The Tesla Cybertruck has reached a major milestone in vehicle safety, becoming the only pickup truck to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ designation in the organization’s final safety ratings for 2025.
IIHS evaluated 20 newly tested vehicles in its year-end update, awarding safety honours to 16 models across multiple segments. While several electric SUVs and sedans earned top marks, the Cybertruck was the only pickup to meet the requirements for the highest-tier award, alongside the Toyota Tundra, which earned the award earlier this year but scored lower overall.
To qualify for Top Safety Pick+, vehicles must earn “Good” ratings in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, both small overlap front crash tests, and the revised side-impact evaluation. They must also score at least “Acceptable” in pedestrian crash prevention and headlight performance.
The Cybertruck cleared every one of those hurdles, earning “Good” ratings across all major crashworthiness categories, and for its headlights.
Pickup trucks often face challenges in IIHS testing due to their size, weight distribution, and higher ride height, which can complicate crash energy management and pedestrian safety. Those challenges were evident again this year, as several well-known gas-powered pickups failed to qualify for either IIHS safety award.
Against that backdrop, the Cybertruck’s performance is particularly notable, highlighting how its structural approach differs from traditional body-on-frame trucks.
Tesla made targeted mid-year changes to the Cybertruck’s front underbody and footwell structure to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes. Those updates proved decisive, allowing the stainless-steel pickup to meet IIHS’s toughest criteria at a time when overall safety awards have become harder to earn.
The Cybertruck’s recognition also comes as Tesla’s broader lineup continues to perform well in independent safety testing. The Tesla Model 3 earned a Top Safety Pick rating for 2025. Both the Cybertruck and Model 3 also hold five-star overall crash ratings from U.S. federal regulators.
In total, IIHS reported 66 Top Safety Pick+ winners and just 18 Top Safety Pick recipients for 2025, marking a significant reduction compared to the previous year. The decline reflects tighter requirements and updated testing protocols that place greater emphasis on real-world crash scenarios and pedestrian safety.
