{"id":135376,"date":"2026-03-25T22:56:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T01:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotive.einnews.com\/article\/901769302"},"modified":"2026-03-25T22:56:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T01:56:51","slug":"why-detroit-automakers-keep-missing-iihs-top-safety-pick-award-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/25\/why-detroit-automakers-keep-missing-iihs-top-safety-pick-award-status\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Detroit Automakers Keep Missing IIHS Top Safety Pick + Award Status"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UPDATE: March 25, 2026 <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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Added official statements from Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis regarding the IIHS awards.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The frosty relationship between Detroit automakers and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety hasn’t thawed, based on only four Detroit-brand vehicles winning Top Safety Pick awards from the non-profit organization that crash tests new vehicles as a way to improve road safety. That’s four out of a total of 63 vehicles awarded. And nothing from Detroit received the highest rating, the Top Safety Pick + award.<\/p>\n

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Topping the list is Mazda<\/a>, winning eight IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus awards, from the Mazda 3 hatchback and sedan to the CX-90 and CX-90 plug-in hybrid SUVs. Nearly the automaker’s entire US roster was recognized. And how about those Koreans? The Hyundai<\/a> brand earned seven, Genesis got five and Kia won four.<\/p>\n

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The Big Vehicles That Desperately Need Safety Ratings Are Finally Getting Some <\/a> <\/h5>\n

The IIHS is about to get its hands on heavy-duty trucks and vans.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

For 2026, only four vehicles from Detroit automakers \u2013 the Buick Enclave, Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Lincoln Nautilus \u2013 earned IIHS Top Safety Picks, and they still missed out on the Top Safety Pick +. It’s been several years since a Ford pickup<\/a> has earned an IIHS top safety award, but the Tesla Cybertruck is recognized this year. What’s going on here, and how should consumers read these results?<\/p>\n

Not earning this award doesn’t mean a particular vehicle or brand is unsafe, but it suggests some other vehicles are safer. Is engineering work being done in Detroit to make improvements? Or, do the automakers see a problem with IIHS testing methodology?<\/p>\n

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Jeeps, Dodge Not Tested <\/h2>\n
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2026 Jeep Cherokee. On-road. Motion. Rear, three-quarters<\/figcaption>Jeep<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Analysts say product cadence has a lot to do with the results because vehicles that launched several years ago do not always perform well, as the IIHS consistently ratchets up the crash test requirements from year to year. “The IIHS hasn\u2019t tested a number of the newer Stellantis models, including the Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wagoneer S, and Dodge Charger,” Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, tells CarBuzz<\/em>. “This leaves older designs where they haven\u2019t been upgraded for the moderate overlap test.”<\/p>\n

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“Quite a few of the models given Top Safety Pick awards have been significantly redesigned in recent years.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2013AutoForecast VP Sam Fiorani<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Fiorani says all automakers are reassessing their near-term plans, which will include updating a number of current models to extend their lifespan. “In these updates, they should focus on keeping them competitive into the next decade, and that will require reinforcing the areas around the engine to score higher on the moderate overlap tests. Improvements in lighting and crash avoidance are coming, but it\u2019s the less visible structural updates that are key to getting these vehicles into the good graces of the IIHS.”<\/p>\n

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