In recent evaluations, the 2025 Tesla Cybertruck and Model 3 did not secure the coveted Top Safety Pick+ or Top Safety Pick designations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This outcome stems from a range of performance ratings including Acceptable, Marginal, and even Poor across various safety categories. While some aspects of both vehicles demonstrated strong performance, critical areas did not meet the stringent criteria set by the IIHS, preventing them from achieving the highest safety accolades. This news emphasizes the ongoing challenges even advanced electric vehicles face in consistently excelling across all facets of automotive safety assessment.
The Tesla Cybertruck, a highly anticipated electric pickup, demonstrated commendable performance in several key safety tests. It earned \"Good\" ratings in the updated moderate overlap front crash test and for its front crash prevention system, specifically concerning pedestrian detection. However, the vehicle's overall safety evaluation was hampered by an \"Acceptable\" score for its Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system's ease of use, indicating potential difficulties in correctly installing child safety seats. Furthermore, the Cybertruck received a \"Marginal\" rating for its seatbelt reminders and a \"Poor\" rating for its headlights, a critical component in crash avoidance and mitigation.
The IIHS detailed specific concerns regarding the Cybertruck's headlights. While equipped with high-beam assist, the system lacks curve-adaptation, which can limit visibility on winding roads. The low beams provided satisfactory visibility on straight sections of the road but generated excessive glare. For curves, the low beams were rated \"Good\" on sharp left and both right curves but only \"Fair\" on gradual left curves. The high beams, according to the IIHS, offered good visibility on the right side of straightaways and fair visibility on the left, with excellent performance on all four curve tests, compensating somewhat for the low beams' limitations on gradual left curves.
Similarly, the Tesla Model 3, a popular electric sedan, also experienced mixed results in its IIHS safety assessments. The Model 3 achieved \"Good\" ratings for its side crashworthiness, as well as its front crash prevention systems for both vehicles and pedestrians. However, its moderate overlap front crash test performance and the ease of use of its LATCH system were rated as \"Acceptable.\" The sedan's seatbelt reminders also received a \"Marginal\" score, contributing to its inability to secure a Top Safety Pick award.
Despite these shortcomings for Tesla, it's worth noting that other electric vehicles have faced even more significant challenges in recent IIHS evaluations. For instance, the 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning received an overall \"Poor\" rating in the moderate overlap front crashworthiness test. This poor score was primarily due to deficiencies in subcategories such as chest and rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics. The IIHS explicitly stated that measurements from the rear dummy indicated a high risk of chest, head, or neck injuries, and that the rear lap belt moved from its ideal position, increasing the potential for internal injuries. This context suggests that while Tesla has areas for improvement, some competitors are struggling with more fundamental aspects of crash safety.
Ultimately, the IIHS evaluations underscore that achieving the highest safety ratings requires comprehensive excellence across all tested categories. While modern vehicles generally offer robust front-seat crash protection, the differentiation now often lies in areas like rear-seat safety performance and advanced features such as headlight effectiveness, which the IIHS began testing more rigorously in 2022. Both the Cybertruck and Model 3 demonstrate strengths in certain areas but also highlight specific components that need refinement to meet the evolving and increasingly stringent safety standards. This ongoing assessment by independent organizations like the IIHS is crucial for pushing automotive manufacturers to continuously enhance vehicle safety.