A 2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited tipped over during the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's driver-side small overlap crash test. This repeated the result from 2020 when the agency tested a 2019 example, and it also flipped in this evaluation.
Following the 2019 example tipping over, Stellantis made changes to the Wrangler Unlimited's front structure in an effort to receive a better score by not falling over in the IIHS' small overlap crash.
Gallery: 2022 Jeep Wrangler
According to the IIHS' report, the safety cage maintained the Wrangler Unlimited's structure, and the restraints controlled the movement of the dummy. Sensors showed a "significant risk of injury" to the driver's left leg and foot. The vehicle tipping over was a major problem, though, and the agency gave it a Marginal score.
Motor1.com reached out to Stellantis for a statement about the 2022 Wrangler Unlimited's result in the crash test:
Stellantis has produced more than one million of these vehicles. Real-world performance strongly indicates they afford the level of safety our customers demand and deserve. By conservative estimate, they have accounted for 105 billion on-road travel miles. And we are unaware any of field reports that correspond with the IIHS test results. Available in more than 24,000 configurations, the four-door Jeep Wrangler meets or exceeds all federal safety standards and continues to win acclaim from news organizations and consumer advocates. Since its 2017 introduction, the current model has earned more than two dozen awards for attributes ranging from design to capability, to residual value. Stellantis is reviewing this latest result. We routinely consider third-party testing and factor it into our product-development process, as appropriate. But we engineer our vehicles for real-world performance. The Jeep Wrangler has unique and extraordinary capabilities unlike any other vehicle on the road. Real-world data and ongoing demand indicate the four-door Wrangler meets or exceeds the expectations of the buying public.
The 2022 Wrangler Unlimited also received a Marginal rating in the side crash test this time, rather than Good previously. In the rear seat, the dummy's head struck the soft top support and door window frame. "The head protection is inadequate," according to the IIHS.
Depending on the trim level and options, this Wrangler is available with four headlight variants. The IIHS rated one of them as Marginal and the other three as Poor – the lowest possible score.
There are several requirements for a 2022 model year vehicle to receive the IIHS' Top Safety Pick Award. This includes getting a Good score in all six crash tests. An available front crash prevention system must have Advanced or Superior ratings in the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. An available headlight option needs to be Good or Acceptable.
Getting the more prestigious Top Safety Pick+ is even harder. The standard headlights need to have a Good or Acceptable score, in addition to all of the requirements for the other honor.
Starting with the 2023 model year, the IIHS is adding even more requirements to earn the TSP and TSP+ honors. The side impact test happens at a higher speed and with a heavier barrier. There's a new nighttime pedestrian crash prevention test. And, the vehicle's standard headlights need a Good or Acceptable score to be eligible for a Top Safety Pick award.
