WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The 2002 Honda Acura MDX and the Honda Odyssey received nearly perfect scores in the latest round of crash tests, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reported Tuesday.
The MDX, a sport-utility vehicle, and the Odyssey, a van, scored perfect 5s in front- and side-impact tests and 4s in the rollover tests.
The 2003 Honda Pilot SUV also scored 5s in the front and side tests but has not yet been tested for its propensity to roll over.
The NHTSA issued its results for 58 types of 2002 and 2003 cars, trucks and SUVs. All vehicles scored between 3 and 5 on the front driver, front passenger, side driver and side passenger crash tests. The 2002 Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Explorer 2-door, Land Rover Discovery Series II, Mistsubishi Montero and Nissan Xterra scored below-average 2s on the rollover test.
The NHTSA said the Toyota Highlander and Chrysler PT Cruiser suffered fuel leakages following the crash tests, which would pose a fire hazard in an accident.
"I am very pleased that both Toyota and Chrysler have voluntarily agreed to recall all affected vehicles," NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge said.
The front-crash tests involve crashing vehicles at 35 mph into a rigid, fixed barrier; the side-crash tests are conducted with a moving, deformable barrier hitting the vehicle at 38.5 mph.
Honda cited the results as evidence of its commitment to safety.
"The Pilot and MDX are the latest products to showcase the company's world-class safety technology," Honda Executive Vice President Dick Colliver said.
