NHTSA Complaint #10913764 — 2014 FORD TAURUS

WAS RIDING IN BACK SEAT OF THIS CAR WHEN IT WAS REAR ENDED BY A 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE. TAURUS WAS STOPPED ON HIGHWAY, AND HIT SQUARELY FROM BEHIND. BOTH BACK SEAT DRIVERS WERE SEVERELY BRUISED IN LOWER BACK BY LATCH BRACKET. THE IMPACT WAS NOT EXTREME. NO AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. I'D HATE TO BE IN BACK OF THAT CAR IF HIT AT FULL SPEED. IT WOULD SEEM LIKELY THAT THAT BRACKET WOULD PRODUCE SEVERE LOWER BACK/TAILBONE INJURIES IN A MAXIMUM SPEED REAR IMPACT. OF SECOND NOTE, I'M A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, I NOTED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE REAR BUMPER FRAME TUBE WAS VERY BRITTLE IN ITS FAILURE MODE. I'D HAVE THOUGHT THE METAL WOULD HAVE STRETCHED AND GIVEN MORE. IT SIMPLY FRACTURED AT THE BRACKETS TO THE FRAME AND SNAPPED IN HALF IN THE MIDDLE, ALLOWING THE TRUNK LID AND FENDERS TO TAKE THE BRUNT OF THE IMPACT.