IIHS Made Crash Tests
Dramatically Harder

In 2022–2023, IIHS introduced tougher versions of two key crash tests. Many vehicles that scored "Good" on the old tests now score "Marginal" or "Poor" on the updated ones.

Sources: IIHS test protocols, NHTSA crash data, IIHS Status Reports

Written February 11, 2026 Updated July 25, 2026

🔬 Why IIHS Changed the Tests

Two major safety gaps drove the updates: heavier vehicles on the road, and under-protected rear passengers.

🚛 Vehicles Got Heavier

The average new vehicle weighs 4,300+ pounds in 2024, up from 3,200 lbs in the 1980s. SUVs and trucks now make up 78% of new car sales. The old side crash test used a 3,300 lb barrier — lighter than most vehicles on the road. Getting hit by a modern SUV is far more violent than the old test simulated.

👩 Women Were Invisible in Testing

For decades, crash tests used only a 50th-percentile male dummy — 5'9", 171 lbs. Women are 73% more likely to be seriously injured and 17% more likely to die in frontal crashes. The updated front test adds a 5th-percentile female dummy (4'11", 108 lbs) in the rear seat — finally checking if smaller occupants survive.

💥 Updated Side Test: 82% More Energy

Introduced in 2023. Simulates being T-boned by a modern SUV instead of a 1990s sedan.

Parameter	Old Test	Updated Test	Change
Barrier Weight	3,300 lbs	4,200 lbs	+27%
Impact Speed	31 mph	37 mph	+19%
Crash Energy	Baseline	1.82×	+82%
Barrier Height	Sedan-level	SUV-level	Higher impact point
B-Pillar Contact	Flat surface	Wraps around B-pillar	More intrusion

138

Scored Good

Scored Acceptable

Scored Marginal

Scored Poor

🧪 Updated Front Test: Back-Seat Lives Now Count

Introduced in 2022. Adds a small female-sized dummy in the rear seat to test back-seat passenger protection.

Parameter	Old Test	Updated Test
Front Dummy	50th-percentile male (5'9", 171 lbs)	Same
Rear Dummy	None	5th-percentile female (4'11", 108 lbs)
Rear Assessment	Not tested	Head, chest, neck, abdomen, thigh injury risk
Submarining Check	Not tested	Yes — checks if rear occupant slides under lap belt
Chest Index (2024)	N/A	New metric combining belt position + chest compression

Updated Moderate Overlap Front Test Results (139 vehicles tested)

Good (58%)

Acceptable (11%)

Marginal (19%)

Poor (13%)

42% of tested vehicles scored less than Good — this test is a major differentiator.

🔍 What Happened to My Car?

These 67 vehicles scored Marginal or Poor on at least one updated test. Many were previously considered among the safest vehicles on the road.

"—" means the vehicle hasn't been tested on that updated test yet.

Vehicle	Updated Front	Updated Side	Current Tier
2027 Honda Odyssey	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Lexus RX	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Audi Q4 e-tron	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Volkswagen Tiguan	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Subaru WRX	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2027 Honda CR V	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Buick Envista	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Chevrolet Trax	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Ram 1500	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Ford F 150	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Chevrolet Tahoe	Poor	Good	Provisional record
2026 Jeep Compass	Poor	Marginal	Complete evidence record
2026 Honda CR V	Poor	Good	Provisional record
2026 Honda Odyssey	Poor	Good	Provisional record
2026 Honda Ridgeline	Poor	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross	Poor	Poor	Provisional record
2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500	Poor	Acceptable	Complete evidence record
2026 Kia K5	Poor	Marginal	Provisional record
2026 Nissan Altima	Marginal	Poor	Complete evidence record
2025 Cadillac XT6	Poor	Poor	Provisional record
2025 Chevrolet Malibu	—	Poor	Provisional record
2026 Ford F 150 Lightning	Poor	—	Provisional record
2026 Cadillac CT5	Poor	Poor	Provisional record
2025 Ford F 150 Lightning	Poor	—	Provisional record
2026 Audi A3	Good	Marginal	Complete evidence record
2026 Ford Bronco	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Toyota Land Cruiser	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Toyota Crown Signia	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Toyota Corolla	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Toyota Highlander	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Toyota Sienna	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Ford Maverick	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Toyota 4Runner	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2026 Chrysler Pacifica	Marginal	Acceptable	Complete evidence record
2026 Subaru Crosstrek	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Subaru Impreza	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Toyota Tacoma	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Mercedes-Benz E Class	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2026 Toyota Sequoia	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Kia K4	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Kia EV6	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Ford Bronco Sport	Marginal	Acceptable	Complete evidence record
2026 Nissan Kicks	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Ford Escape	Good	Marginal	Provisional record
2026 GMC Canyon	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Audi Q8	Marginal	Good	Complete evidence record
2026 Chevrolet Colorado	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2026 Kia Carnival	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record
2026 Ford Ranger	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record
2026 Lexus Is	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record
2026 Kia Seltos	Acceptable	Marginal	Complete evidence record
2026 Volkswagen Taos	Marginal	Acceptable	Complete evidence record
2025 Mitsubishi Outlander	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2026 Lincoln Corsair	—	Marginal	Provisional record
2025 Jeep Wagoneer	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2025 Subaru Outback	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2025 Lexus ES 350	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record
2025 Nissan Ariya	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2026 Ford Expedition	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2025 Audi Q3	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record
2025 Subaru Legacy	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record
2025 Ford Bronco	Marginal	Good	Provisional record
2026 Lexus UX	Marginal	—	Provisional record
2026 Toyota RAV4	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record
2025 Nissan Sentra	Marginal	Acceptable	Provisional record

🟢 Why Some Vehicles Ace Both Tests

Vehicles that score "Good" on both updated tests have invested in true crash engineering: stronger B-pillars, rear-seat airbags, pretensioning rear seat belts, and load-limiting belt technology that reduces chest injuries for smaller occupants. These aren't cosmetic upgrades — they require fundamental redesign of the restraint system.

📊 How We Handle It in Our Rankings

We believe updated test scores are more meaningful than old ones. Here's what we do:

1. Prioritize Updated Scores

When a vehicle has an updated test score, that's what counts in our ranking. The old score is ignored.

2. Do Not Invent Missing Results

A ranking record needs every published primary and selected occupant-protection result required by the formula. A missing result is shown as incomplete instead of being treated as a pass on the harder test.

3. Rear-passenger evidence has a stated weight

Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics contribute 10% to our main score, or 20% in the optional rear-seat-priority view. That makes an Acceptable rear result visible in the score instead of hiding it behind an overall rating.

Bottom Line

If you're buying a new car and plan to carry rear passengers — especially children or smaller adults — check whether it scored "Good" on the updated moderate overlap front test. Many popular family vehicles fail this test.

Sources: IIHS Side Crash Test Protocol (2023 update), IIHS Moderate Overlap Front Test Protocol (2022 update), IIHS Status Reports, NHTSA crash statistics, University of Virginia Center for Applied Biomechanics.

IIHS Made Crash TestsDramatically Harder