2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Safety Review [ 2008 ]
Ford Explorer Sport Trac Safety Review
Safety - 8.6 (Very Good)
The 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac boasts favorable crash test scores and a plentiful list of safety features. Ford says the 2007 model has been designed to meet all known safety requirements through 2010 -- which is probably why side-impact airbags for the front seat come standard.
Accident Avoidance
About.com says "the Sport Trac is one of the few pickups designed to avoid accidents with car-like aplomb. As a potential pickup buyer, that's something I'd like." The Sport Trac comes with plenty of accident avoidance features, and reviewers especially fawn over the standard electronic stability control system, which comes with rollover mitigation. MSN notes that Ford's AdvanceTrac with Advance Roll Control "doesn't just try to correct skids. It includes a gyroscopic roll-rate sensor that monitors the vehicle for rollover and works to try to avoid that situation, too." The Sport Trac also comes with anti-lock brakes and a tire-pressure monitoring system.
Forward visibility in the Sport Trac is quite good, while reviewers say rear visibility is somewhat flawed. Cars.com notes that "the tall tailgate restricts rear views; a rearview camera would be welcome," though one is not offered. And Autoweb notes a problem with the side mirrors, which "are an odd shape and seem a bit too small, but they're square which helps. The rear headrests intrude upon the view out of the back window."
Crash Protection
For crash protection, the Sport Trac features standard dual-front air bags, front side-seat air bags, side-seat air bags for second-row outboard passengers and side-impact door beams. Side-curtain air bags for both rows are an option that reviewers strongly urge buyers consider. They come as part of the optional Safety Canopy System, which uses advanced sensors to deploy the side curtain air bags. In certain side impact or rollover events, the system enables the air bags to stay inflated for a longer duration to provide enhanced head and shoulder protection.
In government crash tests, the 2007 model scored the highest ratings (five stars out of five) across the board -- for all occupant positions in both front and side crashes. The rollover rating for the two-wheel drive model, however, is less than perfect, with three stars out of five (though the rollover mitigation system should help). The rollover rating is much improved for the four-wheel-drive model, which boosts it to four stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the 2007 model a perfect rating of "good," for frontal offset tests. No side impact tests were performed by the agency.
