If you drive a Wrangler, you probably don’t think much about safety ratings. Why should you? You probably bought it to go off-roading in, and that lifestyle doesn’t revolve around sitting quietly in traffic. 

Still, the question remains, should Wrangler lovers be concerned about the rather low safety scores? There are other SUVs out there with better ratings, so should they choose something with less risks? MotorTrend took a look at the safety scores the Wrangler received and broke down the info. Here’s the down-low on what they reported, and how it might affect the Wrangler’s future. 

The Jeep Wrangler’s European safety results

So why are we looking at European scores? Well, as it turns out, there isn’t much to go on yet from American test sites. So let’s take a quick peek at what Europe has to say.

The results aren’t that great, unfortunately. Wrangler fans may be shaking their fists, but just hang on. It’s not all bad. 

According to MotorTrend,

“Euro NCAP tested both full-frontal and partial offset front crashes and gave the Wrangler a combined score of 50 percent. This reflected a full-frontal score of 5.7 out of 8 possible points, a partial overlap score of 3.9 out of 8 points, and a side impact score of 8 out of 16 points (a side-impact pole test, which simulates sliding into a tree or telephone pole, was not performed).”

Like many things, testing in Europe is different from crash tests performed in America, so let’s take a deeper look. One of the biggest differences is that Europe performs a pedestrian impact test. This is simply to see how badly a person would be injured if they were struck by the vehicle.

NHTSA and IIHS reports on the Wrangler

Just as we refuse to use the metric system — for the most part at least — we also refuse to simply accept Europe’s test results. Our nation was founded by rebels, and in many ways, this tradition still runs strong in the American culture.

That’s why we have the NHTSA and the IIHS to test vehicles that are being sold in the US. Or, that’s what usually happens anyway. In this case, some tests were performed while others were not.

The NHTSA gave the 2020 Jeep Wrangler 4 out of 5 stars for a frontal crash. For the rollover test, the Wrangler received 3 out of 5 stars. For reasons that have not been explained, the NHTSA did not perform a side crash test.

Perhaps it’s because most Wrangler drivers aren’t going to be T-boned by a tree while going off-road, but there are plenty of drivers who use their Wrangler for their daily commute, and this could be an issue.

The IIHS doesn’t have much more information. In fact, the IIHS doesn’t have any information at all regarding the Wranger’s safety scores. 

Consumer verdict 

With all the negative test results, you might think drivers would steer clear of the Wrangler, especially given the latest safety craze sweeping the nation, but you’d be wrong. It’s a Wrangler, after all. While many Jeep vehicles have come and gone, the Wrangler has remained strong.

Its fan base is more loyal than NASCAR fans, and when you buy a Wrangler, you get adopted into the Jeep family. If you’re not sure what that means, just try test-driving a Wrangler, and see how many other Wrangler drivers wave at you.

It’s not just a vehicle, it’s a culture. That’s why consumers are going to buy a Wrangler no matter what the safety reports say. After all, it’s not about being safe in a Wrangler. It’s about going off-road, and seeing scenery you’ll never spot in a city park.