PSA: Don't crash your Mustang

Kinja'd!!! by "Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
Published 01/25/2017 at 12:07

Tags: Ford ; Crash test ; Mustang ; Euro NCAP
STARS: 1


Because it only got two stars in its Euro NCAP crash testing.

Ford didn’t expect the car to be tested and therefore didn’t fit various safety items as standard. Which I suppose makes sense. If your car isn’t going to be tested why bother? Nobody will ever know.

Sniff Petrol have another version of events which sounds perfectly plausible.

Kinja'd!!!

I can see the tweet from the Great Leader:

“Mustang only failed because tests too hard. SAD. 50% tariff on all European built cars from tomorrow.”


Replies (18)

Kinja'd!!! "Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
01/25/2017 at 12:09, STARS: 1

It’s clearly so it does less damage to the pedestrians.

Kinja'd!!! "RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
01/25/2017 at 12:14, STARS: 4

But people are softer than concrete.

Kinja'd!!! "Probenja" (probenja)
01/25/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 0

The same can be said about the Murano, but that failed because the structure was weak, the IIHS is really falling behind on ratings:

http://www.latinncap.com/en/result/84/nissan-murano-+-7-airbags

Kinja'd!!! "Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7)
01/25/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 0

I don’t get it, wouldn’t the same problems with airbags and seat belts have been caught by the US dummies? Or are Euro NCAP dummies more sensitive?

The Sniff Petrol write-up was hilarious.

Kinja'd!!! "RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/25/2017 at 12:26, STARS: 0

It’s also possible that the pieces involved are marginal enough that there are safety device lemons lurking in the population while most are fine. Trouble being, how would you know?

Kinja'd!!! "RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
01/25/2017 at 12:27, STARS: 0

We’ll have to remind 4muddyfeet to have his dad conduct pedestrian-hunting carefully, as it’s one that’s passed the Atlantic and will have become suddenly unsafe.

Kinja'd!!! "E90M3" (e90m3)
01/25/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 1

I believe this is the answer:

The results in Europe highly contrast those in the US, where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Mustang the full five stars. Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said the more basic specification of European cars was the reason for this difference.

Kinja'd!!! "Probenja" (probenja)
01/25/2017 at 12:35, STARS: 0

That doesn’t make much sense... So the more “basic specification” has slower airbags? Why would they change the airbags for a different market?

Kinja'd!!! "TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
01/25/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0

Everyone is an equal crumple zone.

Kinja'd!!! "E90M3" (e90m3)
01/25/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0

Probably because they’re cheaper, if they can get away with it, they will.

Kinja'd!!! "kanadanmajava1" (kanadanmajava1)
01/25/2017 at 12:51, STARS: 0

The test protocol has differences. The list is quite long for US market test too, and the Euro NCAP test would lengthen the list quite a lot.

Here’s a comparison dating 2015 (with some others too):

Kinja'd!!!

Kinja'd!!! "BahamaTodd" (bahamatodd)
01/25/2017 at 13:29, STARS: 0

And that list includes IIHS - not the even more relaxed NHTSA federal crash standards.

Kinja'd!!! "BahamaTodd" (bahamatodd)
01/25/2017 at 13:33, STARS: 0

At least pedestrians now have a guide where to throw their body if you get hit.

Your best bet is to jump. If you get hit in the pelvis you’re screwed.

Kinja'd!!!

Kinja'd!!! "BahamaTodd" (bahamatodd)
01/25/2017 at 13:37, STARS: 0

Official video:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Kinja'd!!! "kanadanmajava1" (kanadanmajava1)
01/25/2017 at 13:41, STARS: 0

The list of mandatory tests in the European market is also a lot shorter:

Reg. 14 Seat belt anchorages
Reg. 16 Safety belts & restraints
Reg. 94 Frontal collision
Reg. 95 Lateral collision
Reg.13H/GTR 8 Electronic stability control (this isn’t a crash test though)
Reg.127/GTR 9 Pedestrian protection

Kinja'd!!! "Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
01/25/2017 at 13:47, STARS: 0

IIRC in the past airbags for American cars were designed for an unbelted human while European airbags were designed for people with their seatbelts on. Apparently when airbags hit the mass market lots of Americans believed that they didn’t need seatbelts anymore or something.

Kinja'd!!! "BahamaTodd" (bahamatodd)
01/25/2017 at 13:47, STARS: 0

The Euro NCAP press release includes the Volvo S90 and V90 which each got 5 stars. That’s just not fair.

http://www.euroncap.com/en/press-media/press-releases/latest-volvos-stunt-ford-s-mighty-mustang/

Kinja'd!!! "Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
01/25/2017 at 14:09, STARS: 0

That’ll teach Ford to sell Volvo!