Jeep Wrangler Infected By Woke Mind Virus, Doesn't Roll Over As Easily Anymore
Safety regulations and wokeness ruin all the fun in the world. Concussed athletes can't compete anymore, you can't sexually harass your coworkers and get away with it, and now, the oh-so-American 2026 Jeep Wrangler doesn't roll over as easily in a crash. What is the world coming to? I'm old enough to remember a time when the Wrangler was generally regarded as a deathtrap, but that hasn't been the case since the TJ Wrangler was replaced by the JK generation with its woke anti-lock brakes, side airbags, and electronic stability control.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released new crash test results for the 2026 Jeep Wrangler four-door in the small-overlap front crash test last week, and it no longer tips over! When the IIHS put the 2019 Wrangler and then the facelifted 2022 Jeep Wrangler through the small-overlap crash test, both SUVs flipped onto their side after striking the barrier, which unsurprisingly hurt their overall scores. The 2026 Wrangler no longer tips over, but it still only managed to earn the IIHS's second-highest rating of Acceptable in the small-overlap crash test due to a high risk of injury to the passenger's right foot and leg in the passenger-side small overlap crash test.
Jeep tried to fix the tipping issue in 2022, but failed
We covered the first instance of the Wrangler's tipsy tendencies in the fateful year 2020, when Jeep claimed that the small-overlap crash test doesn't reflect real-world crash data. Regardless, Jeep got to work on addressing the issue, and had the IIHS re-test the Wrangler in 2022. Unfortunately for Jeep, though, the reworked 2022 Wrangler still tipped over onto its side after striking the barrier in the small overlap crash test.
Jeep tweaked the frame rail design on Wranglers and Gladiator pickups built after October of 2025, so now the two vehicles finally avoid tipping over in this crash test. And it only took seven years! New Wranglers and Gladiators also now feature side curtain airbags, which complement the seat-mounted side airbags and provide better protection for occupants regardless of the crash type. The 2021 Ford Bronco, the Wrangler's primary market competitor, earned the IIHS's highest rating of Good in the small overlap crash test.
No one crash test provides an accurate depiction of overall vehicle safety, and real-world scenarios see crashes occur with every possible combination of speed, overlap, and impact location, but the array of crash tests performed by the IIHS offer buyers a better understanding of vehicle safety.