When the 2013 Escape was tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the small overlap protection, its structure did not hold up as it should and, thus, received a Poor rating.
The reason is that the upper door hinge pillar intruded into the driver’s space by 10 inches (25.4 cm), the dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding to the left and the steering column moved to the opposite side; measures taken indicated left hip injuries and possible lower leg ones.
Ford went on to improve the Escape for the 2017 MY and changes made to its structure, which include reinforcing the driver door hinge pillar and modifying the front-end structure, managed to change its rating from Poor to Acceptable in the IIHS’ challenging small overlap test.
Intrusion was reduced to 5 inches (12.7 cm) at the upper door hinge pillar, the dummy’s head hit the frontal airbag, even if it began to slide off due to the safety belt, and the side curtain airbag protected the head, leading to a lower risk of injuries.
While the small overlap front protection was noted as Acceptable, the Escape scored Good overall ratings in the other four crash worthiness tests, which include moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints and seats. The optional front crash prevention system was rated Basic, while the optional headlights scored an Acceptable rating.
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