2011 Ford Explorer

midsize SUV / 4-door SUV

2011 Ford Explorer 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Other available safety features

  • Optional blind spot detection

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2011-19 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd

The Ford Explorer was redesigned for the 2011 model year and now shares the same basic design as the Ford Flex. Frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Ford as part of frontal crash test verification.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTF1014
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 5
Left (cm) 8
Center (cm) 16
Right (cm) 14
Brake pedal (cm) 9
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 5
Right (cm) 5
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -1
Rearward (cm) 0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF1014
Head
HIC-15 261
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm) 8
Maximum Nij 0.25
Chest maximum compression (mm) 31
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.6
Femur force - right (kN) 3.0
Knee displacement - left (mm) 5
Knee displacement - right (mm) 2
Maximum tibia index - left 0.18
Maximum tibia index - right 0.60
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.0
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 1.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 65
Right 91

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2011-15 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd with standard head curtain airbags for all three rows of seats and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Ford Explorer was redesigned for the 2011 model year and now shares the same basic design as the Ford Flex. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Ford as part of side crash test verification.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTS1013
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -23.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTS1013
Head HIC-15 69
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0
Compression (kN) 0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 22
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 18
Average deflection (mm) 16
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.60
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.10
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.8
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.4
Combined force (kN) 2.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.2
L-M moment (Nm) 74
A-P moment (Nm) 23

Passenger injury measures

Test ID VTS1013
Head HIC-15 46
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.0
Compression (kN) 0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 23
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 17
Average deflection (mm) 14
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.40
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.18
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.2
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.7
Combined force (kN) 1.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.1
L-M moment (Nm) 56
A-P moment (Nm) 18

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2011-19 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Ford Explorer XLT 4-door 4wd

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 4,661 lbs
Peak force 21,347 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 4.58

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leather seat

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Power leather seat
Geometry
Backset (mm) 28
Distance below top of head (mm) 28
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 9.0
Head contact time (ms) 62
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 0
Max neck tension (N) 540

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.