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2021 Ford Bronco Sport Rolls Down Hill Onto Roof, Driver Walks Away Unscathed

The temptation to drive off the beaten path is hard to resist. But when you’re inexperienced, and the off-road shenanigans happen at night on difficult trails near Rio Rancho, costly mistakes are bound to happen.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico 10 photos
Photo: Scott Parker via New Mexico Off-Road Recovery group on Facebook
2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico2021 Ford Bronco Sport rollover in New Mexico
Thomas Breneiser III did exactly that, rolling his Bronco Sport Outer Banks down a hill and surviving to tell the tale. The owner escaped unscathed from the rollover, and believe it or not, the all-wheel-drive crossover with a three-cylinder turbo engine runs and drives fine after taking such a huge beating.

Towed back up on the hilly trail by a Hummer H1, the Bronco Sport Outer Banks had its fluids checked and spark plugs cleaned before starting right up at first crank. The off-road rescue operation made a collateral victim in the guise of a valve stem, but happily for the owner, he had a spare on hand.

Nearly all exterior panels are damaged, a condition that won’t make the insurance company too happy. However, the takeaway from this unfortunate event is the structural integrity of all the A-/B-/C- pillars and the roof.

The reason for this rigidity comes in the guise of boron steel, a durable alloy that may pose a problem to hydraulic rescue tools. Also worthy of note, boron is used in the nuclear industry because of its high neutron absorption.

It’s also worth remembering the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety holds the Bronco Sport in high regard, awarding the Escape’s off-road cousin maximum points in all crashworthiness and crash avoidance tests. Even the Base trim level features the Co-Pilot360 suite of safety and driver-assist systems, including the likes of AEB and Pre-Collision Assist.

On that note, those interested in purchasing a Bronco Sport will have to pony up $26,820 excluding freight for the Base three-cylinder turbo. The one you want, however, is the Badlands four-cylinder turbo at $32,820.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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