Certain midsize SUVs score poor rating on crash tests focused on rear passengers, new data shows

TAMPA, Fla. - New crash data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows certain midsize SUVs may not be as safe as once thought. The tests specifically focused on the safety of rear passengers and found that of the 13 vehicles tested six scored an overall poor rating.

Crash tests of the Ford Explorer, Subaru Ascent, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y all scored an overall good rating which was the highest, according to the latest data released Tuesday from the IIHS, but it wasn't the same for 9 other vehicles. The tests specifically focused on the safety of passengers in the second row in 40 mile per hour crashes. 

"The main thing is to have seat belts that have good geometry and can be placed on the bony structures of the body," IIHS Vehicle Research Center Vice President Raul Arbelaez said.

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The IIHS starting testing the 13 midsize SUVs after they say research showed that in vehicles with model years of 2007 and onward the risk of a fatal injury is 46% higher for belted occupants in the rear seat than in the front. Three of the vehicles: the Chevrolet Traverse, the Toyota Highlander and the Volkswagen Atlas fell short of an overall good rating and acceptable rating instead scoring a marginal rating.

The remaining six vehicles: the Honda Pilot, the Hyundai Palisade, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 4-door Jeep Wrangler, the Mazda CX-9 and the Nissan Murano all scored a poor overall rating.

"Going into this we knew that there would be a wide range of results. We didn't expect that quite so many would perform poorly," Arbelaez said.

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All the tests incorporated a dummy representing a small woman or 12-year-old child positioned in the second row behind the driver and focused on specific metrics that focus on the injuries most frequently seen in rear-seat occupants. For example, the Jeep Grand Cherokee's injury ratings scored poor when it comes to head and neck injuries and chest injuries.

"We have so many needless injuries and fatalities of car occupants in our country every year as a result of not wearing the seatbelt so that is the number one thing they can do to protect themselves," Arbelaez said.