2009 Ford Escape

small SUV / 4-door SUV

2009 Ford Escape 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2009-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2009 Ford Escape XLT 4-door 4wd

The Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute were introduced in the 2001 model year and structurally modified beginning with 2005 models to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes. The Mercury Mariner, introduced in the 2005 model year, also had the structural modifications. The Mazda Tribute skipped the 2007 model year, the Mercury Mariner was discontinued after the 2010 model year, and the Mazda Tribute was discontinued after the 2011 model year.

Beginning with 2009 models, frontal airbag, seat belt, and additional structural modifications were made to further improve occupant protection in frontal crashes. Also starting with 2009 models, these ratings and specifications (except weight) also apply to the hybrid (gas-electric) versions of the Escape, Mariner, and Tribute.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the B-pillar, roof rail, and head restraint during rebound. Head accelerations from these impacts were low.

Forces on the right foot were high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0816
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 6
Left (cm) 15
Center (cm) 17
Right (cm) 9
Brake pedal (cm) 10
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 0
Rearward (cm) -1
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0816
Head
HIC-15 124
Peak gs at hard contact 50
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm) 15
Maximum Nij 0.26
Chest maximum compression (mm) 29
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.8
Femur force - right (kN) 3.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 1
Knee displacement - right (mm) 3
Maximum tibia index - left 0.25
Maximum tibia index - right 0.69
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.7
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 84
Right 168

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2008-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2005 Ford Escape XLT 4-door 4wd with optional front and rear head curtain airbags and optional front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute were introduced in the 2001 model year, and the Mercury Mariner was introduced in 2005. The Mazda Tribute skipped the 2007 model year, reappeared for 2008, and was discontinued after the 2011 model year. The Mercury Mariner was discontinued after the 2010 model year.

Two tests of a 2003 Escape were conducted, one with an optional side airbag for the driver, and one without. The optional side airbags were then changed from combination front seat-mounted head and torso airbags to front and rear head curtain airbags for 2005 models built through August 2004. Beginning with 2005 and later Escape, Tribute, and Mariner models manufactured after August 2004, front seat-mounted torso airbags were added to the optional front and rear head curtains (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door). A third test of an Escape, a 2005 model with all of the airbag changes, was then conducted. Injury and head protection ratings are based on only the latest test, but structural ratings are based on all three tests.

Beginning with 2008 models of the Escape, Tribute, and Mariner, the side airbags were made standard. Note: starting with 2009 models, these ratings and specifications (except weight) also apply to the hybrid (gas-electric) versions of the Escape, Mariner, and Tribute.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0310 CES0311 CES0424
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -6.5 -7.5 -5.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0424
Head HIC-15 216
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.7
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 47
Lateral force (kN) 2.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 32
Average deflection (mm) 26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.45
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.47
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.2
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.8
Combined force (kN) 5.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.5
L-M moment (Nm) 52
A-P moment (Nm) 31

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0424
Head HIC-15 306
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.3
Compression (kN) 1.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 38
Lateral force (kN) 2.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 37
Average deflection (mm) 26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.54
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.49
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.7
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.4
Combined force (kN) 3.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.7
L-M moment (Nm) 66
A-P moment (Nm) 16

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2008-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2009 Ford Escape XLT 4-door 2wd

Curb weight from 2009 Ford Escape XLS 4-door 4wd. Rating does not apply to the hybrid (gas-electric) versions of these models. Rating of the hybrid versions is Poor.

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 3,476 lbs
Peak force 8,865 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 2.55

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual - power cloth seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual - power cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 26
Distance below top of head (mm) 36
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 7.3
Head contact time (ms) 90
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 36
Max neck tension (N) 563

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.