don't get into a rollover accident. You've see this year's TV ads, where Ford talks about spraying structural foam in the A-pillars "to improve noise levels"?
I don't think these ads are REALLY about noise levels at all. These ads are pointed at informed buyers like me, who know (a) the lawsuit results, which are already into hundreds of millions in damages; (b) the rollover death rates; and (c) why you're so likely to die in a rollover in your vehicle... the "safety cage" on earlier Ford Trucks and SUVs FREQUENTLY caves in (especially on the Driver, which is the 2nd side to hit the ground in most rollover accidents). The passenger side typically suffers only a partial collapse, but the driver's side ends up much worse (after the passenger side has partial failure, the header goes, then the Driver's 'A' and 'B' pillars cave in like toothpicks). In these ads, Ford shows that they're building it better, in exactly the way which safety experts have told them to. But the ads don't mention anything about safety or rollover, because such a statement would be an admission that the old ones needed improvement... rollover victims' lawyers would have a field day.
The USA big 3, and probably some of the foreign mfgrs as well, have been putting big money (campaign $$$, revolving-door job offers) to keep decent rollover tests and standards from being implemented. The current test measures deflections only on the passenger side during the first 180 degrees, when the header and driver's side pillars are still intact. The header helps to keep the passenger 'A' pillar from being destroyed as badly. Everyone involved knows that the initial passenger side hit ISN'T the event which kills the occupants, but most of the people who could act are playing games to delay standards, 'cause it costs money (though only about $40, IIRC) to foam these tubes.
My thanks to Ford for fixing the '06 models... AKAIK, GM and Chrysler
havn't started foaming the pillars and header in their mass-market trucks. But I don't know if Ford is doing only the 'A'-pillars shown in the advertisement, or if they are also properly foaming the B-Pillars, Windshield Header, and Roof Rails along the sides. (They should have learned from Volvo-- foam EVERY tube which forms the safety cage). If they had done this in '05, they woulda made my shopping list. But I took one look at the death rate stats, confirmed that Ford hadn't fixed this defect, and crossed 'em off my list.
BTW, some of the stats are 'cooked' in another way: When the B-Pillar collapses, your seatbelt also goes limp... allowing you to be ejected from the failed "safety cage" very easily, with major head and neck injuries probably already sustained. Some of the safety figures are "cooked" to blame all instances of 'ejected from the vehicle' accidents on the Driver not wearing the Seatbelt, even though the Driver *DID* wear the SB in a large proportion of ejection accidents where the Driver's B-Pillar collapsed.
I'm sorry that the accident and death rates pushed me to the Japan-built 4Runner, I would have liked to support some American workers... but it had far superior death rate stats than any domestic-built competitors in 2003, primarily for this reason. (Where's the 2004 and 2005 model year figures? Why are SUVs and Pickups still be built as rollover deathtraps? Ask Bush, the Federal DOT, and your Congress people. And ask yourself who you voted for.)
Be very careful not to roll your pre-06 Ford Truck! 
Well, we did it.
Don't know what the Ford will do. I have to look in the mirrors to be sure the TM is still back there. 
Hated to get rid of the Tacoma. She had been a good and faithful servant for over 8 years. Never failed us. Never anything but routine maintenance. 
Linear Mode
