Public relations-wise, the timing of the study could not be worse for Ford. The F-150 is one of the Ford vehicles that came equipped with the now-controversial Firestone Wilderness AT tires. Ford recalled 13-million vehicles, including Explorer SUVs and Ranger light trucks, two weeks ago because it said those tires are unsafe.
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. requested last week that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration begin an investigation into the safety of certain models of the Ford Explorer.
The two other light trucks tested by IIHS fared much better.
The Toyota Tundra got a good overall rating, along with a good rating for five of six sub-categories. It received a marginal rating only for the chance of an injury to a driver's right foot.
The GMC Sierra 1500 and its twin Chevrolet Silverado 1500 received a marginal rating overall, with a good rating for its prevention of different types of injuries, but poor ratings for the cab's structural integrity as well as how well the airbag, seat belts and other restraints restricted movement by a crash dummy during the test.
The institute is a private organization funded by auto insurers. The institute's crash-worthiness evaluations consist of three performance measurements: occupant compartment intrusion, injury measurements of a dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of how well the vehicle restraint system controlled dummy movement.