Only Two Pickup Trucks Survived 2026 IIHS Crash Testing
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released its latest round of picks for 2026, and just two pickup trucks made the list.
Tesla’s Cybertruck and Toyota’s Tundra. Yes, really. No F-150, no Silverado, no Ram 1500.
The Cybertruck earned the IIHS’ highest designation, Top Safety Pick+, after Tesla made several engineering revisions to the truck beginning in April 2025. Early concerns about the truck's crashworthiness largely focused on its rigid stainless-steel exoskeleton and whether the structure could effectively manage crash energy without transferring too much force into the cabin.
According to IIHS testing, Tesla revised the front underbody structure and driver footwell area to improve occupant protection during small-overlap frontal crashes—one of the most severe tests because it bypasses most of the truck's primary crash structure.
The updated Cybertruck received “Good” ratings across all major crashworthiness categories, including driver-side and passenger-side small overlap tests, moderate overlap frontal impacts, and side-impact evaluations.
Where Tesla really separated itself was in crash avoidance technology. The Cybertruck’s standard Collision Avoidance Assist system scored top marks for both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian front crash prevention testing.
IIHS said the truck either mitigated or completely avoided collisions involving simulated pedestrians in both daytime and nighttime scenarios. The Cybertruck’s lone weak point came from its seat belt reminder system, which IIHS rated “Marginal” because the belt alerts aren't loud enough or long enough.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s Tundra secured a Top Safety Pick award, but just missed out on the “Plus” designation.
Toyota has spent the last several years refining the current-generation Tundra following its 2022 redesign, particularly around rear-seat occupant protection. For 2025 and 2026, engineers worked over the rear seat structures and seat belt systems specifically to improve passenger safety during frontal crashes.
Like the Tesla, the Tundra earned “Good” scores in all major physical crash tests, maintaining solid occupant survival space during front and side impacts. In some ways, it actually outperformed the Cybertruck. The Tundra received a top “Good” rating for its seat belt reminder system, an area where Toyota has historically been fairly aggressive with warnings.
The reason the Tundra missed the higher Top Safety Pick+ rating came down to two areas: nighttime pedestrian detection and headlights.
Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 performed well overall, but IIHS noted the system struggled slightly more during higher-speed nighttime pedestrian tests, resulting in an “Acceptable” rather than “Good” rating. Certain lower trims, specifically the SR and SR5, also use reflector-style LED headlights that offer less effective illumination on curves and introduce some glare issues.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, went over the wall during the Rolex 24, and wrenched in the intense IndyCar paddock.
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Doesn't get any safer than when you have a blown engine in your Tundra that you can no longer drive. 🤣
Michael Acardi the author wrote this in his next article, "
Toyota TundraThe current-generation Tundra has struggled with several high-profile issues since its launch.
Toyota replaced the old V8 with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 and introduced the hybrid i-Force Max setup for the latest Tundra. While performance improved significantly, reliability doesn't live up to Toyota’s usual standards. Consumer Reports currently gives the 2026 Tundra a predicted reliability score of 41 out of 100.
The truck has also been tied to multiple recalls, including ongoing concerns involving engine machining debris that could lead to catastrophic failures.