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Sport utilities may roll
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August 20, 1996: 8:11 p.m. ET
Consumer Reports: Isuzu Trooper, Acura SLX roll over too easily
From Correspondent Rhonda Schaffler
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The publisher of Consumer Reports warned on Tuesday that two sport-utility vehicles -- the 1996 Acura SLX and 1995/96 Isuzu Trooper -- are unsafe because they can easily roll over. (534K QuickTime movie)
Consumers Union rated the models as "not acceptable" -- a designation rarely given to automobiles.
The non-profit group also asked the U.S. government to set new manufacturing standards for sport-utility vehicles.
Consumers Union claimed the Trooper and SLX failed tests designed to simulate one of the biggest safety problems facing sport-utility vehicles -- a maneuver where a driver must turn quickly to avoid an accident.
David Pittle, Consumer Reports' technical director, said both models "demonstrated a dangerous propensity to roll over in an emergency-avoidance maneuver. This is a maneuver that can threaten any driver on any road at any time, and without warning."
Experts have blamed rollover accidents on 62 percent of all sport-utility vehicle fatalities between 1991 and 1994.
For that reason, Consumers Union called on Isuzu and Acura to stop selling the two models, and to recall those vehicles on the road to fix the problem or issue refunds.
However, both automakers rejected the calls.
Isuzu said the Trooper "meets all federal safety standards and regulations," while Acura said it "believes the SLX is a safe and reliable vehicle when driven in a responsible manner."
A "non-acceptable" rating from the Consumers Union is rare.
The body last issued one in 1988 on the Suzuki Samurai, which is no longer sold in the United States.
The rating devastated Samurai sales, and auto analyst David Garrity of Smith Barney said Tuesday that he expects the Trooper and Acura SLX to similarly suffer.
"I would not be surprised to see sales in the second half of 1996 and sales in the first half of 1997 to be under pressure as a result of this finding," Garrity said.
Yet while Samurai rollover accidents allegedly left 147 people dead, authorities have reported no similar fatalities for the Trooper or the SLX.
Still, the U.S. government is concerned.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to review the Consumers Union findings.
NHTSA is also seeking federal funding to develop a new standard for testing sport-utility vehicles' maneuverability.
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