Click to Enlarge.
A 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4-door* tipped over in the driver-side small overlap crash test in a repeat of a problem shown by an earlier model, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Structural modifications made by Stellantis did not eliminate the problematic safety issue.
“Even partial rollovers are dangerous, as they increase the chances that an occupant may be completely or partially ejected from the vehicle. That’s especially relevant for the Wrangler, which has a roof and doors that can be removed and lacks side curtain airbags,” said IIHS. Jeep has not responded to AutoInformed.
Moreover, this is a long stand issue. The 2019 model tested earlier also tipped onto its passenger side after striking the barrier used in the crash test, resulting in a marginal rating for driver-side small overlap protection. A good rating in the test is required for a Top Safety Pick award.
The Wrangler did perform well by the other measurements used to evaluate performance in the test. The safety cage surrounding the driver held its structure well. The restraints also effectively controlled the movement of the dummy, though the test indicated a significant risk of injury to the driver’s left leg and foot and the combination head and torso side airbag did not deploy. “However, tipping onto its side presents an additional injury risk beyond what the standard criteria are intended to measure, in part because the IIHS test does not include a dummy seated on the passenger side.”
Stellantis had been working to address this issue since the test of the 2019 model brought it to light. Redesigned in 2018, the Wrangler was eligible for a driver-side small overlap rating based on manufacturer testing because the model’s previous generation earned a good rating in the test. In such cases, IIHS will assign a rating based on video of the manufacturer test and other documentation.
The 2019 model did not tip over in the test conducted by the company and submitted to IIHS for verification. However, it tipped in an IIHS test conducted as part of an audit program designed to ensure the integrity of the verification program and then again in a subsequent retest requested by the company.
*IIHS rating: “The Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for the 2018 model year. The previous design was built concurrently through much of the same model year and was renamed the Wrangler JK. Beginning with 2022 models, changes were made to the front structure to prevent tipping in small overlap crashes.
“In the Institute’s test, the vehicle tipped onto its passenger side after striking the barrier. The partial rollover presents an additional injury risk beyond what the standard criteria are intended to measure in small overlap frontal crash tests. A vehicle tipping onto its side is not an acceptable outcome for a frontal crash and, as a result, the Wrangler’s overall rating was downgraded to marginal.”
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
IIHS – 2022 Jeep Wrangler Tips Over in Crash Test
Click to Enlarge.
A 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4-door* tipped over in the driver-side small overlap crash test in a repeat of a problem shown by an earlier model, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Structural modifications made by Stellantis did not eliminate the problematic safety issue.
“Even partial rollovers are dangerous, as they increase the chances that an occupant may be completely or partially ejected from the vehicle. That’s especially relevant for the Wrangler, which has a roof and doors that can be removed and lacks side curtain airbags,” said IIHS. Jeep has not responded to AutoInformed.
Moreover, this is a long stand issue. The 2019 model tested earlier also tipped onto its passenger side after striking the barrier used in the crash test, resulting in a marginal rating for driver-side small overlap protection. A good rating in the test is required for a Top Safety Pick award.
The Wrangler did perform well by the other measurements used to evaluate performance in the test. The safety cage surrounding the driver held its structure well. The restraints also effectively controlled the movement of the dummy, though the test indicated a significant risk of injury to the driver’s left leg and foot and the combination head and torso side airbag did not deploy. “However, tipping onto its side presents an additional injury risk beyond what the standard criteria are intended to measure, in part because the IIHS test does not include a dummy seated on the passenger side.”
Stellantis had been working to address this issue since the test of the 2019 model brought it to light. Redesigned in 2018, the Wrangler was eligible for a driver-side small overlap rating based on manufacturer testing because the model’s previous generation earned a good rating in the test. In such cases, IIHS will assign a rating based on video of the manufacturer test and other documentation.
The 2019 model did not tip over in the test conducted by the company and submitted to IIHS for verification. However, it tipped in an IIHS test conducted as part of an audit program designed to ensure the integrity of the verification program and then again in a subsequent retest requested by the company.
*IIHS rating: “The Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for the 2018 model year. The previous design was built concurrently through much of the same model year and was renamed the Wrangler JK. Beginning with 2022 models, changes were made to the front structure to prevent tipping in small overlap crashes.
“In the Institute’s test, the vehicle tipped onto its passenger side after striking the barrier. The partial rollover presents an additional injury risk beyond what the standard criteria are intended to measure in small overlap frontal crash tests. A vehicle tipping onto its side is not an acceptable outcome for a frontal crash and, as a result, the Wrangler’s overall rating was downgraded to marginal.”
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.