2012 Jeep Wrangler

midsize SUV / 2-door SUV

2012 Jeep Wrangler 2-door SUV
2008 Jeep Wrangler 2-door SUV shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Small overlap front: driver-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Head restraints & seats

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.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2007-17 models

Tested vehicle: 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sport 2-door 4wd

The Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for the 2007 model year. For the 2018 model year only, the Wrangler was renamed the Wrangler JK, because the JK was built concurrently through much of the same model year as the redesigned 2018 Wrangler. These ratings apply only to the 2007-17 Wrangler and 2018 Wrangler JK.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s movement was well controlled. The dummy’s head loaded the frontal airbag, which stayed in front of the dummy until rebound. However, the Wrangler is one of a handful of passenger vehicles still sold without standard side airbags to protect the head and chest from contact with side structure and outside objects.

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained reasonably well.

The dummy’s movement was well controlled. The dummy’s head loaded the frontal airbag, which stayed in front of the dummy until rebound. However, the vehicle lacks standard side airbags to protect the head and chest from contact with side structure and outside objects.

Intrusion of the instrument panel and footwell was sufficient to contribute to a high risk of injuries to the left knee, both thighs, and the left lower leg and a moderate risk of injury to the left foot.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEN1235
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 9
Footrest (cm) 17
Left toepan (cm) 16
Brake pedal (cm) 13
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 1
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 8
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 9
Upper dash (cm) 11
Lower instrument panel (cm) 9

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEN1235
Head
HIC-15 147
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.6
Extension bending moment (Nm) 15
Maximum Nij 0.29
Chest maximum compression (mm) 31
Femur (kN)
Left 13.0
Right 12.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 26
Right 2
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 70
Right 60
Maximum tibia index
Left 2.43
Right 0.61
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 2.1
Right 4.0
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 177
Right 103

How the driver-side small overlap front test is conducted

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2007-17 models

Tested vehicle: 2007 Jeep Wrangler X 2-door 4wd

The Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for the 2007 model year. A larger, heavier 4-door model was added for the first time, but the front ends of the 4-door and 2-door are very similar. For the 2018 model year only, the Wrangler was renamed the Wrangler JK, because the JK was built concurrently through much of the same model year as the redesigned 2018 Wrangler.

The Institute tested the 4-door Wrangler first, which received a Good overall frontal crash test rating. Therefore, frontal ratings for the 2-door are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Chrysler as part of frontal crash test verification. These ratings apply only to the 2007-17 Wrangler and 2018 Wrangler JK.

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 VTF0808
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 4
Left (cm) 6
Center (cm) 8
Right (cm) 8
Brake pedal (cm) 3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) -1
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) 0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF0808
Head
HIC-15 215
Peak gs at hard contact 76
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm) 40
Maximum Nij 0.33
Chest maximum compression (mm) 37
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 5.9
Femur force - right (kN) 1.7
Knee displacement - left (mm) 2
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.63
Maximum tibia index - right 0.55
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.4
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 76
Right 71

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2007-17 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 2-door 4wd without optional side airbags

The Jeep Wrangler was redesigned for the 2007 model year. For the 2018 model year only, the Wrangler was renamed the Wrangler JK, because the JK was built concurrently through much of the same model year as the redesigned 2018 Wrangler. These ratings apply only to the 2007-17 Wrangler and 2018 Wrangler JK.

During the crash, the driver door opened. This opening didn't significantly affect dummy movement during the test but shouldn't happen because, in some crashes, it could allow partial or complete occupant ejection, especially if the occupant is unbelted. This door opening resulted in a structure rating downgrade from good to acceptable.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Although the intruding barrier did not hit the dummy's head in this test, the head was not protected from contacts outside the vehicle. This indicates that only slightly different crash circumstances could produce a direct hit to a person's head.
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the diagonal steel tube supporting the convertible top. This impact did not produce high head injury measures, but the head protection is inadequate.

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test, showing the open driver door.

View of the vehicle after the crash with door removed, showing damage to the occupant compartment.

Although the dummy's head was not hit by the barrier, shattering glass from the side window left deep gouges on the top of the head.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the diagonal steel tube supporting the convertible top.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0822
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -15.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0822
Head HIC-15 121
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.5
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46
Lateral force (kN) 2.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 57
Average deflection (mm) 49
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 7.68
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.49
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.8
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.6
Combined force (kN) 6.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 76
A-P moment (Nm) 39

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0822
Head HIC-15 522
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.6
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 11
Lateral force (kN) 0.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 24
Average deflection (mm) 8
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 1.78
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.19
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.1
Combined force (kN) 2.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.8
L-M moment (Nm) 161
A-P moment (Nm) -90

How the side crash test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 46
Distance below top of head (mm) 66
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 12.0
Head contact time (ms) 94
Force rating 2
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 150
Max neck tension (N) 947

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