The 2004 Chrysler Pacifica has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) highest rating - five-stars all around on its frontal and side impact crash tests. The Chrysler Pacifica offers side curtain air bags that cover all three rows of occupants as standard equipment. A ceiling-mounted side curtain air bag deploys downward and provides full side window coverage. This air bag meets the standards established by industry’s Side Air Bag Technical Working Group. Also, Chrysler Group’s engineers used a “pole test” to mimic accidents such as hitting a telephone pole or tree to evaluate the side air bag sensing system. Based on the severity of the crash, multi-stage driver and passenger air bags deploy at various levels. The air bags are triggered by two charges on the module. A lower impact collision will trigger a low-power deployment and a more severe impact will prompt a higher-powered deployment for optimal passenger protection, the company said.