Find Scion XD crash ratings?

It has not been tested yet (see

I'm surprised that they put those things out on the road without a standard safety test!

I am sure Toyota has conducted the necessary tests. Given Toyota's recent record of improving the safety of all of their vehicles, I would expect the XD to get an excellent rating in all crash tests. I think the only new vehicle Toyota has introduced recently that wasn't at the top of the safety list was the new Tundra. The new Camry, RAV4,

Ed

If Toyota tested it by industry standards, why aren't the test results published?

I am not aware of any automaker that publishes their own internal crash results, and I would imagine that most consumers are more likely to believe a third party's crash test than the automakers' in-house test.

So what gives the public, or the government for that matter, assurance that the manufacturer's internal tests are up to standards? The government doesn't require it's own standard testing before new cars go on the road?

At least in the US, cars are required to meet certain Federal standards. The manufacturer must certify that the cars meet these standards before they are sold. The government reviews the tests and insures they are correct. After vehicles are in production, the government conducts additional testing to verify that the vehicle actually meet the standards and to generate the "star" ratings that you see publicized. These tests are conducted on vehicles already in production. Clearly these test cannot be conducted until the vehicles are being produced. And it should also be clear that the government (NHTSA) does not have infinite resources to conduct these tests. The tests are schedules and conducted as resources allow. Third parties, primarily the IIHS, also conduct crash tests. Just like the Government these entities don't have infinite resources. I am sure both NHTSA and the IIHS will get around to test the xD shortly. If the results of these tests are crucial to your buying decision, you should either wait until the tests are conducted, or buy a different vehicle.

Personally I am confident that the xD will be a relatively safe vehicle. Toyota has clearly made scoring well in these test an important goal. Except for the new Tundra, most truly new Toyota vehicles (as opposed to minor revisions) have gotten top marks. I would not worry that the xD will be unsafe.

On the other hand, if you compare crash test results to the IIHS injury loss ratings, there appears to be a very weak correlation. Some vehicles who do poorly in the crash tests, have very good injury loss ratings. Other vehicles that score well in crash tests don't have particularly good injury loss ratings. You should also remember that the tests are very specific and conducted under very controlled conditions. This allows manufacturers to fine tune designs to score well in the tests, while possibly missing the overall goal. I own an interesting example of "fine tuning." I have a 2007 Ford Fusion. There is a strange bump in the floor pan under the accelerator. This bump requires that you use different floor mats than a 2006 Fusion. I was curious to discover why they added this bump. It turns out that the bump was added because it restricts the movement of a crash dummies left leg in a front end collision. This small improvement improved the frontal crash rating of a 2007 Fusion (versus a 2006). Nothing else was changed. I doubt that this small change will have any significance in most actual collisions.

Ed