2009 Dodge Dakota

small pickup / Crew cab pickup

2009 Dodge Dakota Crew cab pickup
2008 Dodge Dakota Crew cab pickup shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side
Side: original test with optional side airbags
Side: original test without optional side airbags
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2005-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab SLT 4x2

The Dodge Dakota was redesigned for the 2005 model year and discontinued after the 2011 model year. The Mitsubishi Raider was introduced in the 2006 model year and discontinued after the 2009 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the B-pillar during rebound. Head acceleration from this hit was negligible.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0805
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 7
Left (cm) 7
Center (cm) 8
Right (cm) 6
Brake pedal (cm) 5
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 4
Rearward (cm) 0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0805
Head
HIC-15 184
Peak gs at hard contact negligible
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm) 13
Maximum Nij 0.26
Chest maximum compression (mm) 36
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 6.3
Femur force - right (kN) 2.6
Knee displacement - left (mm) 8
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.65
Maximum tibia index - right 0.43
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 3.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 3.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 67
Right 66

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2005-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab SLT 4x2 without optional side airbags

The Dodge Dakota was redesigned for the 2005 model year and discontinued after the 2011 model year. The Mitsubishi Raider was introduced in the 2006 model year and discontinued after the 2009 model year. Side airbags became standard in 2011 Dakota models (they were optional in earlier Dakota models and in all Raider models.)

Because this test produced almost identical results to those of a 2010 Dodge Dakota with optional side airbags tested later in which the side airbags failed to deploy, the injury ratings and head protection ratings for both the driver and passenger are based on both tests. Structural ratings also are based on both tests. The cause of the nondeployment has since been determined, and Chrysler Corporation made changes on the production line and announced a customer service campaign for trucks built before March 2010. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
In the test of the 2010 model, the dummy's head was hit by the window sill of the driver door. This impact did not produce high head injury measures, but the head protection is inadequate. In the test of the 2008 model, the head was not struck by the intruding barrier or any part of the vehicle, but the head remained unprotected from contacts outside the vehicle. This indicates that only slightly different crash circumstances could produce a direct hit to a person's head.
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
In both tests, the dummy's head was hit by the window frame of the rear passenger door and the pillar behind the door. This impact did not produce high head injury measures, but the head protection is inadequate.

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the 2008 model crash test.

View of the 2008 model vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the 2008 side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head leaning well outward and approaching the window sill.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the rear window frame and the pillar behind the door in the test of the 2008 model.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0821 CES0930
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -6.0 -4.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0821 CES0930
Head HIC-15 179 174
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.7 1.6
Compression (kN) 0.1 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 65 59
Lateral force (kN) 2.8 2.2
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 60 56
Average deflection (mm) 49 51
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 6.22 7.21
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.32 1.50
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.8 2.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.2 1.0
Combined force (kN) 4.1 3.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 25 26
A-P moment (Nm) 18 19

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0821 CES0930
Head HIC-15 96 115
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2 1.3
Compression (kN) 0.2 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46 41
Lateral force (kN) 1.7 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 37 37
Average deflection (mm) 28 27
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.45 3.39
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.47 0.39
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.2 0.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.1 1.3
Combined force (kN) 1.3 1.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4 0.1
L-M moment (Nm) 55 46
A-P moment (Nm) -42 54

Rating applies to 2005-10 models built before March 2010

Tested vehicle: 2010 Dodge Dakota Big Horn Crew Cab 4x2 with optional front and rear head curtain airbags

The Dodge Dakota was redesigned for the 2005 model year and discontinued after the 2011 model year. The Mitsubishi Raider was introduced in the 2006 model year and discontinued after the 2009 model year. Side airbags became standard in 2011 Dakota models (they were optional in earlier Dakota models and in all Raider models.)

The test vehicle was equipped with optional side curtain airbags, but they did not deploy during the side impact crash. The cause of the nondeployment has since been determined, and Chrysler Corporation made changes on the production line and announced a customer service campaign for trucks built before March 2010. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

Because this test produced almost identical results to those of a 2008 Dodge Dakota without side airbags tested earlier, the injury ratings and head protection ratings for both the driver and passenger are based on both tests. Structural ratings also are based on both tests.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
In the test of the 2010 model, the dummy's head was hit by the window sill of the driver door. This impact did not produce high head injury measures, but the head protection is inadequate. In the test of the 2008 model, the head was not struck by the intruding barrier or any part of the vehicle, but the head remained unprotected from contacts outside the vehicle. This indicates that only slightly different crash circumstances could produce a direct hit to a person's head.
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
In both tests, the dummy's head was hit by the window frame of the rear passenger door and the pillar behind the door. This impact did not produce high head injury measures, but the head protection is inadequate.

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the 2010 model crash test.

View of the 2010 model vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the 2010 side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head leaning well outward and being struck by the window sill.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the rear window frame and the pillar behind the door in the test of the 2010 model.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0821 CES0930
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -6.0 -4.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0821 CES0930
Head HIC-15 179 174
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.7 1.6
Compression (kN) 0.1 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 65 59
Lateral force (kN) 2.8 2.2
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 60 56
Average deflection (mm) 49 51
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 6.22 7.21
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.32 1.50
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.8 2.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.2 1.0
Combined force (kN) 4.1 3.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 25 26
A-P moment (Nm) 18 19

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0821 CES0930
Head HIC-15 96 115
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2 1.3
Compression (kN) 0.2 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46 41
Lateral force (kN) 1.7 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 37 37
Average deflection (mm) 28 27
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.45 3.39
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.47 0.39
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.2 0.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.1 1.3
Combined force (kN) 1.3 1.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4 0.1
L-M moment (Nm) 55 46
A-P moment (Nm) -42 54

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2005-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2010 Dodge Dakota Big Horn Crew Cab 2wd

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 4,321 lbs
Peak force 13,938 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 3.23

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Seats without adjustable lumbar

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Seats without adjustable lumbar
Geometry
Backset (mm) 40
Distance below top of head (mm) 50
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 9.2
Head contact time (ms) 84
Force rating 2
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 194
Max neck tension (N) 730

Seat type: Seats with adjustable lumbar

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Seats with adjustable lumbar
Geometry
Backset (mm) 32
Distance below top of head (mm) 55
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 9.9
Head contact time (ms) 105
Force rating 3
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 225
Max neck tension (N) 848

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.