General Motors
Safety is a top priority at General Motors. That is why we designed and developed the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu with many of our latest occupant protection and crash avoidance technology features. Among those, the Malibu provides exceptional structural integrity for the “safety cage” passenger compartment and outstanding impact protection for the front, rear, and sides. The strong construction is augmented with dual stage frontal air bags, three-point safety belts for all seating positions, standard safety belt pretensioners for front seat passengers, and optional head curtain side impact air bags to help protect front and rear outboard passengers.
The Malibu is an outstanding vehicle. It performed well in GM’s battery of tests that replicated a wide array of potential real-world circumstances that a driver may encounter. We are pleased to know that the vehicle achieved a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) 40 MPH offset deformable barrier (ODB) test.
We know that many consumers want to have comparative crash test data when making their purchase decisions. While the IIHS may intend 40 MPHODB testing of this vehicle to be helpful to consumers, it is important to note that this test does not reflect the wide variety of crash modes that GM considers in the design, engineering and testing of our vehicles, nor can it account for all of a vehicle’s crash avoidance capabilities.
Besides meeting all of the federal safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Malibu was designed and engineered to address a wide range of crash conditions not included in the federal standards or consumer information tests like the IIHS tests. GM’s battery of tests replicates a wide array of potential real-world circumstances that a driver may encounter. GM’s crash tests include: front, side and rear fixed barrier; moving barriers, poles and vehicle-to-vehicle tests. In addition, GM uses an entire “family” of crash test dummies in some of its testing, including infants, children and women, as well as the average sized male dummy most often used by the NHTSA standards.
Nissan
Nissan takes its commitment to product safety and customer satisfaction very seriously. We build and design all our vehicles to meet and outperform the stringent safety regulations established by the federal government and our own internal safety standards. Nissan continues to evaluate ways to satisfy its consumers.
With regard to the recent IIHS test in which the Nissan Maxima performed competitively in its class, we are happy to see our commitment to safety corroborated. We will review, evaluate and, as necessary, take these results into consideration along with other data generated from outside sources. However, we believe it is difficult for any one test to accurately reflect real-world conditions and recommend looking at actual collision data in the field as a barometer for a vehicle’s performance.
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors is pleased that the all-new 2004 Galant will receive a rating of "good" in the severe frontal 40 mph offset barrier impact test conducted by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. The safety of the occupants in our vehicles is of primary importance to Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA), and every vehicle we sell in the United States meets or exceeds all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Suzuki
Suzuki places a priority on manufacturing and selling safe vehicles. All our vehicles are designed to meet consumers' safety needs through a full complement of safety features. It is also important to note to your viewers that all Suzuki motor vehicles comply with, or exceed, all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Beyond the IIHS tests, all Suzuki models are rigorously tested using a variety of methods. Not only are extensive safety performance tests conducted, but also tests to examine a wide range of other aspects of vehicle performance, including durability, reparability, etc.
Suzuki is always willing to take into consideration any new information that could lead to meaningful, real-world improvements that provide our customers with greater value and safety. You can be assured that we are studying the IIHS test results with these objectives in mind.