Harder Rules Equal Fewer IIHS' Top Safety Picks

By David Thomas

March 5, 2015

The 2010 Top Safety Pick winners from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have just been released — full list below — and the list has shrunk from 91 winners in 2009 to just 27 2010 models. That’s because the IIHS has added a new crash test — a roof-strength test — into the requirement, which is two-times more stringent than the one the federal government mandates. Rollover crashes account for 9,000 deaths annually, though not all from being crushed.

The photo above is not a before and after image. On the left is a 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan after the IIHS’ new roof strength test. On the right is the 2008 Kia Sportage after the same test. The Tiguan earned the top roof crash score and the Sportage the worst.

The award now encompasses front, side, rear and roof crash tests, and each winner must earn a top score of Good on each crash test to get the nod. The biggest surprise to us was the complete absence of Toyota or Lexus models from the list; the automaker had 10 winners in 2009. Chrysler also surprised us by getting four models on the 2010 list, which is more than any other domestic automaker, and ties it with Volvo.

The 2010 list’s true winner has to be Subaru, which had every one of its five vehicles — not including high-performance versions — earn a Top Safety Pick.

The IIHS began testing roof strength in March and so far has tested 52 new models. Why haven’t they tested more? Spokesman Russ Rader says the IIHS contacted every manufacturer to explain the guidelines and request that they send any vehicles with a chance of passing the evaluation. It seems only 52 were up to the challenge.

A few models barely missed the mark or are on the list with exceptions. The new Volvo XC60 SUV had a glitch with its seat belts in side impacts, which the manufacturer has corrected. The IIHS nod only goes to XC60s manufactured after November when the fix went into effect. Current XC60 owners can also take their vehicle into a dealer to have the glitch repaired.

Ford’s Fusion sedan and the Honda Accord both missed the roof-strength mark by a small margin, which the IIHS says can easily be corrected for future models. The Toyota Camry actually passed the roof-strength test but barely missed the top score in rear crash tests, which the IIHS also says can be easily remedied by the automaker and resubmitted for testing.

2010 Winners

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