For years, the Jeep Wrangler has occupied a rare place in the automotive world – part icon, part warrior.
It remains one of the most recognizable and capable off-road vehicles for sale, with rock-crawling chops straight from the factory and a price that, in many trims, keeps that capability within reach of ordinary buyers, especially if you buy one used.
But for all its charm and trail-ready cred, the Wrangler has long carried a reputation not just for being a mudder but for its crash performance, or lack thereof.
Why Wranglers of old rolled over in crashes
Its tall stance, relatively narrow track, and off-road-focused proportions have made it more susceptible than the average SUV to tipping in certain crash scenarios, a problem the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a lot of owners and journalists have repeatedly pointed out.
Watching older crash-test footage only reinforced the concern. In videos from as recently as 2022, the Wrangler could be seen flipping over during the driver-side small overlap crash test, an alarming result for such a popular vehicle.
Now, finally, there is progress.
According to the IIHS, the 2026 Jeep Wrangler four-door remained upright during the driver-side small overlap crash test, resolving what the agency described as a longstanding issue.
Boring but important
The improvement came after Jeep revised the frame rail, a relatively targeted structural change that nonetheless appears to have made a significant difference in this specific crash mode. As the IIHS put it, “Wranglers built after October 2025 now earn an acceptable small overlap rating, combining the results of both the driver-side and passenger-side tests.”
The rollover problem was first flagged in 2019 and resurfaced again in 2022 despite earlier attempts at improvement. Tall SUVs with shorter wheelbases often face these kinds of challenges, but the Wrangler’s reputation for tipping has remained especially persistent.
That image was only strengthened when federal safety officials pegged the tip-over risk at roughly 26.7 percent shortly after the current generation arrived, a figure higher than that of many conventional SUVs.
Jeep says the key fix was reinforcement to the frame rail. According to a company spokesperson, that added structure works as a deflector when the wheel and tire engage during this particular kind of crash, helping support a more effective impact strategy and preventing the dramatic rollover behavior seen before.
But the Wrangler is not perfect now. IIHS testing still found a high risk of injury to the front passenger’s right foot and leg in small overlap testing, so there is more work to do. Still, this is real progress, and it extends to other trims in the company’s lineup, all to the good.
Jeep says the Gladiator has received the same updated frame rail, meaning the pickup cousin also reaches an acceptable rating for the 2026 model year. For two vehicles that have spent years in crash-test limbo, that’s big news.
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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