Sonic Not as Safe as you Might Think for 8 Airbags

[Indy]

To me it looks like a test that is designed to avoid all the built in crash structure of a vehicle. The hit looks to be outside the frame rail and as a result parts never intended to absorb the impact are expected to do something they are not designed to do. To me it looks like a bogus test.

So how should the tests be designed? Should they cater to the design of the car or should they instead test the ability of the vehicle to resist a more likely crash scenario?

The small front offset test depicts the overwhelming majority of frontal impacts. After 30 years of full frontal impact testing, shouldn't we be focusing on the weak points again? I work in the testing industry on the aerospace side. I've seen the occasionally disastrous effects of the results of a test being ignored because the product didn't perform like it was supposed to. Instead of improving the product, the test is altered to produce more favorable results (on paper). That's not how the real world works, though.

In any case, you can't just throw a test procedure together and expect it to mean ANYTHING. A huge amount of work goes in to developing a standard test procedure, and the results should not be taken lightly, even if it paints one of our beloved (insert your beloved object here) in a poor way.

 

[mitdr774]

Most frontal impact damaged cars I have come across had more overlap than just outside of the frame rail. That test looks as though it is designed to completely miss the part of the car designed to take an impact. To me it is like testing a crash helmet but hitting the neck instead of the helmet.

Of course a car wont do all that well when it is forced to absorb a huge amount of energy over a very small impact point in an area not designed for an impact.


Its not like any non biased testing/reporting company/agency has never designed or rigged a test to make a specific vehicle fail.

 

[Sailurman]

In my opinion the Sonic is plenty safe.

My personal experience, 2012 Sonic VS 2004 Mitsu which, I think was a midsize?

BTW, the driverside doors still opened and closed like new. We didn't try the passenger side as it got pushed against a tree so we left them alone.

Your Sonic was parked right? So we are looking at different physics and no air bag (or late airbag) deployment. That part troubles me.......

 

[Palmaris]

But other cars pass the same test, same conditions. These cars have a design that is safer in this type of situation. And if they can do it, why can't the Sonic or the other cars that didn't do so in the test?

Now that this type of crash is being tested, in 5 years all of the cars will be designed to keep you safer. We all win in the end.

There is no doubt that this car is safer than pretty much every single car you have driven in the past.

Crash Test 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air VS. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu (Frontal Offset) IIHS 50th Anniversary - YouTube

Most frontal impact damaged cars I have come across had more overlap than just outside of the frame rail. That test looks as though it is designed to completely miss the part of the car designed to take an impact.

Of course a car wont do all that well when it is forced to absorb a huge amount of energy over a very small impact point in an area not designed for an impact.


Its not like any non biased testing/reporting company/agency has never designed or rigged a test to make a specific vehicle fail.

 

[ChrisJ]

Your Sonic was parked right? So we are looking at different physics and no air bag (or late airbag) deployment. That part troubles me.......

Parked yes so no airbag.

I cannot comment on the airbag deployment and if it is slow I would agree something needs improvement.

 

[pepler]

Once you've seen a few crash tests in person you'll likely find yourself on the side of those evil stringent safety freaks.

 

[shorebreeze]

To me it looks like a test that is designed to avoid all the built in crash structure of a vehicle. The hit looks to be outside the frame rail and as a result parts never intended to absorb the impact are expected to do something they are not designed to do. To me it looks like a bogus test.

I don't think it is a bogus test at all, and having now seen the front end of a Sonic with its bumper cover removed, I think there's a very easy modification that could bring the Sonic not just up to "acceptable" but all the way to a good rating on the small overlap. Basically, the heavy duty steel part of the front bumper does not reach all the way to the corners but stops about five inches short. So the small overlap is almost precisely coming right past the ends of the main part of the bumper, slamming right into the fender and firewall. It should be an easy fix; just put a longer front steel bumper frame that rounds back at the corners so as to fit into the cover, while also deflecting the car in the event of such a crash. I think it would work wonders. The Sonic's frame is fundamentally very strong; I can't imagine there'd be much else to get things on track. Basically, as things stand now, it's still managing to get a marginal rating rather than poor despite a direct 40mph hit on the A pillar without any interference from the bumper. Looked at in that way, it's impressive -- and I'd think the fix is easy enough that modders could do it.

 

[JackGSonic]

But other cars pass the same test, same conditions. These cars have a design that is safer in this type of situation. And if they can do it, why can't the Sonic or the other cars that didn't do so in the test?

Now that this type of crash is being tested, in 5 years all of the cars will be designed to keep you safer. We all win in the end.

There is no doubt that this car is safer than pretty much every single car you have driven in the past.

Crash Test 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air VS. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu (Frontal Offset) IIHS 50th Anniversary - YouTube

Kinda counters the point of if it's bigger, you always lose. Seems the land yacht didn't fare too well, there.

 

[shorebreeze]

Took another look at the parts catalog and specifically it's the upper impact bar and lower impact bar, both of which form the reinforcement behind the front bumper (especially the upper one) that I believe are the problem. If they were simply extended by another few inches at each end and curved around so as to fit behind the bumper cover, I'm sure it would dramatically improve the small overlap result. A project for mods or for an aftermarket supplier, perhaps?

 

[robsander]

Yes, I watched it a few days ago. Youtube link: 2013 Chevrolet Sonic small overlap IIHS crash test - YouTube

IIHS test results page for Sonic small overlap test: IIHS-HLDI: Chevrolet Sonic

The curtain air bags deploying late - AFTER the dummy's head was on the outside - is a bit concerning. The whole point of a curtain air bag is to protect the occupant's head from hard objects and they will do nothing for the occupant in this scenario. I hope that GM will conduct further testing on this and release some updated SRS programming if it is needed.

The leg injury potential from the gigantic dash in these cars doesn't surprise me either. It's a bit intrusive on the lower extremities even when the chassis isn't mangled.

This is a very difficult test to pass and has exposed all kinds of inadequacies of vehicles from expensive luxury cars on down. Even some brand new designs have been terrible - see new Forte, Rav4, etc. When I saw these results trickle in over the last few months, I figured the Sonic may have some "opportunities."

Anyway, if you want to feel better about the Sonic's performance, I'd recommend watching the videos of the Soul. :banana:

January 2nd of this year, I was in a head on collision in a 2010 Toyota corolla le. 35 MPH meets 35 MPH. Not pretty. However the side curtain airbags certainly saved my head from going through drivers window. I can only hope that the sonics' are at least somewhat close to this level of safety and reliability.

10.27 1/8 mile

 

[dbarrett231]

So just by watching that video we could actually have gauges on the pillar the airbag shoots downward and didn't seem to separate the pillar

 

[wbjones]

with all the hoopla going on now about the "unsafe" airbags … and Chevy being cited as one of the companies that are having trouble with this (unintended air bag deployment) … I haven't seen which Chevy's are on the list … is the Sonic one of the ones that should be checked ? and if so, which yr ?

 

[laborsmith]

All Chevrolet Sonics assembled for retail delivery before 2004.

Laborsmith

 

[NewZJ]

All Chevrolet Sonics assembled for retail delivery before 2004.

Laborsmith

Were there sonics before 2004?

 

[SouthFLSonic]

Were there sonics before 2004?

Think he is referring to the AVEO.

 

[laborsmith]

I was specifically referring to the Chevrolet Sonic, which appears to have waited until the sometime in 2011 to start regular production, first in S. Korea and then a few months later in Michigan.

Laborsmith

 

[mitdr774]

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues