2021 Ford Explorer Safety Ratings

Safety Ratings for the Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer is a sturdy and well-designed SUV that can withstand any number of potentially hazardous scenarios. Don’t just take our word for it, though—check out what top organizations dedicated to safety have to say about the Explorer after putting it to the ultimate test.

There are two main organizations assessing automotive safety: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The IIHS rates safety with scores of either “Poor,” “Marginal,” “Acceptable,” or “Good.” You’ll want an SUV that earns as many “Good” ratings as possible. The 2021 Ford Explorer has earned the highest rating of “Good” in the following areas:

• Moderate overlap front
• Small overlap front—driver and passenger side
• Side
• Roof strength
• Head restraints and seats

Additionally, this SUV earned a score of “Superior” for both its standard and optional safety technology, resulting in the car achieving a 2021 TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating. The IIHS was suitably impressed by safety technologies that mitigate or even avoid frontal collisions with pedestrians or other cars (more on this in a bit). The official recognition of Explorer safety doesn’t end there, though.

The NHTSA, instead of “Poor” to “Good,” rates their vehicles on a 5-star rating system. The more stars throughout the various safety ratings, the better. Five stars have been earned in the following areas for the Explorer, leading to a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating:

• Front driver side
• Front passenger side
• Combined side barrier and pole ratings
• Side barrier—driver and rear passenger
• Overall side pole

In addition to these fantastic ratings, the 2021 Ford Explorer also earns a 4-star rollover rating. As you can see, the Explorer has earned quite the reputation among these organizations focused on vehicle safety. Security is the entire business of the IIHS and NHTSA, and earning their praise is no easy feat. These excellent crash ratings let you know that the Ford Explorer lives up to high standards.

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Ford Explorer Safety Features

The main way the 2021 Explorer has earned these top safety marks is through the standard Ford Co-Pilot360™ system. This is a collection of driver-assistive technologies that are designed to keep you safe from the unexpected. They work in the background to keep you protected while you focus on the road ahead.

The Ford Co-Pilot360™ suite of driver-assistive features includes the following protection technologies:

• BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert—keeps an eye on your side blind zones and lets you know when another vehicle is approaching to make it safer to change lanes. It’s essential when driving on busy highways and streets. The same sensors help you back out of a parking space by alerting you when another vehicle is approaching from the side.
• Lane-Keeping System—detects and warns you to unintentional lane drift and applies gentle steering corrections as needed to keep you firmly within your lane. If you end up losing focus, this feature will help make sure you avoid possible trouble. It’s also a good indicator of then it may be time to pull over for a rest.
• Automatic Emergency Braking with Pre-Collision Assist—alerts you to potential frontal collisions and applies the brakes if needed to aid in avoiding impact. The front sensors work to keep an eye out both for other cars in traffic as well as pedestrians. This helps to reduce the severity of impacts or even avoid them altogether, making it a must-have technology in crowded areas.
• Auto High Beam Headlamps—sense poor lighting conditions to automatically switch your high beams on. If another vehicle is approaching, it switches back to low beams so that no one’s view is interrupted. When you can see the road ahead and fellow drivers maintain their visibility, everyone’s a winner.

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More Safety Features

Ford Co-Pilot360™ is an intuitive collection, and there’s even more smart design at work outside of it. These features help supplement your drive with ways to keep you protected from unexpected occurrences out on the road.

• AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™—This helps the Explorer keep its footing and maintain control when the road shifts conditions with things like ice and rain.
• Reverse Sensing System—As you get closer to a curb, another car, or any other obstacle, you’ll get an audible warning. This lets you back into that great parking space confidently.

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Optional Safety in the Ford Explorer

For even greater protection, arm your 2021 Ford Explorer with the following advanced features:

Trailer Coverage	Adds onto the abilities of BLIS® by automatically accounting for the length of your trailer, so you can change lanes safely, even with a small hard-sided RV attached.
Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control	Maintains a set following speed between you and the car ahead, automatically stopping and slowing your SUV as traffic calls for.
Evasive Steering Assist	Provides extra steering support to help you avoid a collision with a vehicle ahead of you.
Hill Descent Control™	Maintains a set speed when descending a hill, so that you have a safe return to the ground.
Active Park Assist 2.0	Activates with the push of a button to automatically steer your vehicle into a parking space for you. You only need to control changing lanes and braking.