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SAFETY | 6 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
Five stars, front impact protection
NHTSA
Four-door, "good" and "marginal"; two-door, "acceptable" and "marginal
IIHS
optional side airbags
Cars.com
Safety isn't the Wrangler's strongest point, as it has lackluster crash-test ratings and doesn't include the same level of standard equipment as some other SUVs.
The 2010 Jeep Wrangler scores five-star ratings for front and side impact protection. Two-wheel-drive models have four-star rollover protection, while four-wheel drivers have a three-star rating. Standard safety features include Hill Start Assist (HSA) to prevent rollback on graded surfaces and Trailer Sway Control (TSC), which monitors vehicle movement relative to the intended path and activates the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) if the trailer begins to sway outside set parameters. Anti-lock brakes and stability control are now standard, but side-impact airbags remain an option in a class where they're almost always now standard.
"Optional side airbags," says Cars.com, are placed in the seats, providing a higher level of safety than the 2010 Wranglers without these airbags. But to the point, they're optional at a time when side airbags are standard on virtually every other vehicle.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Wrangler Jeep two-doors receive “good” ratings for front-impact safety and “marginal” protection for side impacts; four-doors get “acceptable” front-impact ratings and “marginal” side-impact ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rates both two- and four-door Wranglers at five stars for front-impact protection. Side-impact data is unavailable from NHTSA.
Conclusion
The 2010 Jeep Wrangler has reasonably good occupant protection and some aids for off-road safety—but it sorely lacks standard side airbags.
