only two pickup trucks survived 2026 iihs crash testingThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released its latest round of picks for 2026, and just two pickup trucks made the list.Tesla's Cybertruck and Toyota's Tundra. Yes, really. No F-150, no Silverado, no Ram 1500.The Cybertruck earned the IIHS' highest designation, Top Safety Pick+, after Tesla made several engineering revisions to the truck beginning in April 2025. Early concerns about the truck's crashworthiness largely focused on its rigid stainless-steel exoskeleton and whether the structure could effectively manage crash energy without transferring too much force into the cabin.AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to IIHS testing, Tesla revised the front underbody structure and driver footwell area to improve occupant protection during small-overlap frontal crashes-one of the most severe tests because it bypasses most of the truck's primary crash structure.The updated Cybertruck received "Good" ratings across all major crashworthiness categories, including driver-side and passenger-side small overlap tests, moderate overlap frontal impacts, and side-impact evaluations.Where Tesla really separated itself was in crash avoidance technology. The Cybertruck's standard Collision Avoidance Assist system scored top marks for both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian front crash prevention testing.IIHS said the truck either mitigated or completely avoided collisions involving simulated pedestrians in both daytime and nighttime scenarios. The Cybertruck's lone weak point came from its seat belt reminder system, which IIHS rated "Marginal" because the belt alerts aren't loud enough or long enough.Meanwhile, Toyota's Tundra secured a Top Safety Pick award, but just missed out on the "Plus" designation.AdvertisementAdvertisementToyota has spent the last several years refining the current-generation Tundra following its 2022 redesign, particularly around rear-seat occupant protection. For 2025 and 2026, engineers worked over the rear seat structures and seat belt systems specifically to improve passenger safety during frontal crashes.Like the Tesla, the Tundra earned "Good" scores in all major physical crash tests, maintaining solid occupant survival space during front and side impacts. In some ways, it actually outperformed the Cybertruck. The Tundra received a top "Good" rating for its seat belt reminder system, an area where Toyota has historically been fairly aggressive with warnings.The reason the Tundra missed the higher Top Safety Pick+ rating came down to two areas: nighttime pedestrian detection and headlights.Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 performed well overall, but IIHS noted the system struggled slightly more during higher-speed nighttime pedestrian tests, resulting in an "Acceptable" rather than "Good" rating. Certain lower trims, specifically the SR and SR5, also use reflector-style LED headlights that offer less effective illumination on curves and introduce some glare issues.Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.