How Safe Is the 2026 Ford Bronco?

What Car Shoppers Need to Know

• The 2026 Ford Bronco falls short of an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety award.
• Most of its competitors also do not receive awards for 2026.
• The Bronco gets mixed scores in crash tests and safety evaluations.

The Ford Bronco appeals for its old-school looks and removable roof and doors, but mostly for its incredible off-road prowess. Safety isn’t the Bronco’s focus, however. In recent crash-testing performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Bronco posted mixed results — just like most of its off-road-oriented competition.

Related: Ford Makes Mid-Year Changes to 2026 Bronco: Here’s What’s New

IIHS performs three crash tests and evaluates vehicles for how well their headlights illuminate dark roads, as well as how well their forward collision warning systems help a vehicle avoid or mitigate crashes with both other vehicles and pedestrians.

Vehicles can earn two awards rated in categories on a scale of good, acceptable, marginal or poor from IIHS: Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. The lesser Top Safety Pick award requires a vehicle to score good in all three of the crash tests and earn at least an acceptable rating in the headlight and pedestrian avoidance tests. To earn a Top Safety Pick+, a vehicle also must get a good score in the pedestrian avoidance test and an acceptable score in the vehicle-to-vehicle collision avoidance test.

The Bronco didn’t earn either award. While it received good scores in two of the three crash tests, it got a marginal in the moderate overlap front test. Its headlights also scored marginal and so did its front crash prevention system’s ability to mitigate or prevent collisions with pedestrians. Its front crash prevention system scored acceptable in the vehicle-to-vehicle evaluation.

Note that in the tables below, slash values indicate split results across different equipment, “NT” means it was not tested, “I” means incomplete and “NA” means that category doesn’t apply.

2026 Ford Bronco Crash-Test Scores

Crashworthiness

IIHS conducts two frontal crash tests. The small overlap test recreates the forces involved when a vehicle traveling 40 mph leaves the road and hits a pole or tree. The test runs the subject vehicle into a rigid barrier that covers 25% of the width of the front end. The Bronco did well in this test with a good score.

The moderate overlap front test simulates a crash in which a vehicle crosses the road centerline and hits an oncoming vehicle head-on. This time, the subject vehicle hits a barrier that covers 40% of the front end’s width. A deformable honeycomb facing on the barrier recreates the forces in a crash in which both vehicles are traveling slightly under 40 mph. In this test, crash-test dummies are belted into the driver’s seat and the seat behind the driver. The Bronco received a marginal score in this test. While the driver fared well, the rear passenger sustained possible injuries to the head, neck and chest.

The side-impact test simulates a T-bone collision, wherein the subject vehicle is stationary and is hit by a sled traveling at 37 mph. The sled sits at the approximate height of a modern SUV and weighs about as much as one, as well. Dummies are belted into the same two positions as in the moderate front overlap test, and the vehicle is hit in the driver’s side. The Bronco earned a good rating in this test.

Crash Avoidance and Mitigation

To come up with its vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention rating, IIHS evaluates how quickly a vehicle detects and warns the driver of hazards, as well as how much it slows down or if it comes to a stop to mitigate a collision or prevent it completely. These tests are performed at multiple speeds, and the subject vehicle approaches three types of other vehicles: a car, a motorcycle and a semi trailer. The car and motorcycle tests are conducted with the obstacle vehicle placed in the center of the lane and with it offset to each side. The Bronco earned an acceptable score, as it did well against cars and semi trailers but didn’t sound timely warnings against motorcycles.

IIHS also conducts the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation at several speeds. It measures how well the subject vehicle can detect and avoid pedestrians in three situations: a child crossing the road during the day, an adult crossing the road at night and an adult walking along the road’s shoulder at night in the direction of travel. The tests are conducted with high beams on and off. Based on how much the Bronco slowed down and how quickly it issued a warning to the driver, the Bronco received a marginal rating.

Versus Competitors

Vehicles with the Bronco’s off-roading focus don’t tend to be overly safe. Among its competitors, only the Honda Passport qualifies for an IIHS award, and it earns the top Top Safety Pick+ honors. However, the Passport is meant mostly as daily transportation, and only its TrailSport trim is outfitted as an off-roader. The other rivals were developed from the start as off-roaders.

Read More on the Ford Bronco From Cars.com:

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• What’s the 2026 Ford Bronco’s MPG?
• Ford Custom Garage Creates New High-Performance, Dealer-Available Packages
• Off-Roading in a Two-Door Ford Bronco Is as Fun as You Think
• Breaking Down the 2026 Ford Bronco’s Towing Capacity

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