2001 Ford Escape

small SUV / 4-door SUV

2001 Ford Escape 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side
Side: original test with optional side airbags
Side: original test without optional side airbags

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 2001-04 models

Tested vehicle: 2001 Ford Escape XLS 4-door 4wd

The Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute were introduced in the 2001 model year.

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, plus roof rail and door sill buckling, indicate the driver's survival space wasn't maintained well.

The dummy's head hit the steering wheel through the airbag, producing a high head acceleration.

Footwell intrusion contributed to the likelihood of right lower leg injury.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0105
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 18
Left (cm) 27
Center (cm) 31
Right (cm) 22
Brake pedal (cm) 22
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 8
Right (cm) 6
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 4
Rearward (cm) 7
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 11

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0105
Head
HIC-15 550
Peak gs at hard contact 89
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.3
Extension bending moment (Nm) 36
Maximum Nij 0.51
Chest maximum compression (mm) 24
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 4.0
Femur force - right (kN) 4.7
Knee displacement - left (mm) 4
Knee displacement - right (mm) 6
Maximum tibia index - left 0.56
Maximum tibia index - right 1.13
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.9
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 9.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 61
Right 207

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2001-04 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Ford Escape XLT 4-door 4wd with optional front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags

The Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute were introduced in the 2001 model year.

Two tests of a 2003 Escape were conducted, one with an optional side airbag for the driver, and one without. A third test of an Escape, a 2005 model, was conducted because the side airbags were changed beginning with 2005 models to include protection for the rear passenger. These vehicles are rated separately, except that the injury and head protection ratings for the rear passenger are based on both tests of the 2003 models. Structural ratings for the three vehicles are based on all three tests.

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
In both tests of the 2003 model, the dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door. This pillar is required by federal standard to provide some protection for occupants' heads.

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

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbag 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 airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door and the shoulder belt anchorage cover.

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 CES0310
Head HIC-15 215
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.6
Compression (kN) 0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 49
Lateral force (kN) 1.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 42
Average deflection (mm) 39
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.00
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.93
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.3
Combined force (kN) 3.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 71
A-P moment (Nm) -20

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0310 CES0311
Head HIC-15 490 491
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.4 0.4
Compression (kN) 1.0 1.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46 46
Lateral force (kN) 1.9 1.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 41 43
Average deflection (mm) 31 33
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.00 3.79
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.69 0.70
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.6 1.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.0 2.8
Combined force (kN) 4.2 3.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3 0.3
L-M moment (Nm) 80 75
A-P moment (Nm) 13 13

Rating applies to 2001-07 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Ford Escape XLT 4-door 4wd without optional side 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 but reappeared the following year.

Two tests of a 2003 Escape were conducted, one with an optional side airbag for the driver, and one without. A third test of an Escape, a 2005 model, was conducted because the side airbags were changed beginning with 2005 models to include protection for the rear passenger. These vehicles are rated separately, except that the injury and head protection ratings for the rear passenger are based on both tests of the 2003 models. Structural ratings for the three vehicles are based on all three tests.

Note: These ratings and specifications do not apply to the hybrid (gas-electric) versions of the Escape and Mariner.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the intruding barrier, producing moderately high head injury measures.
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
In both tests of the 2003 model, the dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door. This pillar is required by federal standard to provide some protection for occupants' heads.

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

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

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head being hit by the intruding barrier.

Glass marks on the barrier show where the driver dummy's head hit the barrier.

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 CES0311
Head HIC-15 733
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.2
Compression (kN) 0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 65
Lateral force (kN) 4.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 57
Average deflection (mm) 48
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.64
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.57
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.7
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.8
Combined force (kN) 4.5
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 79
A-P moment (Nm) 24

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0310 CES0311
Head HIC-15 490 491
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.4 0.4
Compression (kN) 1.0 1.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46 46
Lateral force (kN) 1.9 1.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 41 43
Average deflection (mm) 31 33
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.00 3.79
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.69 0.70
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.6 1.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.0 2.8
Combined force (kN) 4.2 3.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3 0.3
L-M moment (Nm) 80 75
A-P moment (Nm) 13 13

About the original side crash test