Jeep Solves Crash-Test Tipping Problem on 2026 Wrangler
What Car Shoppers Need to Know
- Jeep modified the four-door Wrangler to reduce the likelihood of tipping in certain frontal crashes.
- Wrangler has repeatedly tipped during Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests in recent years.
- 2026 Wrangler earns acceptable rating in IIHS small overlap crash test
The Jeep Wrangler has a problem, and it’s not that the Ford Bronco is eating into sales in a class it long had to itself: Rather, it’s tipped over during crash tests. It rolled onto its side the first time the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashed a current-generation model in 2019. Another one laid down when IIHS tested a 2022 model.
Related: 2025 Jeep Wrangler Review: It Can Go Everywhere, But It’s Not for Everyone
- ${price_badge()}
- ${ami_badge()}
- ${battery_badge()}${ev_report_link()}
- ${hot_car_badge()}
- ${award_badge()}
- ${cpo_badge()}
${price_badge_description}
${ami_badge_description}
The EV Battery Rating is based on this vehicle's current expected range relative to the vehicles expected range when new. ${battery_badge_text}
This vehicle is certified pre-owned, backed by a manufacturer warranty, and typically undergoes a rigorous multi-point inspection to ensure quality and reliability.
This vehicle is currently in high demand given its competitive price, desirable features, and overall condition, and may have a higher chance of selling quickly.
Shop the 2026 Jeep Wrangler near you
Now, Jeep has come up with a solution. Following modifications made to the frame rail, the 2026 Wrangler stayed on all four wheels in the most recent IIHS testing. A Jeep representative told Cars.com the frame rail is reinforced to deflect some of the forces that contributed to the rollover.
Crash Tests Explained
IIHS rates crash performance on a scale of poor, marginal, acceptable or good. After noting in previous tests that “partial rollover presents an additional injury risk beyond what the standard criteria are intended to measure,” the agency upgraded the modified Wrangler’s rating in this test from marginal to acceptable.
A good rating is required in this test for both IIHS occupant protection awards, Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. While the improved Wrangler kept its footing this time around, it was kept from the highest rating due to the acceptable rating and measurements taken from crash-test dummies indicating “a high risk of injury to the front passenger’s right foot and leg.”
The test in question is the small overlap frontal crash evaluation. In this test, meant to simulate a collision with a tree or roadside utility pole, a vehicle traveling at 40 mph strikes a rigid barrier that covers 25% of the vehicle’s width. The test is performed once on the driver’s side of the vehicle and once on the passenger side, with results combined into a single rating. The Wrangler scored the top rating, good, in IIHS’ other frontal crash test and the side impact evaluation.
Read More About the Jeep Wrangler on Cars.com:
- How Much Is the 2026 Jeep Wrangler?
- How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2025 Jeep Wrangler?
- Jeep Kicks Off Yearlong Wrangler Special-Edition Blitz With 2026 Moab 392
- Stellantis Discontinues Chrysler and Jeep Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles
- Add Cars.com as a Preferred Source on Google
Gladiator a Go, Too
Jeep instituted the change in the Wrangler’s design in vehicles built after October 2025. The modification also applies to Gladiator pickup trucks assembled in the same timeframe, and it also bumps up the Gladiator to an acceptable rating in the small front overlap test.
Related Video:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
