2026 GMC Canyon Safety Rating
Small pickups Β· Current IIHS listing Β· IIHS data updated 2026-09-04
The 2026 GMC Canyon scores 67.8/100, ranking #6 of 7 current small pickups and #124 of 137 vehicles overall with complete IIHS records. It does not hold a current IIHS award.
Results below Good: Moderate overlap front (updated test) rated Marginal, Headlights rated Acceptable. Rear-passenger restraints in the updated moderate-overlap test: Acceptable; rear-passenger head protection: Acceptable.
IIHS crash-test results
Detailed results by test (53 entries)
IIHS publishes these under the test they belong to, so the same label can appear more than once. Rear restraints and kinematics, rear head protection, structure and safety cage, and front restraints are the four that count toward the score (25%).
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Side: updated test
Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0
Front crash prevention: pedestrian
Seat belt reminders
Opens on iihs.org in a new tab
How the score is built
Full formula, weights, and missing-data rules β
NHTSA 5-star rating
2026 GMC CANYON PU/CC N/A 4WD
NHTSA stars are shown for reference and carry no weight in the score. NHTSA source. Why the two programs disagree β
Real-world context
| Measure | Result | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Class driver death rate | 30 per million registered vehicle-years | Small pickups as a class, adjusted for driver age and sex (Farmer, 2023); all vehicles average 38. Class context only. |
| GMC Canyon Crew Cab 4WD (2017-20) driver death rate | 5 (95% CI 0β14) | Earlier model years of this nameplate; class average for that study 28.0. Reflects who bought and drove those cars as well as the car. |
Compared with other small pickups
Closest-scoring current small pickups with complete IIHS records, plus the class leader. See every small pickup ranked β
| Vehicle | Class rank | IIHS award | Rear restraints | Starts at | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz | #1 of 7 | β | $29,750 | 81.2 | |
| 2026 Nissan Frontier | #3 of 7 | β | $33,550 | 74.8 | |
| 2026 Ford Maverick | #4 of 7 | β | $27,145 | 74.2 | |
| 2026 Toyota Tacoma | #5 of 7 | β | $34,205 | 72.8 | |
| 2026 GMC Canyon (this page) | #6 of 7 | β | $38,900 | 67.8 |
Our analysis
The 2026 GMC Canyon belongs to the Small pickups class. This class has a below-average driver death rate compared with the national average of 38 deaths per million registered vehicle-years. The class figure is adjusted for driver age and sex, which removes a large part of the selection effect in raw death rates. It is still a class average, not a measurement of this model.
The GMC Canyon has no IIHS Top Safety Pick award for 2026. That can mean a result below the award threshold in one test, or tests IIHS has not completed. Absence of an award is not evidence that the vehicle is unsafe.
Across the 5 IIHS rating categories reported, the GMC Canyon earned 3 Good ratings. Results below Good deserve attention, especially the updated frontal and side tests that IIHS toughened in 2022 and 2023. Our updated crash test analysis explains what changed.
This analysis is produced independently; we have no affiliation with GMC or any manufacturer. Read the full methodology or learn more about us.
Safety recalls for the 2026 GMC Canyon
No recalls on record. NHTSA lists this model year and currently shows no recall campaigns against it.
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Questions about the 2026 GMC Canyon
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Shopping for a family? Compare three-row vehicles and rear-seat evidence. Buying used? See real driver death rates by model.