Study: Most Mid-Size SUVs Lack Rear Passenger Protection

A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has revealed that most mid-size SUVs lack good protection for rear occupants in frontal crashes.

Related: Here’s Every Car That Earned an IIHS Top Safety Award for 2023

The agency’s latest findings come in the wake of it recently updating the moderate overlap front crash test to add a test dummy behind the driver. While the test still includes a front-seat-mounted dummy, the updated version is highlighting how important protection is for rear occupants: IIHS tested 13 mid-size SUVs and found that only four nameplates over three model years earned good ratings.

Good

• 2022-23 Ford Explorer
• 2021-23 Ford Mustang Mach-E
• 2022-23 Subaru Ascent
• 2022-23 Tesla Model Y

Marginal

• 2022-23 Chevrolet Traverse
• 2022-23 Toyota Highlander
• 2022-23 Volkswagen Atlas

Poor

• 2022 Honda Pilot
• 2022-23 Hyundai Palisade
• 2022-23 Jeep Grand Cherokee
• 2021-23 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited/four-door
• 2021-23 Mazda CX-9
• 2021-23 Nissan Murano

The findings are the result of enhanced measurements provided by a rear-mounted dummy that’s supposed to represent a small woman or 12-year-old child. To earn a good rating, measurements recorded by the second-row dummy’s sensors must not exceed the limits that show an excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or thigh. IIHS also examines video footage and paint on the dummy’s head to see if the vehicle’s seat belts prevent the head from hitting interior pieces, such as the front seatback, and that the dummy’s body does not slide forward underneath the seat belt.

In the marginal-rated vehicles, excess seat belt tension and movement of the belt itself were the two most prominent issues; both factors can increase the risk of chest and abdominal injuries. Meanwhile, the poor-rated vehicles had other problems: The head of the rear passenger in the Murano came close to hitting the front seatback, while the head of the rear passenger in the Grand Cherokee ended up between the airbag and the window after it deployed, which increased the risk of head injuries. The Wrangler’s poor rating was due to the lack of rear side curtain airbags and the seat belt moving from the dummy’s pelvis to its abdomen.

More From Cars.com:

• Revised Crash Test Highlights SUVs’ Lagging Rear Passenger Protection
• IIHS Small Overlap Front Crash Test Makes Impact, Study Shows 12% Reduction in Frontal Crash Fatalities
• Most Mid-Size Cars Falter in New IIHS Crash Test, Subaru Outback Endures
• Annoying or Lifesaving? IIHS Finds Seat Belt Reminders Insufficient in Most Pickup Trucks
• 10 Mid-Size SUVs Ace New IIHS Crash Test, Popular Models Fall Short

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