4Runner Vehicle Safety

I’ve read many online reviews of the 4Runner and many threads on this website bemoaning the lack of the most up-to-date safety features on the 4Runner. It got me to thinking...what’s more important, the features installed on a vehicle or the actual safety outcomes?

There are many ways to view vehicle safety (e.g., safety equipment installed, accident rates, injury rates, death rates, etc.). In May, 2017, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) published a statistical summary of driver death rates for 207 makes and models of vehicles between 2011-2014 (the most recent years for which they have sufficient data). There are lots of qualifiers concerning the data, which you can find here:
(http://www.pifc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/StatusReport_05_2017.pdf).

In summary, driver death rates (per million registered vehicle years) ranged from 0 to 104, depending on the make and model of vehicle (from tiny mini cars to crew cab behemoth pickup trucks). For 2014 models, the overall rate was 30. I downloaded the data to see where the 4Runner placed.

The 4WD 4Runner had 9 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years over the five year period. There were 176 vehicle makes and models (85%) which had higher driver death rates and 30 (15%) which had the same or lower death rates.

I realize that many of the newest safety features didn’t exist in 2014 or earlier. Having them installed on other, newer vehicles now may make their death rates go down, but shouldn’t make the 4Runner’s any worse. Looking at the features installed on a vehicle is important, but the death rate statistics also take into account the real world mix of drivers and driving habits.

These statistics make me feel much more comfortable with the 4Runner’s safety. Your mileage may vary...

 

To answer the question whats more important, the features or outcomes? Well its easilly the outcomes. If someone is in a serious crash and does not make it, but has every saftey feature, what does those features do for you after the accident. Compare that to having no features and being in a serious crash and able to walk away from it. If it were me i rather have no saftey features and walk away. Also how many times do people actually listen to these features, lost count on how many times i have been cut off, and see their blind spot moniter shining bright saying dont do it and they still do.

 

All good points. But the fact of the matter remains, these safety features save lives. The 4Runner will be an even safer vehicle with them and it will still be as capable as it ever was.

 

I agree completely. But since I’m buying a 2019, I needed to satisfy myself that it’s not an unwise choice, given the lack of features that may well be available in 2020.

 

Me personally i could care less about them yea would kinda nice when i daily mine, but when you lift and mod they can mess up their accuracy. Plus when off roading more stuff to turn off. Me personally, if i wanted safety features and good gas millage i would have bought a Lexus or highlander.

 

If I'm not mistaken, there are federal mandates that state all cars have to have automatic braking, blind spot monitoring, ect... by 2022. Obviously, the 6th gen 4Runner will have these features and personally I look forward to having them, but there's no telling when it will come out for sure. My wife owns a Subaru Outback with the Eyesight safety system and it's awesome.

The lack of safety features did not prevent me from purchasing a 2018 4Runner a few weeks ago, however. I like the 5th gens a lot. If I end up liking the 6th gens even better, I'll just sell my 5th gen for almost as much as I paid for it.