What are the most dangerous cars in America?

Americans greatly rely on their cars to get through everyday life. However, Americans often forget that they also rely on their car’s safety features until it is too late. Regarding total security, not all cars are created equal. Therefore, the car’s ability to keep you safe is worthy of consideration before you purchase a vehicle. Even if a car’s safety is not your greatest priority, some cars are so unsafe that they should be avoided at all costs.

2004 Saturn l300

The entire every member of the Saturn L-series that was manufactured between 2002-2005 received negative ratings on its side, head restraint, and the crashworthiness of its seats, which set it up to be one of the most dangerous automobiles on the market at the time. Due to its poor safety rating, the L-series was discontinued, and the Saturn brand eventually ended.

2001 Pontiac Grand Am

Based on information gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Pontiac Grand Am had as many as 160 driver deaths for every million vehicles registered in between the year 2002 and 2005. At the time, that was most deaths of any mid-size coup on the market in the United States. The Grand Am was given poor ratings in head restraints, seat tests, and the overlapping front. The front impact test revealed a great likelihood for the driver to sustain significant head injuries as well. Much like Saturn, the Pontiac brand no longer exists.

2004 Nissan Sentra

Before 2000, Nissan’s Sentra models were considered to be a subcompact sedan. However, the Japanese manufacturer decided to step the model up to the small class during the car’s makeover in the year 2000. The change brought many challenges to the company as they attempted to learn the ins and outs of their new class. Also during a simulated broadside collision, the driver’s head made contact with the other driver’s vehicle, and the passenger’s head smashed into the car window. Both of the collisions indicate that a driver would receive a serious head injury if it were a real car accident in Mobile. Since 2004, the Sentra has improved drastically and has won its fair share of safety awards.

2004 Mazda MPV

The 2004 Mazda MPV is a relatively rare sight today. That may be because it is considered one of the most dangerous vehicles out there. Its safety ratings were weak on its head restraints, side, and seat tests. Test results showed a high probability that the driver and passenger would suffer rib and pelvic damage in a side impact crash. After the MPV had received poor ratings, Mazda stopped its production and replaced it with a line of crossovers and SUVs.

2006 Kia Rio

Today, Kia is considered one of the top brands regarding reliability and safety. However, a mere decade ago was much different. The vehicles that Kia manufactured around that time had questionable safety, as well as quality. While the second generation of Rio did slightly better than the first, both received poor safety ratings on their side, head restraint, and seat tests, as well a having a problem with the safety of the head rests. After the second generation, Kia put more effort into ensuring the safety of their vehicles, and the third generation improved drastically as a result.

2001 Kia Optima

The early 2000s were a dark time in Kia’s safety history.  Much like the Rio, the Optimus was not as safe as it should have been, and failed the same tests, as well as receiving a poor side crash safety score. The second generation improved considerably and eventually got a passing score on the side crash safety evaluation. Since then, Kia has done well in ensuring the safety of their vehicles.

2010 Hyundai Accent

Despite its poor safety scores, the Hyundai accent was one of the best selling subcompact cars during its production. Therefore, there are still many of them on the road even today. Like many of the other vehicles mentioned, the Accent scored low on the side, head restraint, and seat tests. Tests also showed that both the driver and the passenger had an increased risk of pelvic damage if a side crash should occur.

While there are several more vehicles with poor crash safety, there is one that can be considered the worst of the worst.

2003 Dodge Neon

The 2003 Dodge Neon is deemed to be the most dangerous car in America. Luckily, it has been discontinued. While the second model improved its front crash safety rating, both received an abysmal score in their side crash impact and headrest safety. More than 160 drivers were killed per million every year between 2002 and 2005, giving the car one of the highest death rates at the time.