Ford Expedition Rated Marginal In Updated IIHS Safety Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently updated its vehicle safety tests, and the results have been mixed for Ford. The 2023 Ford Escape didn’t fare very well, and neither did the 2023 Ford F-150 or the 2023 Ford Ranger. Meanwhile, the Ford Explorer earned the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award. Unfortunately the Ford Expedition did not perform as well as its smaller three row stablemate, as the SUV earned a mediocre rating in the updated safety test.

The latest IIHS test, which also examined the Jeep Wagoneer and Chevrolet Tahoe, found that the Ford Expedition did not hold up well on either side of the vehicle during impacts. In the driver’s side test, the vehicle’s steering column partially detached from the instrument panel, which could cause serious injury in a real-life wreck.

In both the driver’s side and passenger’s side tests, the A-pillar separated from the rocker panel, suggesting that the SUV has subpar structural integrity. Excessive intrusion into the footwell suggests that the driver and front passenger would be susceptible to leg injuries in the event of a crash. Moreover, the driver’s side curtain airbag did not deploy during any test.

Interestingly, the Expedition was the only vehicle with second row belt pretensioners in the study, but these did not mitigate injuries any more than the other two vehicles. Additionally, the study found that the rear dummy’s head struck the side curtain airbag with considerable force.

The Ford Expedition did perform well in the pedestrian crash avoidance evaluation, as the standard front crash prevention systems included in the SUV were able to avoid collisions in both daytime and nighttime scenarios. However, the Expedition headlights only earned a marginal rating – they “struggle to illuminate the road well enough on curves, and the low beams produce too much glare for oncoming drivers.”

“These discouraging results show that some popular vehicles still lag behind in meeting the most advanced safety standards,” said Raul Arbelaez, vice president of the IIHS Vehicle Research Center.

However, improvements are on the horizon for the Expedition, which is the oldest SUV among the trio. The 2025 Ford Expedition will bring a much-needed update to the SUV, including a refreshed exterior design and overhauled interior as evidenced in Ford Authority spy shots of a prototype.

We’ll have more on the Ford Expedition soon, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Expedition news, and for continuous Ford news coverage.