Full-sized pickup trucks are marketed as tough machines, though new tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that crash-test protection varies widely. The latest IIHS test data reveal side-impact protection is Marginal or Poor for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, and Nissan Titan. The Ford F-150, Honda Ridgeline, and Toyota Tundra earn Good marks for offset frontal impact, side-impact, and rear crash protection. Plus, these three Top Safety Picks provide standard electronic stability control. (See how these vehicles perform in IIHS crash test videos.)

“The size, weight, and height of these large pickups should help them ace the side tests just like the other large pickups we’ve tested,” says Institute senior vice president David Zuby. He points out that some trucks perform worse than many cars they’ve evaluated.

All the pickup trucks provide Good front protection. However, the side performance varies even when equipped with side air bags. Side and side-curtain air bags can often provide significant additional protection in a vehicle, however, some trucks in this group did not perform well even with them. (Key lesson here is to always check safety and crash test ratings—don’t make assumptions.)

Full-sized pickup truck crash test results
The large pickup crash-test group is listed below in rank order, with the specific air bag configuration tested and applicable model years listed.

Honda Ridgeline
Front - Good; Side - Good
Front and rear head curtain air bags and front torso air bags.
Front and side: 2006-09 models

Ford F-150
Front - Good; Side - Good
Front and rear head curtain air bags and front torso air bags.
Front and side: 2009 models

Toyota Tundra
Front - Good; Side - Good
Front and rear head curtain air bags and front torso air bags.
Front and side: 2007-09 models

Dodge Ram 1500
Front - Good; Side - Marginal
Front and rear head curtain air bags.
Front: 2009 models
Side: 2009 models (mfg. after September 2008)

Nissan Titan
Front - Good; Side - Marginal
Front and rear head curtain air bags and front torso air bags.
Front and side: 2004-09 models

Chevrolet Silverado 1500
GMC Sierra 1500
Front - Good; Side - Poor
With optional front and rear head curtain air bags.
Front and side: 2007-09 models

Nissan Titan
Front - Good; Side - Poor
Without optional side air bags
Front and side: 2004-09 models

Chevrolet Silverado 1500
GMC Sierra 1500
Front - Good; Side - Poor
Without optional side air bags.
Front and side: 2007-09 models

Learn about automotive safety. Compare safety features and ratings. See how these pickup trucks and more than 250 other vehicles performance in crash test videos.

In addition, we have recently integrated crash-test videos onto the model overview pages, available to online subscribers.

—Jeff Bartlett