Jeep Wrangler only musters four stars in ANCAP safety test

By David Zalstein | October 29th, 2012

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The Jeep Wrangler SUV has scored only four stars in the latest round of crash tests by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), falling short of a possible five.

The results, based on the two-door 3.6-litre V6 Jeep Wrangler, highlighted the fact that while the SUV provides dual front airbags for front seat passengers, chest and head-protecting side airbags – the latter required to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating – are an optional extra.

A rating of “poor” was also handed down for the Wrangler’s level of pedestrian protection.

With the Jeep Wrangler first being introduced into Australia in 2007, ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh stressed the need for consumers to look at safer, more modern cars.

“There are now many SUVs which have been awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating. Consumers should make sure they make a five-star choice when buying their next car.”

Just last week the Holden Colorado 7 and all-new Honda CR-V were among a list of cars that received the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

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TG

Nothing unusual to see here for an American piece of garbage.
- tiddy
  
  Exactly why is it a piece of garbage, because it did’nt get 5 stars?
- Amlohac
  
  Clearly you’ve never even driven one. But thats never stopped people from being entitled to wild generalisations.
  
  FYI, Grand Cherokee has one pleanty of awards, and continues to sell very strongly and it is rated only 4 stars.
  
  The Wrangler is considered to be one of the best off road vehicles in the market, and has also raked in a few awards.
  
  Personally I wouldnt buy one, but only because its full capabilities would be wasted on me. However if i was more into the off road thing, this would be very very high on my list.
  - Blah
    
    “Holden Colorado 7 and all-new Honda CR-V”
    Can not go were a wrangler can.
    
    MY13 wrangler which you can buy now has side airbags.
- kiran
  
  it is a piece of garbage isn’t it
- Kris
  
  Given the current Audi Q7 and Jaguar XF both achieve 4 stars, are they German and British garbage too?
- Jeepstergirl
  
  Well well well 80% of the cars on the Australian do not comply are they garbage
  
  The Toyota 70 series doesnt have a 5 star either, so using TG’s logic, it must be a Japanese piece of garbage. !!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Given the current Audi Q7 and Jaguar XF both achieve 4 stars, are they German and British garbage too? !!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  A good result given it has a ladder frame chassis.
  
  A dam good result given that this vehicle can be driven from the showroom floor and tackle the Rubicon Trail UNMODIFIED !! check out the web site Oh YES there so bad the various state Police departments purchased them
Amlohac

“A rating of “poor” was also handed down for the Wrangler’s level of pedestrian protection”

Well to be honest, it is shaped like a box and more often than not has a bullbar or some kind. Not terribly supprised.
- Darryl
  
  Don’t see any pedestrians in the photo’s either.
- matt
  
  and any pedestrian is near a road why? pointless rating, if your gunna get hit by a car expect it to hurt, full stop, likewise those lycra wrapped cyclists
  - Amlohac
    
    Its a wrangler, they were probably bush walking
Peanut

I want to take all these cars that got a 5 star rating and drive them through a creek and along a muddy fire trial and see how they rate.
Dave W

This ANCAP safety rating doesn’t make sense to me. For example;

“A rating of “poor” was also handed down for the Wrangler’s level of pedestrian protection.”

How safe can the pedestrians be when you got 2 tonnes worth of steel hurtling towards them? Heck, even a tiny Swift can still kill pedestrians. How about you tell those pedestrians to use their effing brains and stay the hell away from the road? Maybe then cars can travel at the speed they were meant to.

Not only that, ANCAP gives cars with poor rear visibility such as the Megane RS, CR-Z, Veloster, etc. 5 stars because they come with a slew of safety system. Shouldn’t rear visibility count towards the safety rating of a vehicle?
- Amlohac
  
  Its to do with low speed colisions, one where a person might survive under normal cirumstances. The jeep has lots of little protrusions etc that would cause injury beyond what ANCAP deems “reasonable”.
  
  What I dont understand is the weighting they give towards pedestiran saftey, it has a huge bearing on overall score.
  - Dave W
    
    Well then it should’ve been given 6 stars!! We need those protrusions to fend off them cyclists among other things. ;-P
    
    Just another rule to protect the stupids. Have you ever driven through the CBD in the weekend, especially at night? The half drunks MMA fighter wannabes acting tough crossing the road whenever and however they like? They can impale themselves on my Jeep’s protrusions for all I care.
tiddy

The Toyota 70 series doesnt have a 5 star either, so using TG’s logic, it must be a Japanese piece of garbage.

A Like
Reply
jr

Guess what , no potential Wrangler buyer could care less.
- Waggaclint
  
  Exactly most people that buy a wrangler get them for there off-road ability not there ANCAP racting….
Horsie

i had a old jeep when i lived in Canada about 10 years ago. I thought there was somthing wrong with it because it would not hold a straight line. it drifts from side to side needing constant small steering corrections.
I drove a new Wrangler a couple of months ago and low and behold, it felt exactly the same as the 20 year old bomb i was driving in canada.
totally unsafe as a highway car, and all the airbags in the world is not going to fix that.
- Philip
  
  Yes but you’re from canada, and all the air bags in the world are not going to fix that.
  - horsie
    
    Very funny , read my post moron
- Stumpy
  
  Have had a JK for 4years and have never experience what you are describing, never had a break down or breakage and we have offroaded and done our share of paved and unpaved driving.
  
  You saying they are totally unsafe is just a bald face lie.
Unidexter Hopping

A good result given it has a ladder frame chassis. I’d like one but diesels are in short supply, the petrol manages 16ltrs per 100kms in the city unfortunately. If Jeep can sort out diesel availability ANZ improve quality and reliability this is a compelling offroader.
- Amlohac
  
  The diesels are in short supply as the factory burst into flames. Doesnt help the supply chain a whole lot when all your diesel stock is a bit burnt.
  
  I hear as of next year the Rubicon will come in diesel? This is good news!
save it for the track

Isn’t there an advertising campaign (govt funded) along teh line of ‘get a four star car or better’ ?? Now this ANCAP bloke is saying get a 5 star. Given they are now including factors other than how well the car protects its occupants (like a pedestrian rating) in a crash, one really needs to look at the actual test result to see how a particular vehicle does in the testing. By including these new factors and changing it over time, I think they are diluting the meaning and significance of the ANCAP rating system. There have already been cases of vehicles getting 5 stars in EuroNCAP and only 4 in ANCAP and vice-versa.
.
Currently it seems that there really is not too much difference between a 4 and a 5, with the only real vehicles to stay clear of being 3 and below. (on current rating systems)
jeery

How the hell did it even get four stars ?
- Amlohac
  
  In a crash test, performed by ANCAP. Didnt you read the article? Geeeeeeeez…….
Crackles69

i have a jeep grand and i love it owned it for 4 years never gave me any trouble i have driven it in the heart of melbourne and up in the bush were i live and i love the machine
Jerry14

Anyone that follows the industry closely would know that Wranglers actually have a pretty good reputation for reliability and their new cheif, Fiat/Chryslers Marchionne has really put the Wrangler through it’s paces in the 2011 and 2012 models. Not only did an engine/gearbox/interior update follow, but so did build quality and handling. This is certainly a much more complete model than it was 3 years ago.

You make a lot of compromises when you buy a serious offroader, but the Wrangler had character and offroading ability in spades. And actually my 2012 wrangler 2 door is a pretty comfortable cruiser as well (so long as it’s not too windy lol)
Jerry14

Anyone that follows the industry closely would know that Wranglers actually have a pretty good reputation for reliability and their new cheif, Fiat/Chryslers Marchionne has really put the Wrangler through it’s paces in the 2011 and 2012 models. Not only did an engine/gearbox/interior update follow, but so did build quality and handling. This is certainly a much more complete model than it was 3 years ago.

You make a lot of compromises when you buy a serious offroader, but the Wrangler had character and offroading ability in spades. And actually my 2012 wrangler 2 door is a pretty comfortable cruiser as well (so long as it’s not too windy lol)