7 Cars That Were Marketed as Safe—But Weren’t
Some cars hit the market and everyone assumes they are just as safe as everything else on the road, but this is not always true. Yes, vehicles are held to stricter safety guidelines than ever before, but there are still some deadly cars out. In fact, the deadliest car in the United States might actually surprise you. So, while these cars have been marketed as safe, they leave something to be desired when it comes to fatalities and other safety benchmarks.
1. Ford F-Series
Although the Ford F-150 and the other trucks in the F-Series lineup are popular, they’ve actually been listed as the deadliest car on the road. Value Penguin conducted a study and the F-Series had the most fatal car accidents over the period of the study than any other vehicle. Over a five-year period, the F-Series was involved in 10,845 fatal crashes. Surprisingly, the fatality rate of accidents involving the F-150, F-250, and F-350 doesn’t impact the insurance rates. These cars are some of the cheapest to insure in the U.S.
2. Chevrolet Silverado
There are a total of three pickup trucks on the list, and the Chevy Silverado is the second most deadly vehicle. Most people would assume Silverados are safe, considering their size and safety features. However, they were involved in a significant number of fatal crashes. During the same five-year period, the Silverado was involved in 7,718 deadly accidents. There is some speculation that the truck’s height might have something to do with that number. The Silverado is over 75 inches tall, making it one of the tallest vehicles on the road.
3. Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a popular car, but it is also a bit more dangerous than you’d think. Taking a look at the same five-year period, there were 5,079 fatal car crashes that involved an Accord. Much of the time, the fatalities were people in the Accord itself, not in other cars or pedestrians. The popular sedan was the most deadly vehicle in New Jersey for the given time period, with 117 fatal crashes in the Garden State.
4. Toyota Camry
Toyota is known for its reliable vehicles, but you may be surprised to find out that some of its most popular models (the Camry and the Corolla) have been involved in a significant number of fatal accidents. During the same five-year period referenced above, the Camry was involved in 4,734 fatal crashes. That said, it is among the most popular vehicles on the road. So, there are a ton of Camrys out there. The number of crashes linked to Camrys likely has more to do with sheer numbers than actual safety concerns. But you should get to know more about Camry recalls.
5. Ram Pickup (All Models)
The third and final truck on the list is the Ram pickup. This includes all models of this truck. They were involved in 5,897 fatal crashes during the study period. However, the occupants of the Ram truck were less likely to be the ones fatally wounded. As many as 416,2001 Ram pickups were involved in fatal crashes during the five-year period. The 2001 model seemed to be the most dangerous.
6. Honda Civic
Like Toyota, Honda is known for manufacturing reliable vehicles at affordable prices. Unfortunately, some of the most popular models, like the Civic, have been connected to a high number of fatal crashes. This brings to question how safe these cars actually are. Over the same period of time, the Civic was involved in 4,397 deadly car accidents.
7. Toyota Corolla
Last, but not least, is the Toyota Corolla. It was linked to 3,430 fatal crashes over the five-year period. While that’s the lowest number on this list, it is still something to consider when purchasing a new car.
Each of these carmakers has done what they can to make their vehicles as safe as possible. Sometimes it still isn’t enough. These seven cars are among some of the deadliest, based on data collected through studies. Surprisingly, they were (and continue to be) some of the most popular cars on the road.
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Drew Blankenship is a former Porsche technician who writes and develops content full-time. He lives in North Carolina, where he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. While Drew no longer gets his hands dirty modifying Porsches, he still loves motorsport and avidly watches Formula 1.