Tesla Model Y Earns Top Safety Pick+ Award from IIHS

The refreshed 2026 Tesla Model Y has officially earned the highest vehicle safety recognition awarded in the U.S.

Tesla Model Y earns Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS

After a full round of evaluations, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the redesigned 2026 Model Y a Top Safety Pick+, reflecting top results in both structural crashworthiness and active collision avoidance tests.

This recognition builds on a strong safety record. The 2026 Cybertruck also received a Top Safety Pick+ earlier this summer, naming it the safest pickup truck of the year. Previous Model Y versions have achieved Top Safety Pick+ ratings with nearly perfect scores, and the Model 3 has earned top IIHS safety honors across multiple testing cycles.

Top Safety Pick+

To earn the Top Safety Pick+ designation, a vehicle must score highly in updated, more demanding impact assessments. The refreshed Model Y, spanning 2026 and 2027 builds, received a Good overall rating across all primary crashworthiness and crash avoidance categories:

Small Overlap Front
Moderate Overlap Front (updated test)
Side (updated test)
Headlights (across all trim variations)
Front Crash Prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0
Front Crash Prevention: pedestrian

The 2026 Model Y earned Good ratings in both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian crash avoidance using the standard vision-based Automatic Emergency Braking system, avoiding collisions across a wide range of approach speeds. The only area short of top marks was the seat belt reminder system, which was rated Marginal.

2026 Model Y Full IIHS Ratings

The IIHS uses a four-tier scale:

Good (G)
Acceptable (A)
Marginal (M)
Poor (P)

Crashworthiness

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front	G
Moderate overlap front: updated test	G
Side: updated test	G

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Headlights	G
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 (standard crash avoidance system, no FSD)	G
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (standard crash avoidance system, no FSD)	G

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Seat belt reminders	M

Small Overlap Front

This evaluation assesses intrusion and dummy kinematics on both the driver and passenger sides during an off-center barrier impact.

Driver-side

Overall driver-side evaluation	G
Structure and safety cage	G
Driver injury measures: Head/neck	G
Driver injury measures: Chest	G
Driver injury measures: Hip/thigh	G
Driver injury measures: Lower leg/foot	G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics	G

Passenger-side

Overall passenger-side evaluation	G
Structure and safety cage	G
Passenger injury measures: Head/neck	G
Passenger injury measures: Chest	G
Passenger injury measures: Hip/thigh	G
Passenger injury measures: Lower leg/foot	G
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics	G

Moderate Overlap Front (Updated Test)

Overall evaluation	G
Structure and safety cage	G
Driver injury measures: Head/neck	G
Driver injury measures: Chest	G
Driver injury measures: Thigh/hip	G
Driver injury measures: Leg/foot	G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics	G
Rear passenger injury measures: Head/neck	G
Rear passenger injury measures: Chest	G
Rear passenger injury measures: Thigh	G
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics	G

Side (Updated Test)

Overall evaluation	G
Structure and safety cage	G
Driver injury measures: Head/neck	G
Driver injury measures: Torso	G
Driver injury measures: Pelvis	G
Driver head protection	G
Rear passenger injury measures: Head/neck	G
Rear passenger injury measures: Torso	G
Rear passenger injury measures: Pelvis	G
Rear passenger head protection	G

Others

Headlights	G
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0	G
Front crash prevention: pedestrian	G
Seat belt reminders	M

The Marginal seat belt reminder rating is the only non-top score; all other categories achieved the best possible results.

Standard driver-assistance features on the 2026 Model Y included Automatic Emergency Braking, blind-spot detection, and lane departure warnings and intervention. The IIHS evaluations did not assess Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

Under the stricter test protocols, the refreshed Model Y demonstrated strong performance from both its structural reinforcements and active safety systems.