2002 Toyota RAV4

small SUV / 4-door SUV

2002 Toyota RAV4 4-door SUV
2001 Toyota RAV4 shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test

Other available safety features

  • Optional daytime running lights

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 2001-04 models built after October 2000 and before January 2004

Tested vehicle: 2001 Toyota RAV4 4-door 4wd

The Toyota RAV4 was redesigned for the 2001 model year. All 2001 and later RAV4 models manufactured after October 2000 include structural and airbag modifications to improve occupant protection in frontal offset crashes (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door). Further structural modifications were made beginning with 2004 models manufactured in January 2004 and later, so these ratings do not apply to the latest models.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of a 2001 RAV4 with the initial structural and airbag modifications in a 40 mph frontal offset crash test into a deformable barrier.

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 grab handle on the driver door broke off at its upper end, and the dummy's left forearm hit a jagged plastic edge that gashed the vinyl "skin" near the elbow.

Forces on both lower legs were just high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0106
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 11
Left (cm) 19
Center (cm) 18
Right (cm) 13
Brake pedal (cm) 18
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 2
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 9
Rearward (cm) -2
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 2

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0106
Head
HIC-15 357
Peak gs at hard contact 73
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 46
Maximum Nij 0.39
Chest maximum compression (mm) 23
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.9
Femur force - right (kN) 3.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.85
Maximum tibia index - right 0.80
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.4
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 4.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 85
Right 119

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2001-05 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Toyota RAV4 L 4-door 4wd without optional side airbags

The Toyota RAV4 was redesigned for the 2001 model year. Beginning with 2004 models, side airbags were added as options and structural changes were made to improve occupant protection in side-impact crashes.

Note: Toyota reported that the structural changes alone would not significantly affect side-impact performance; therefore, the overall side impact rating for 2004-05 models without side airbags is the same (Poor) as for 2001-03 RAV4s. However, based on an Institute test of a 2004 RAV4 with side airbags, the structure rating improves to Acceptable for all 2004-05 models.

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 and glass of the rear passenger door. These impacts 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 and glass marks show where the driver dummy's head hit the barrier.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0302
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -2.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0302
Head HIC-15 338
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.3
Compression (kN) 0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 51
Lateral force (kN) 3.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 43
Average deflection (mm) 33
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 10.34
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.44
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 6.7
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.3
Combined force (kN) 9.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.8
L-M moment (Nm) 57
A-P moment (Nm) -32

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0302
Head HIC-15 206
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Compression (kN) 0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 49
Lateral force (kN) 2.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 45
Average deflection (mm) 33
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.90
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.80
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 3.9
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.7
Combined force (kN) 6.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3
L-M moment (Nm) 69
A-P moment (Nm) 23

How the side crash test is conducted