Ford's Midsize SUV 2021 Bronco Fails To Qualify For Coveted Safety Award

Ford Motor Co’s (NYSE: F) four-door SUV 2021 Bronco has failed to secure a coveted safety award from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the industry-funded group said on Wednesday.

What Happened: The Dearborn, Michigan-based company fell short of securing the safety award as the mid-size SUV’s head restraints fail to provide good protection against whiplash injuries and its headlights provide inadequate illumination on curves.

Qualifying vehicles have to secure top ratings in six IIHS crashworthiness evaluations, including the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests. 

The Bronco secured good ratings for five out of six crashworthiness tests but received a lower rating in the head restraint test as the neck of the test dummy was subject to moderate force in a simulated rear-end crash.

See Also: Ford Reportedly Puts On Offer 'Favorite Bourbon Or Spirit' To Bronco Buyers Facing Delay

Why It Matters: Ford started delivering the Bronco this summer and, as of the end of November, had sold about 26,000 of the popular midsize SUV.

IIHS is seen among automakers as one of the top safety agencies to rate vehicles across different parameters.   

Price Action: Ford shares closed 0.70% higher at $20.19 a share on Wednesday.

Photo: Courtesy of Ford