Americans hitting the road for July 4 are being told Tuesday by an insurance industry research group that 35 of 87 sport utility vehicle, pickup truck and minivan models tested do a poor job of protecting occupants from whiplash in rear-impact collisions.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates seat and head restraints in another 18 light trucks as "marginal." Seven were deemed "acceptable," and 21 of the 87 are rated "good," based on evaluations of their seat/head restraint assemblies.
ehicles rated poor included some popular and otherwise highly regarded models such as the Toyota Sienna, 4Runner and Highlander; Lexus GX 470 and RX; BMW X3 and X5; Ford Explorer, Sport Trac and certain F-150's; Mercury Mountaineer; certain Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravans; and Nissan Frontier, Xterra and Quest.
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