Dive Brief:
- The 2023 and 2024 Jeep Wagoneer was the only model out of three popular SUVs evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to be named a 2024 Top Safety Pick, the organization reported in its latest crash tests.
- The full-size Jeep Wagoneer was evaluated alongside the popular Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition SUVs, both of which fell short in the latest IIHS crash tests. The IIHS cited poor performance in the small overlap front crash test for both the Tahoe and Expedition.
- Earning an IIHS safety award could help boost sales of certain models, as a majority of car buyers are willing to pay more for vehicles with higher safety ratings, according to S&P Global.
Dive Insight:
For the most part, modern vehicles on the roads today are much safer overall. IIHS said that over 90% of new vehicle models have received “good” safety scores since 2021. But the organization updated its testing criteria in March, making it harder for automakers to receive a Top Safety Pick award. It said the changes were meant to encourage automakers to pursue higher levels of vehicle safety.
Despite receiving good safety marks, the Wagoneer and other SUVs in general still don’t offer adequate protection for rear seat passengers, according to the IIHS. It’s why the Wagoneer did not earn a more coveted Top Safety Pick+ award. In addition, the large size and weight of SUVs makes them less safe compared to smaller vehicles.
“The huge mass of these large SUVs provides some additional protection in crashes with smaller vehicles, though that also means they present more danger to other road users,” IIHS President David Harkey said in the press release. “The flip side of their large size is that there is a lot more force to manage when they crash into a fixed obstacle like a tree or bridge abutment or the barrier we use in our front crash tests.”
The IIHS conducted “small overlap evaluation” crash tests on both sides of the three SUVs. It found that the Wagoneer performed well in maintaining survival space for the driver and front passenger. But the large SUV performed slightly worse in the driver-side test due to intrusion in the footwell that increases the risk of injury to the driver’s left foot and ankle.
The Chevy Tahoe also maintained adequate survival space for the driver in the event of a crash. However, there was more intrusion into the footwell on the driver’s side to cause substantial risk of lower leg injuries in a crash. The IIHS noted that performance was worse in the passenger-side test of the Tahoe. Excessive intrusion into the footwell contributed to a high risk of injury to the right foot and moderate risk of injury to the left leg of the passenger.
The Ford Expedition performed the worst of the three SUV models. For the driver-side test, the IIHS said the steering column partially detached from the instrument panel, resulting in a high risk of injury to the driver. In addition, the A-pillar separated from the rocker panel and excessive intrusion occurred in the driver side footwell. The IIHS also reported some footwell intrusion on the passenger side of the Expedition, but it was to a lesser extent than the driver side.
The IIHS found that all three of the SUVs earned a good rating in the original “moderate overlap front” evaluation, with no substantial intrusion into the driver’s survival space. But this test only considers the level of protection for front seat occupants.
In the Wagoneer, the driver dummy’s head hit the steering wheel through the airbag, while the driver’s side curtain airbag in the Expedition failed to deploy during the test. The Expedition’s side curtain airbag for rear passengers also failed to deploy, but the IIHS said it wasn’t enough to change the SUV’s overall safety rating.
“These discouraging results show that some popular vehicles still lag behind in meeting the most advanced safety standards,” said Raul Arbelaez, vice president of the Institute’s Vehicle Research Center, in the press release. “The good news is that the top performer in this class proves that automakers can readily address these problems.”
The IIHS noted that all three SUVs performed well in the updated side test. But the rear crash dummy’s head hit hard against the side curtain airbag in the Expedition.
