We Can Fix That: Jeep Plans Wrangler Changes After IIHS Test Causes It To Roll Over

Last week, a video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) came to our attention. With over 85,000 views in five days on our video and nearly 800,000 on the IIHS clip, it's certainly on the minds of others around the world. To refresh your memory, the current Jeep Wrangler Unlimited was subjected to the IIHS small-overlap 40-mph crash test on the driver side. It actually performed well according to the standard metrics of the test, but the resulting collision caused the Wrangler to tip on its side – something no other vehicle has done. As a result, IIHS gave the Wrangler a Marginal rating for the driver-side overlap test.


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MDarringer - 5/13/2020 12:05:31 PM

0 Boost

(1) The IIHS is owned by the insurance companies, so they have a conflict of interest.

(2) The purpose of the IIHS is to produce data (from a sample of one) to justify insurance rates. Therefore they have to produce bad data so that rates can increase.

(3) The IIHS is NOT a consumer organization. They are a puppet of big business.

(4) There is no oversight of the IIHS nor their testing procedures.

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Should the Jeep have rolled? Probably not. Is it shocking that the Jeep rolled? Hardly! It's high center of gravity makes it more likely to roll over.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 5/13/2020 12:22:04 PM

+2 Boost

It looks like it rolled as the front wheel did not come off. It got stuck under the Jeep and acted like a ramp. On other vehicles kinetic energy is dissipated by the front wheel shearing off when the short overlap crash happens. A 5th Gen 4Runner did not roll over. It has a high centre of gravity too.

MDarringer - 5/13/2020 12:32:39 PM

+1 Boost

Except that the 4Runner is NOT anywhere near as off-road oriented as the Jeep, so that's apples to oranges.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 5/13/2020 2:37:47 PM

+3 Boost

I'd put an off the shelf 4Runner against a standard Jeep anyday. They are very capable from the videos I have seen online. Once you start messing with suspension and tires it's anyone's game.

MDarringer - 5/13/2020 4:54:16 PM

0 Boost

That's because you're a know nothing off road idiot. The 4Runner would high center in a heartbeat.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 5/13/2020 6:21:55 PM

+3 Boost

@MD- Try again. A 4Runner with 2WD has 9.0" clearance. A 4WD model has 9.6". A Jeep has 8.3". The Rubicon model has 10". Quibbling over .4 of an inch?

MDarringer - 5/13/2020 6:39:12 PM

+2 Boost

Try again crate boy:

The 4Runner is more than a foot longer in wheelbase and that is a massive demerit.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 5/14/2020 6:02:14 PM

+2 Boost

@MD0- The Jeep that is rolling over in the video is a 4-Door unlimited. Not a 2-door Jeep. The Unlimited has a 118" wheelbase, the 4Runner is 109". There is no logical reason for it to rollover in this crash. And the 4Runner did not and would do better offroad due to you own logic.

Game, Set, Match. Martini :)

MDarringer - 5/14/2020 7:15:03 PM

+2 Boost

Nice try dumbass, but again you lose. The conversation thread indicates that we are currently talking about high centering. Try to pay attention. #FreeTheDogFromJail

t_bone - 5/13/2020 1:21:07 PM

+2 Boost

No fan of high-CG vehicles but I think I'd rather roll than get torso'd by that obstacle.

MDarringer - 5/13/2020 1:50:18 PM

+1 Boost

Oddly....yes.

Section_31_JTK - 5/13/2020 11:34:40 PM

+1 Boost

Yup, the secret to the Wrangler's rock crawling abilities is its ultra-short wheelbase along with the ground clearance. It has incredibly steep approach and departure angles. All of that conspires to make it unstable in normal driving situations. Also the Wrangler has very poor side impact protection.

deaHelkcunK - 5/16/2020 9:28:27 AM

+1 Boost

Actually, the key to the Wrangler's off road prowess is the solid front axle that allows for a considerably greater amount of articulation on uneven ground. A short wheel base helps in tighter turns but is a negative in steeper climbs as the vehicle would be more likely to flip in an end over end fashion. The poor on road steering manners are the price the Jeep pay for this solid front axle. But off road..it's the king. The Toyota is a generation behind.