This blog is not affiliated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in any way, shape, or form. Information is taken from the publicly viewable NHTSA Database. Crash tests posted on this blog were conducted between May 21, 1979 and August 17, 1989 at a speed of 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour) into a solid wall with dummies restrained by the vehicle safety belt system. Tests were conducted on the model year vehicle listed in the post and may or may not be accurate for a differing model year. Injury measures are likely accurate to a plus or minus 2% range - for example, a 26% risk of injury is likely in the 24-28% range. The five star system used for 2010 and earlier crash tests is used.

Injury risk:
10% or less - 5 star rating
11% - 20% - 4 star rating
21% - 35% - 3 star rating
36% - 45% - 2 star rating
46% or more - 1 star rating

Friday, September 24, 2021

1990 Ford Taurus NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 735
Driver Chest G: 46 G's
Passenger HIC: 609
Passenger Chest G: 40 G's

4 stars Driver
4 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 15% Driver, 11% Passenger

Test Date: Thursday, January 11, 1990



1990 Hyundai Excel NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 696
Driver Chest G: 41 G's
Passenger HIC: 419
Passenger Chest G: 39 G's

4 stars Driver
5 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 12% Driver, 7% Passenger

Test Date: Tuesday, January 9, 1990

1990 Nissan Stanza NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 1,105
Driver Chest G: 59 G's
Passenger HIC: 629
Passenger Chest G: 47 G's

2 stars Driver
4 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 39% Driver, 14% Passenger

Test Date: Thursday, December 14, 1989



1990 Lexus ES 250 NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 992
Driver Chest G: 55 G's
Passenger HIC: 630
Passenger Chest G: 47 G's

3 stars Driver
4 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 29% Driver, 14% Passenger

Test Date: Friday, December 1, 1989


1990 Toyota 4Runner NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 1,306
Driver Chest G: 48 G's
Passenger HIC: 1,133
Passenger Chest G: 47 G's

2 stars Driver
3 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 45% Driver, 33% Passenger

Test Date: Wednesday, November 29, 1989



1990 Mazda Miata NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 920
Driver Chest G: 59 G's
Passenger HIC: 531
Passenger Chest G: 42 G's

3 stars Driver
4 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 30% Driver, 11% Passenger

Test Date: Tuesday, November 21, 1989



1990 Chevy Lumina NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 1,200
Driver Chest G: 58 G's
Passenger HIC: unknown
Passenger Chest G: unknown

2 stars Driver
unknown stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 43% Driver, unknown Passenger

Test Date: Friday, September 29, 1989

1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 772
Driver Chest G: 44 G's
Passenger HIC: 612
Passenger Chest G: 40 G's

4 stars Driver
4 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: 16% Driver, 11% Passenger

Test Date: Wednesday, September 27, 1989



1990 Acura Integra NHTSA Crash Test

Driver HIC: 585
Driver Chest G: unknown
Passenger HIC: 637
Passenger Chest G: 42 G's

unknown stars Driver
4 stars Passenger

Severe Injury Risk: unknown Driver, 12% Passenger

Test Date: Tuesday, September 12, 1989



30 MPH Tests Posting Concluded, and Blog Update

For now, the posting of 30-mph tests is concluded. Tests posted from here on out are 35-mph tests. This blog is expanding its coverage to include 35-mph frontal crash tests from the 1990s, in addition to the tests from 1989 and earlier that are already posted. 

The year 1997 was chosen as the cut-off because they are the latest vehicles that are typically considered "classic" per the 25-year rule. As of this posting, 25 years ago is September 24, 1996; since safety standards typically go into effect on September 1 of the year before the model year in question (i.e. 1997 safety standards typically went into effect on September 1, 1996), 1997 models barely qualify as "classic". 

As of this posting, the NHTSA website (nhtsa.gov) offers 1990 model and newer results, but does not include exact measurements (HIC and chest G), only the star rating. Posts will be checked to ensure that the star rating given matches the one on the nhtsa.gov website. Since nhtsa.gov also offers the download of test reports, a link will be provided for each 1990 and newer vehicle. 

30 MPH Crash Tests - 1981 JET Industries Electrica 007

Driver HIC: 965
Driver Chest G: 43 G's
Passenger HIC: 675
Passenger Chest G: 41 G's

Severe Injury Risk: 22% Driver, 12% Passenger

Test Date: Friday, October 23, 1981



30 MPH Crash Tests - 1981 JET Industries Electrica

Driver HIC: 1,238
Driver Chest G: 32 G's
Passenger HIC: 270
Passenger Chest G: 31 G's

Severe Injury Risk: 35% Driver, 4% Passenger

Test Date: Wednesday, October 21, 1981



30 MPH Crash Tests - 1981 EVA EVcort

Driver HIC: 652
Driver Chest G: 57 G's
Passenger HIC: 600
Passenger Chest G: 31 G's

Severe Injury Risk: 22% Driver, 7% Passenger

Test Date: Friday, December 18, 1981