Long before the Ford Motor Company launched the Bronco II as the mini-me version of the Bronco, the Dearborn-based automaker was aware of potential rollover issues. The stability index is considerably lower than the Chevrolet S-10 and slightly lower than the Jeep CJ-7, so low that FoMoCo had quietly eliminated certain maneuvers from the testing program.
The 2WD Bronco II was the worst offender, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety aware of 3.78 rollover fatalities per 10,000 vehicles in the period between 1986 and 1990 compared to 1.74 for the 4WD Bronco II and merely 1.11 for the Suzuki Samurai. As fate would have it, the Bronco is still with us today, whereas Suzuki had to pull out of the U.S. in the aftermath of the product defamation lawsuit versus Consumer Reports.
The sixth-generation Bronco is a different animal from the Bronco II and full-size Bronco, though. Twinned with the Ranger mid-size pickup truck, the mid-size sport utility vehicle is safer than all of its predecessors despite boasting off-road chops in every form. So safe, the Bronco in the photo gallery still looks structurally sound despite being rolled over “about 5 or 6 times” according to owner Joseph, a.k.a. Bronco6G member jgas5689.
Not to be confused with the unibody Bronco Sport, the body-on-frame Bronco was tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in December 2021. The nonprofit organization from Arlington, Virginia couldn’t give it the Top Safety Pick award because it failed one of the six crashworthiness evaluations and the headlights aren’t up to snuff either.
The Base four-door Bronco tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety was deemed “good” in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, original moderate overlap front, original side, updated side, and roof strength evaluations. The head restraints & seats evaluation concluded with an “acceptable” rating because the head restraints do not provide sufficient whiplash protection.
The LED reflectors with high-beam assist are “marginal” at best, with the IIHS noting inadequate visibility in certain driving scenarios. Although these results may not seem too encouraging at first glance, bear in mind the four-door Jeep Wrangler (a.k.a. JLU) fared much, much worse.
Not only did it roll over during the 40-mph (64-kph) driver-side small overlap front crash test, but it also received a "marginal” rating in the updated side-impact evaluation. Worse still, a certain headlight configuration received the IIHS’ poorest rating available, namely “poor.”
Owner Joseph didn’t mention where he rolled his Base two-door Bronco equipped with aftermarket wheels and tires. He did mention that “what’s next just makes me sick, but at least I’m still alive.” He is probably referring to the insurance company writing off the vehicle given that the repair bill most likely exceeds 50 percent of the vehicle’s value.
The sixth-generation Bronco is a different animal from the Bronco II and full-size Bronco, though. Twinned with the Ranger mid-size pickup truck, the mid-size sport utility vehicle is safer than all of its predecessors despite boasting off-road chops in every form. So safe, the Bronco in the photo gallery still looks structurally sound despite being rolled over “about 5 or 6 times” according to owner Joseph, a.k.a. Bronco6G member jgas5689.
Not to be confused with the unibody Bronco Sport, the body-on-frame Bronco was tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in December 2021. The nonprofit organization from Arlington, Virginia couldn’t give it the Top Safety Pick award because it failed one of the six crashworthiness evaluations and the headlights aren’t up to snuff either.
The Base four-door Bronco tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety was deemed “good” in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, original moderate overlap front, original side, updated side, and roof strength evaluations. The head restraints & seats evaluation concluded with an “acceptable” rating because the head restraints do not provide sufficient whiplash protection.
The LED reflectors with high-beam assist are “marginal” at best, with the IIHS noting inadequate visibility in certain driving scenarios. Although these results may not seem too encouraging at first glance, bear in mind the four-door Jeep Wrangler (a.k.a. JLU) fared much, much worse.
Not only did it roll over during the 40-mph (64-kph) driver-side small overlap front crash test, but it also received a "marginal” rating in the updated side-impact evaluation. Worse still, a certain headlight configuration received the IIHS’ poorest rating available, namely “poor.”
Owner Joseph didn’t mention where he rolled his Base two-door Bronco equipped with aftermarket wheels and tires. He did mention that “what’s next just makes me sick, but at least I’m still alive.” He is probably referring to the insurance company writing off the vehicle given that the repair bill most likely exceeds 50 percent of the vehicle’s value.