Isuzu Trooper

Test details:

The Isuzu Trooper was redesigned for the 1992 model year and structurally modified beginning with 2000 models to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of the Trooper in three 40 mph frontal offset crash tests into a deformable barrier. Three tests were conducted because major fuel leaks occurred in the first two tests. Isuzu identified defects in the design and recalled the affected models. A third test was conducted to assess the effect of the design fixes.

Restraints/dummy kinematics — Dummy movement wasn't well controlled during any of the three offset tests. There was far too much upward movement of the steering wheel, which contributed to the dummy's head bottoming out the airbag and hitting the steering wheel in each of the tests. During rebound in the first test, the dummy's head hit the upper B-pillar near the roof side rail. In the second test, the dummy rebounded into the seat without its head coming close to any stiff structure that could cause additional injury. In the third test, the dummy's head grazed the B-pillar on rebound.

Injury measures — Measures taken from the neck and chest indicate low risk of injuries to these body regions in a crash of this severity. Forces on both tibias and both feet indicate that injuries to the lower legs and feet would be likely in all three tests. Head acceleration from the steering wheel hit in all of the tests was high, but head acceleration from the B-pillar hit was low in the first test and negligible in the third test.