IIHS awards are not permanent badges. Each year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety changes its requirements, adds tougher evaluations, and reassesses vehicles as new test results become available.
That means a model can have earned Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ previously and not appear among the 2026 winners. The change does not automatically mean the vehicle suddenly became unsafe.
In several cases, an older award simply does not carry forward because the current model has not earned a 2026 award, the criteria have become tougher, or IIHS has not published a qualifying result. Here are eight notable examples from the U.S. market and what changed.
1. Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is one of the most recognizable names on this list because it previously carried an IIHS safety award but does not appear among the current 2026 Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ winners.
The CR-V earned a 2024-25 Top Safety Pick award, making its absence from the 2026 winners notable. The important point, however, is that this should not be interpreted as IIHS declaring the CR-V unsafe. The current 2026 winner list simply does not include it.
The CR-V’s earlier recognition was based on the testing requirements in place at the time. In 2024, IIHS tightened its program significantly.
Vehicles needed good ratings in the small overlap front and updated side tests, acceptable or good headlights across all trims, and acceptable or good performance in the revised pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation.
Top Safety Pick+ vehicles also needed acceptable or good performance in the updated moderate overlap front test, which introduced a second dummy in the rear seat.
That makes year-to-year comparisons more complicated than simply looking at whether a badge disappeared. A vehicle that earned an award under one set of criteria is not automatically certified under the next year’s requirements.
The CR-V’s previous award remains part of its testing history. Its 2024-25 Top Safety Pick status shows that it met the applicable requirements for those model years. But for 2026, it is not listed among IIHS award winners.
For shoppers, that distinction matters. The absence of a 2026 award is a current recognition status, not a retrospective cancellation of the vehicle’s previous testing results.
2. Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee provides another example of how quickly IIHS recognition can change from one model year to another. The Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L both appeared as 2024-25 Top Safety Pick winners in the IIHS database. Neither version appears among the 2026 award winners listed by IIHS.
The earlier recognition was earned under the testing requirements applicable to those model years. The 2024 criteria represented a major step up from the previous system.
IIHS required good performance in the small overlap front test and updated side test, acceptable or good headlights across all trims, and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention for the base Top Safety Pick award. The higher Top Safety Pick+ award additionally required an acceptable or good rating in the updated moderate overlap front test.
The Grand Cherokee should not simply be described as a vehicle that “failed” the 2026 program. The public 2026 award list does not establish that conclusion. It shows something more specific. The Grand Cherokee is not currently listed among the 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ recipients.
That difference is important for an automotive article because IIHS awards depend on specific tested configurations and current-year criteria. A vehicle can retain strong individual crash-test results from an earlier evaluation while not receiving a new award.
The Grand Cherokee’s history illustrates that distinction particularly well. It had documented Top Safety Pick recognition for 2024 and 2025, while the current 2026 list has moved on to a different group of winners.
For buyers comparing model years, the safest way to read the change is to check the exact model year and IIHS test results rather than assuming that an older award automatically applies to the latest version.
3. Tesla Model 3
The Tesla Model 3 is another vehicle that carried IIHS recognition in 2025 but does not appear on the institute’s 2026 Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ winner list. In 2025, the Model 3 received a Top Safety Pick award in the midsize luxury car category.
Its disappearance from the 2026 winners is therefore notable, particularly because the Model 3 had already established a strong record in IIHS testing.
The change needs to be understood in the context of IIHS’s evolving award requirements. For 2026, the institute requires a vehicle to earn good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and updated side crash tests.
It must also have acceptable or good headlights and good pedestrian front crash prevention as standard equipment for Top Safety Pick. The higher Top Safety Pick+ award adds a requirement for acceptable or good vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention 2.0.
The 2025 Model 3’s award was based on the criteria applicable to that year’s program. IIHS listed it as a Top Safety Pick, rather than Top Safety Pick+, in the midsize luxury car category.
That history matters because the absence of a 2026 award does not erase the Model 3’s previous test results. It simply means the vehicle is not among the models that currently satisfy the 2026 award requirements.
For shoppers, this is an important distinction. A safety award is tied to a specific year’s program and tested vehicle configuration. IIHS itself says its Top Safety Pick awards identify the vehicles that perform best within their size categories during a given year.
The organization does not present an award from one year as a permanent certification extending indefinitely into future model years.
The Model 3’s case therefore illustrates how a familiar safety badge can disappear without automatically meaning that the vehicle has suddenly become unsafe. Its 2025 recognition remains part of its documented history, while its absence from the 2026 winners reflects the current year’s award status.
4. Acura Integra
The Acura Integra also provides an interesting example of a vehicle that had recent IIHS recognition but is not included in the 2026 award list. IIHS listed the Integra as a 2025 Top Safety Pick in the small-car category.
The 2026 winners, however, do not include the Integra. Instead, the current small-car list contains models such as the Honda Civic hatchback, Hyundai Elantra, Kia K5, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, and Toyota Prius.
The Integra’s previous award was not simply based on one crash test. The 2025 Top Safety Pick criteria required good performance in the small overlap front test, an acceptable rating in the updated moderate overlap front test, a good rating in the updated side test, acceptable or good headlights, and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
That makes the change in recognition particularly worth noting. The disappearance of the Integra from the 2026 award list does not mean IIHS has withdrawn its 2025 award or declared the earlier test results invalid. Rather, the 2026 program uses its own requirements and winner list.
The difference between the two years is also visible in the moderate overlap requirement. For 2026, IIHS requires a good moderate overlap front rating for the regular Top Safety Pick award.
In 2025, an acceptable result was sufficient for that portion of the Top Safety Pick criteria. That tightening means a vehicle that qualified under the previous threshold cannot automatically carry its award into the following year.
The Integra therefore belongs on this list because of its change in award status, not because the data establishes that it is an unsafe car.
Its 2025 recognition remains relevant for understanding its recent testing history. However, anyone shopping for a 2026 model should look at the current IIHS ratings and award list rather than assuming that last year’s Top Safety Pick badge still applies.
5. Hyundai Ioniq 6
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is another recent IIHS award winner that does not appear on the institute’s 2026 Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ list.
The electric sedan received a 2025 Top Safety Pick+ award in the midsize car category, making its absence from the 2026 winners noticeable. IIHS’s 2025 records show that the Ioniq 6 met the requirements for the higher-tier award under the testing standards then in effect.
Its previous recognition was significant because Top Safety Pick+ required strong performance across several different evaluations.
For 2025, qualifying vehicles needed good ratings in the small overlap front, updated moderate overlap front, and updated side tests. They also needed acceptable or good headlights and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
The 2026 program became more demanding in a different way. IIHS now requires a good rating in the moderate overlap front test even for the regular Top Safety Pick award, whereas an acceptable result had been enough for the lower-tier award in 2025.
For Top Safety Pick+, the 2026 requirements also include good vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention 2.0 as standard equipment.
None of that means the Ioniq 6’s 2025 testing results have been erased. Its previous Top Safety Pick+ award remains part of the IIHS record for that model year. The change simply means the sedan is not included among the current 2026 award recipients.
That distinction is particularly important with safety awards because IIHS describes its awards as identifying the vehicles that perform best within their size categories during a given year. A previous award should therefore be viewed as a model-year-specific achievement rather than a permanent certification.
For buyers considering an Ioniq 6, the useful comparison is between its actual IIHS test results and the requirements for the newer award year, rather than treating the missing 2026 badge as proof that the vehicle has suddenly become less safe.
6. Subaru Solterra
The Subaru Solterra provides another example of a vehicle with strong recent IIHS recognition that is not among the 2026 Top Safety Pick winners.
The electric SUV earned a 2025 Top Safety Pick+ award from IIHS, appearing in the small SUV category alongside several other highly rated models. The 2026 IIHS winner list, however, does not include the Solterra.
The Solterra’s 2025 award was based on the testing standards used during that model year. IIHS required good performance in the small overlap front and updated side tests, along with an acceptable or good rating in the updated moderate overlap evaluation for Top Safety Pick+.
Standard equipment also needed to provide acceptable or good headlights and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
The 2026 list has a different collection of small SUVs receiving recognition. Models such as the BMW X1, Genesis GV60, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Kona, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-30, Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-50, and Subaru Forester are among the current winners. The Solterra is absent from that group.
That absence should not be described as a failed crash test unless IIHS specifically reports one. The available award lists establish that the Solterra held Top Safety Pick+ recognition for 2025 and is not listed among the 2026 winners. They do not by themselves establish that a particular test caused the change.
There is another reason to avoid reading too much into the badge. IIHS continually modifies its evaluation program to push manufacturers toward stronger occupant protection and better crash-avoidance technology. The organization says its awards are designed to identify the strongest safety performers for a particular year, so the criteria are intentionally not static.
The Solterra case, therefore, shows why a missing award needs context. Its 2025 Top Safety Pick+ remains a documented achievement, while its absence from the 2026 list reflects its current recognition status rather than a blanket declaration about the vehicle’s safety.
7. Toyota BZ4X
The Toyota bZ4X is a particularly interesting case because it held a 2025 Top Safety Pick+ award but does not appear among the 2026 IIHS award winners.
The 2025 award list identifies the bZ4X as a Top Safety Pick+ winner in the small SUV category, with the qualification applying to vehicles built after December 2024. The current 2026 IIHS list does not include the bZ4X among its small SUV award recipients.
Its previous recognition was based on the 2025 testing structure. At that time, Top Safety Pick+ required good ratings in the small overlap front, an updated moderate overlap front, and updated side tests. The vehicle also needed acceptable or good headlights and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention as standard equipment.
The 2026 requirements are more demanding in one particularly important area. IIHS now requires a good rating in the moderate overlap front test for the regular Top Safety Pick award, whereas the 2025 Top Safety Pick requirement allowed an acceptable result.
For Top Safety Pick+, IIHS also requires good pedestrian front crash prevention and acceptable or good vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention 2.0 as standard equipment.
That change illustrates why an award can disappear without IIHS necessarily declaring that a vehicle has become unsafe. A previous award was earned under the criteria applicable to that particular year. It does not automatically transfer to the next model year.
The bZ4X therefore belongs in this article because it no longer carries a current 2026 IIHS award. Its 2025 Top Safety Pick+ recognition remains part of its published safety record, and the absence from the 2026 winners should not be presented as a cancellation of that achievement.
8. Acura MDX
The Acura MDX is another recent award holder that did not retain the same level of IIHS recognition for 2026. IIHS listed the MDX as a 2025-26 Top Safety. Pick in the midsize luxury SUV category, but the 2026 award list does not include the MDX among the current winners.
The situation is worth examining carefully because the current IIHS ratings page still provides individual crash-test information for the MDX. That means the disappearance of an award should not be confused with the disappearance of safety-test data.
IIHS treats its annual awards as a separate recognition program designed to identify the strongest performers within vehicle categories for a particular year.
For 2026, the award requirements include good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side tests. Vehicles must also have acceptable or good headlights across all trims and standard pedestrian front crash prevention that earns at least an acceptable rating.
Top Safety Pick+ adds the requirement for good pedestrian front crash prevention and acceptable or good vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention 2.0.
The 2025 criteria were different. Regular Top Safety Pick required an acceptable or good result in the updated moderate overlap test, while the higher Top Safety Pick+ award required a good result. That difference alone shows why an older award cannot simply be carried forward when IIHS raises its thresholds.
There is also an important model-year detail with the MDX. The 2025-26 listing indicates that its award applied across those model years, yet the current 2026 winners page no longer includes the MDX.
The MDX’s status is best described precisely. It has documented recent IIHS recognition, but it is not currently a 2026 Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ recipient. That represents a change in its current award status and does not, by itself, show that the SUV has become unsafe.
