How safe is the Ford Expedition Max?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Ford Expedition Max died at a rate of 32 per million registered vehicle years, 12% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it riskier than most vehicles for its driver: it ranks 85th of 129 vehicles, safer than 34% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Ford Expedition Max sits among all 129 vehicles
Ford Expedition Max (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on a moderate amount of data, so treat small differences from nearby vehicles with caution.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Expedition Max 2WD | 28 | 0–56 |
| Ford Expedition Max 4WD | 35 | 8–63 |
Vehicles ranked near the Ford Expedition Max
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | Subaru ForesterSUV · Small | 29 | 37 |
| 83 | Honda Civic hatchbackCar · Small | 28 | 36 |
| 84 | Buick EnvisionLuxury SUV · Midsize | 29 | 35 |
| 85 | Ford Expedition MaxSUV · Very large | 32 | 34 |
| 86 | Ram 1500 QuadPickup · Large | 33 | 33 |
| 87 | Chevrolet TrailblazerSUV · Small | 33 | 33 |
| 88 | Toyota Venza hybrid 4WDSUV · Small | 33 | 32 |
How it compares with other SUVs
Among the 46 SUVs ranked, the Ford Expedition Max is 33rd. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.
| SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Tahoe 4WDSUV · Large | 0 | 100 |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WDSUV · Small | 5 | 96 |
| 3 | Volkswagen AtlasSUV · Midsize | 6 | 95 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WDSUV · Very large | 6 | 94 |
| 5 | Ford Escape hybridSUV · Small | 7 | 91 |
| 33 | Ford Expedition MaxSUV · Very large | 32 | 34 |
Common questions
Is the Ford Expedition Max a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Ford Expedition Max is riskier than most vehicles for its driver. Its driver death rate of 32 per million registered vehicle years is 12% lower than the average, and it ranks 85th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Ford Expedition Max compare with other SUVs?
It ranks 33rd of 46 SUVs. The safest is the Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Ford Expedition Max safer?
The 2WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 28, 4WD: 35). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the Ford Expedition Max's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.