2002 Saturn VUE

small SUV / 4-door SUV

2002 Saturn VUE 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
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 2002-07 models

Tested vehicle: 2002 Saturn VUE 4-door 4wd

The Saturn VUE was introduced in the 2002 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 well.

The dummy's head bottomed out the airbag and hit the steering wheel, producing a high head acceleration.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's knees and shins hit the knee bolster and instrument panel. All leg and foot measures indicated low risk of injury.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0212
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 7
Left (cm) 20
Center (cm) 18
Right (cm) 13
Brake pedal (cm) 12
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 4
Rearward (cm) 0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 2

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0212
Head
HIC-15 364
Peak gs at hard contact 86
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.5
Extension bending moment (Nm) 21
Maximum Nij 0.30
Chest maximum compression (mm) 37
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 3.7
Femur force - right (kN) 1.3
Knee displacement - left (mm) 3
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.22
Maximum tibia index - right 0.69
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.1
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 69
Right 69

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2002-07 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Saturn VUE 4-door 4wd without optional side airbags

The Saturn VUE was introduced in the 2002 model year.

When side airbags are optional, as in this vehicle, the Institute conducts the test without this option. If a manufacturer offering optional side airbags requests the Institute to conduct an additional test of a vehicle with this option and agrees to reimburse the cost of the vehicle, a second test is conducted. General Motors did not request such a test.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the intruding barrier. This impact did not produce high head injury measures, but head hits with intruding objects such as other vehicles, trees, and poles should be prevented.
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the window sill of the rear passenger 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 crash test.

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

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head being hit by the intruding barrier.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the driver dummy's head hit the barrier.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0301
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -2.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0301
Head HIC-15 553
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.2
Compression (kN) 0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 63
Lateral force (kN) 3.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 69
Average deflection (mm) 54
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 10.13
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 2.68
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 3.2
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.4
Combined force (kN) 6.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.6
L-M moment (Nm) 65
A-P moment (Nm) 23

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0301
Head HIC-15 542
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.6
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46
Lateral force (kN) 1.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 43
Average deflection (mm) 34
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.80
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.56
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.9
Combined force (kN) 3.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.9
L-M moment (Nm) 47
A-P moment (Nm) -26

How the side crash test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: All seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type All seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 70
Distance below top of head (mm) 50
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 12.3
Head contact time (ms) 86
Force rating 2
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 187
Max neck tension (N) 857

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