UPDATE 11/09/2018: Hyundai Australia has updated its public website to include each model's ANCAP test date.
New-vehicle buyers are being misled by brands and dealers that promote maximum five-star safety ratings without specifying whether they are quoting current or outdated results.
Independent vehicle safety authority ANCAP has become so concerned about the issue that it is urging the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to issue mandatory guidelines to the automotive industry to clarify how crash test results can be promoted.
Similar to a fuel consumption rating, it would involve a windshield sticker showing a vehicle’s safety star rating.
At the centre of the controversy are date stamps. ANCAP expects brands to specify what year a vehicle’s rating is achieved. That is significant because the protocols have got progressively tougher in recent years.
In 2018 ANCAP crash testing stepped up another level, with autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems required to be eligible for five-star testing.
Although it’s far from alone in misrepresenting its safety results, Hyundai is an obvious example of the issue because it has just updated its Tucson mid-size SUV, in which AEB has been expanded to become optional or standard on most models, but the base model still misses out.
Yet within the section of its public website devoted to the new Tucson, under the section “All eyes on safety”, Hyundai says: “The Tucson has a 5 star ANCAP safety rating”.
The assumption would easily be made that the new Tucson has a current ANCAP safety rating, but in actual fact the statement refers to a rating gained in 2015 -- before AEB was a requirement. There is no date-stamping or clarification of the five-star claim.
Hyundai could have updated the date stamp, but that would have been an expensive process requiring crash testing and the exclusion of the base model without AEB from the rating.
Hyundai refused to comment about the issue when contacted by motoring.com.au, but it is understood the brand is moving to audit its websites and publications to date-stamp ANCAP results.
A Hyundai brochure for the new Tucson date stamps its 2015 ANCAP result and also publishes the ANCAP logo.
ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin said Hyundai and other brands that don’t date stamp were “probably not” behaving ethically.
“Is it ethical? It is certainly not right,” he said. “We should be as honest and transparent as we can be.
“Honesty generally in life is respected, so is it ethical? Probably not? But it is certainly not the right thing to do.”
Goodwin stressed that Hyundai, which has been a long-term ANCAP crash-tester, should be praised for the safety updates it had made to the Tucson.
He also made it clear that some brands such as Mitsubishi were exemplary in their use of both the ANCAP logo and date stamping in their advertising.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia, which is the local distributor of Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Jeep vehicles, also uses the ANCAP logo and date stamp on the basis of legal advice.
Subaru Australia has not been date stamping its ANCAP results, but confirmed it intends to adopt the policy.
While ANCAP already drops vehicles with a five-star rating more than three years old off its recommended fleet buying list, Goodwin said ACCC-policed ANCAP guidelines were the logical solution way to clean up the issue properly.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing too many brands picking and choosing when they want to display an ANCAP rating,” he said.
“What I am calling for is regulations to be put in place and it should be the ACCC that does this.
“This is very clearly an advertising guideline. The vehicle industry on the most part do the right thing and want to do the right thing.
“The automotive industry is one of the most regulated industries that we have … But the one piece of regulation missing is how safe is that vehicle?”
Goodwin said the ACCC had so far declined ANCAP’s request, citing the fact that crash safety was covered by Australian Design Rules. The ANCAP standard is tougher than ADRs.
He said the industry itself should develop a standard if the ACCC won’t.
“If it’s not the ACCC then they should at least develop an industry code to provide guidance to the dealerships on displaying safety ratings.”