jk_sea

That's the problem with that junk media story. It doesn't point out the fact that all automobiles are safer than ever, it just happens to be that the JK is now on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of modern crash standards compared to newer vehicles. And...

...that junk story also doesn't point out that crash ratings are size-class specific. Good crash ratings mean the vehicle does well for its size, not necessarily taking into account that a much larger, heavier vehicle with the same or similar safety features is going to absolutely annihilate the smaller vehicle in a collision and the larger vehicle occupants will fare much better.

There are exceptions to the rule, especially new vehicles versus old vehicles, but the old adage that "mass always wins" is generally true.

Chefbrujo

Too bad safe driving is not emphasized as the primary source of safety in a vehicle. Just another example of how America consistently moves towards removing all responsibility and accountability from an individual for their own actions. It always makes me sad to see things like this. As if a vehicle safety rating should really be an ultimate determining factor. Younger generationsnmust think that 10, 20, 30, etc.. years ago everyone was gambling with thier lives riding in rolling death traps everyday. Lame.

mikeJKUR

Looking at those pictures I bet the people you hit were happy to have those side airbags.

TXBeachJK

Haha, no kidding. They blew through a stop sign going 40 mph. They somehow jumped over the curb onto the median with only 3 wheels. The first photo is difficult to see, but a drunk driver ran a stop sign and I t-boned him, flipped over his Durango. Thank God there were no injuries from either party in either of the wrecks.

lkjk

The doors and top aren't designed with any safey in mind - I have stickers from the factory that say something like "the doors and top of this vehicle are not intended to keep you inside the vehicle in the event of an accident". the A pillar seems like weak shit and the same with the C on my 4 door. I have no side airbags on my 2010. There's really only the crash bar on the front end, the corners are plastic and the bumper is useless. IDK how this is surprising that it ranks shitty.

Blue

Obviously it wasn't shitty when it ranked high in 2007. Plus, it has one of the lowest fatality rates of vehicles on the road. The door language is obviously lawyer speak because an imbecile would know that the door would provide some protection to relative to the door being removed. Furthermore, analysis of traffic accidents compared to their allegedly safe vehicles shows that their ratings aren't as accurate as they claim.

The interesting thing is US News & World Report gave the moderate and small overlap zone a "good" rating for both.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...angler/Safety/

Here is the NHTSA ratings for a 2 dr in 2013.

http://www.cars.com/jeep/wrangler/2013/safety-ratings/

crazybones340

I will keep my Jeep no matter what these articles say. After market 3/16" steel front /rear bumpers/ rock rails. Seems just fine to me.

jk_sea

The disclaimer is because it's a convertible, and Chrysler doesn't want anyone to mistake the hardtop for being a structural piece of the vehicle, because it's not. Same with the doors, since they are intended to be removable, AND the vehicle can be fit with frameless half-doors without glass.

Aside from that, the Wrangler is body-on-frame so the pillars don't need to be as robust as what you see in a typical uni-body vehicle. Most of the vehicle's rigidity and structure is provided by the frame itself. The b-pillars look weak from the outside but check out what the front seatbelts are mounted to. This ain't no XJ

The Wrangler was rated as a generally safe vehicle, until the ratings changed.

If you grew up anytime before the 90's, and even then, there are exceptions...your parents were driving you around in what would be called "death traps" today. Even though back then people regarded most mainstream vehicles as being pretty safe.

lkjk

I didn't mention the b pillar as being weak, because that's the beefiest one. I understand the legality of the stickers, I also understand that because of that they aren't actually designed with safety in mind.

# of fatalities, or percentages, only means exactly that. There could be a million reasons that's the case, without finding out why, which is nearly impossible without a controlled test, a lot of stats are useless.

crash tests where they put them through the paces with dummies and sensors are measuring the actual force with simulated crashes that are nearly identical for the vehicles in each class, so I don't know what more you want...to uncover a conspiracy against jeeps?

Its just funny so many people get so sensitive when anything bad about jeeps is mentioned.

tjkamp

THIS! Over and over again. This.

On today's streets, what are the odds of a Jeep driver hitting another Jeep sized vehicle, especially if it has a little lift and an aftermarket bumper?

Obviously, I know they can't test Jeeps that have been modded, but still. I would guess that in at least 80% of accidents involving a Jeep, the other vehicle does not stand nearly as tall, or weigh nearly as much. Jeeps are heavy, at least in comparison to little hatch back run arounds.

You notice you never hear about safety tests for that tiny little Smart? What are the chances of a Smart hitting another Smart? What about a Smart hitting a Jeep? Who do you think would win out on that deal? My money is on the Jeep.

Happy Jeeping!