Wrangler rolls over video in IIHS crash test. If you like slo-mo crash videos you’ll love watching this as a Wrangler Roll Over Video as it lands on its side in this test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety…
If you like slo-mo crash videos you’ll love watching this as a Wrangler Roll Over Video as it lands on its side in this test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US. If you recently bought a new Jeep JL Wrangler… maybe not so much.
In the video, the IIHS put a JL Wrangler four-door (Unlimited) model though its small frontal overlap crash test and the result was no doubt surprising, both for those involved in conducting the crash test as well as for FCA (Fiat Chrylser Automobiles), Jeep’s parent company and the manufacturer of the Wrangler.
And the Wrangler was tested more than once, rolling two out of three times. In fact, the only time it didn’t roll over in the small frontal overlap crash test was when it was tested by FCA. When the IIHS crash tested the Wrangler and it landed on its side, FCA then requested another test using a different (yet approved) propulsion system, and over she went again.
As a result of the crash test, the IIHA changed its crash performance rating for the JL Wrangler from “good” to “moderate”.
The IIHS statement after the tests advised: “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.”
The IIHS also noted, “Rollovers – even partial ones like those that occurred in the Wrangler tests – are especially dangerous crashes, in part due to the risk of complete or partial ejection. This is a particular concern in the Wrangler, which has a roof and doors that can be removed. The Wrangler also lacks side curtain airbags designed to deploy in a rollover to keep occupants inside. It is not required by regulation to have side curtain airbags because of its removable roof.”
It wasn’t all bad news from the IIHS, however, which also pointed out that in the test: “The Wrangler performed well by the normal metrics used to evaluate performance in the driver-side small overlap test. The driver’s space was maintained well, and the dummy’s movement was well-controlled.”
Interestingly, the earlier generation JK Wrangler, tested in 2015 , performed better than the new JL Wrangler in the same small frontal overlap crash test, managing to keep it shiny-side up.
