cadillac ct5 fails iihs side impact testThe 2026 Cadillac CT5 earned Poor ratings in two of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's key crash evaluations, including the group's updated side-impact test, a result that sits awkwardly beside the sedan's 5-star overall score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and reopens questions about what those federal stars actually capture.The primary trouble spot is the updated IIHS side-impact test, which uses a roughly 4,200-pound moving barrier shaped like a modern SUV striking the driver's side at about 37 mph. In that hit, the CT5's driver dummy slid down past the side curtain airbag and struck the window sill and door trim panel. According to IIHS, the test recorded a peak head load of 161 g and a HIC-15 of 1,282, values the group links to a high risk of severe head injury.IIHS also ran the refreshed CT5 through its updated moderate-overlap front test, again with weak results. Premium Luxury trims weighing between 3,663 and 3,802 pounds showed a moderate risk of chest injury and a likely head or neck injury for the rear-seat dummy, per the IIHS evaluation. As a result, the overall front rating dropped to Poor even though the front structure itself held up well.Cadillac Crashes Out Of IIHS Testing, Mazda and Subaru Get Gold StarsCadillac Crashes Out Of IIHS Testing, Mazda and Subaru Get Gold StarsThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just dropped its latest round of safety ratings for nine 2026 model-year vehicles, and the results are a mixed bag. While four models aced every test to lock down the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award, a few others-most notably the Cadillac CT5-failed spectacularly when subjected to the agency's toughest crash scenarios. The newest crash data shows a massive gap between the industry's safety leaders and those struggling to keep up with evolving standards.Albert GarciaAlbert GarciaIn the same side crash, however, the rear passenger dummy earned a Good rating for injury measures, indicating the back-seat side structure and airbags performed in that scenario. IIHS also recorded Poor ratings for the CT5's base headlights and its vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, so the sedan misses the group's Top Safety Pick awards entirely.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe gap between the two testing regimes explains how a 5-star federal car can post these marks. NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program focuses on a smaller set of standardized frontal, side, and rollover tests and converts them into a single star score. IIHS, in contrast, layers on newer, tougher scenarios with separate grades from Good down to Poor. That lets a sedan like the CT5 ace the federal tests yet struggle with SUV-style side impacts or rear-seat protection in more demanding evaluations.The Poor IIHS crash ratings, plus weak marks for automatic emergency braking and headlights, place the CT5 behind the best midsize sedans in detailed crash protection and crash avoidance, particularly against newer platforms engineered around the latest IIHS protocols from the outset.Results from the same updated side test sharpen the contrast. According to IIHS, the BMW 5 Series and the Toyota Corolla both kept the driver dummy's head on the curtain airbag and away from hard structures, earning Good ratings.