SAFETY | 6 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
‘Good,’ frontal offset; ‘good,’ side; ‘good,’ rear; ‘marginal,’ roof strength
IIHS
Four stars overall, three stars frontal, five stars side
NHTSA
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has given the Tacoma a top 'good' score in frontal, side, and rear impact, but especially of concern though is that the Tacoma earned a 'marginal' rating in the new IIHS roof strength test, which gauges the roof's protection of occupants in a rollover crash. Relative to other types of vehicles, pickups are especially rollover-prone in accidents.
The Tacoma also earned a pockmarked record in federal tests—including just three stars for frontal impact, and four-star ratings in the new side pole test, which isn't figured into the overall rating. It earned five stars in side impact, though.
The safety-equipment side of it is great, however. Anti-lock brakes, brake assist, and electronic stability control are included across the model line, as are active front headrests, front seat-mounted side airbags, and curtain side airbags, along with an Automatic Limited-slip Differential (Auto-LSD); TRD Off-Road packages are equipped with a separate locking rear differential.
Conclusion
The 2011 Toyota Tacoma has a good list of safety features, but there are worrisome issues in crash-test results from both major agencies.
