People think bigger SUVs are safer, but that’s not always true. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested three big SUVs to see how safe they really are. The SUVs tested were the 2023-2024 Jeep Wagoneer, the 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, and the 2023-2024 Ford Expedition.
Out of the three, only the Jeep Wagoneer got a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS. But it didn’t get the “plus” title because it didn’t fully protect rear-seat passengers.
The President of IIHS, David Harkey, explained that while big SUVs can protect people in crashes with smaller cars, they can also be dangerous for others on the road. When big SUVs crash into something like a tree or barrier, there’s a lot of force that needs managing.
In the tests, the Chevy Tahoe did okay in protecting the driver during a crash on the driver’s side. But during a crash on the passenger’s side, there was a lot of damage to the footwell, which could cause serious leg injuries.
The Ford Expedition did worse in both tests. The steering wheel partly came off during the driver’s side crash test, and there was damage to the footwell on the passenger’s side too. Also, parts of the car that are supposed to stay together came apart in both tests.
Because big SUVs are often used to transport families, the IIHS also tested how safe they are for people sitting in the second row. All three SUVs showed risks for second-row passengers, with high forces from seatbelts that could cause chest injuries. The Ford Expedition was the only one with seatbelt pretensioners in the second row, but its side-curtain airbags didn’t work properly.
