight. However, some take safety for granted because of the impression that all modern vehicles are equally good in various crash circumstances. The most recent battery of crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says otherwise. Not all trucks are created equal for small overlap front crash protection.

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You may remember a IIHS report from 2015 that found that the 2015 Ford F-150 extended cab (aka. Super Cab) had a far worse result in a small overlap front crash test than its crew cab (aka. Super Crew) counterpart. This led the organization to extend the small front overlap crash testing to both extended and crew cabs on all full-size trucks. It also led Ford to update the design of its Super Cab trucks to meet the higher crash worthiness standard.

The result of the extensive pickup truck testing is that the 2016 Ford F-150 truck line is the only pickup truck in the segment to receive the IIHS Top Safety Pick.

Yes, the small overlap front crash test is a newer test requirement that many truck manufacturers have not yet designed for. However, this test is only a part of the safety evaluation done by the institute in order to be eligible for the Top Safety Pick rating. Testing includes roof strength, side impact, front crash, and more.

Ford attributes the high level of safety to the following design details:

All three cab styles of the 2016 Ford F-150 have been designed to perform well during small overlap front crash tests. The regular cab and Super Cab models received: wheel blockers, nylon hinge pillar reinforcements and rocker panel reinforcements.

Stay tuned as we pour over the wealth of crash test information in order to bring you a more detailed report of how each full-size truck performed during IIHS tests.

Here is the 2016 Ford F-150 running the Ike Gauntlet extreme towing test in the Colorado Rockies.

And here is the IIHS video that explains the rating.