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The Safest Trucks for 2026: Work Hard, Stay Safe
Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado don’t qualify.
By: Alex Leanse
Ryan Lugo
Illustration By: MotorTrend Staff
Photographer: Apr 09, 2026
Pickup trucks, by their very nature, are sturdy and imposing. With their significant mass, fortified structures, and advanced engineering, they inherently offer a degree of crash protection. However, this robustness doesn’t guarantee safety. Out of the multitude of options available in 2026, only a few stand out as the safest pickup trucks. These leaders are selected based on rigorous crash avoidance and protection evaluations conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
IIHS has updated its testing protocols for 2026, and based on these newer standards, only two trucks have achieved the prestigious Top Safety Pick+ designation—the highest possible rating. Additionally, two other models are still qualified for the second-highest Top Safety Pick award, having met 2025 testing criteria. This article includes these vehicles, alongside their performance in NHTSA’s five-star rating system.
2026 Toyota Tundra TRD PRo 1
2026 Toyota Tundra
While Toyota has made strides, the Tundra isn’t a leader in driving refinement, all-terrain capability, or heavy-duty towing and hauling. Yet, none of its direct competitors in the full-size truck segment offer the same level of safety assurance. The 2026 Toyota Tundra holds merits such as its spacious interior, a robust twin-turbo V-6 with optional hybrid support, a configurable gauge cluster, and a muscular exterior design.
In its Crew Cab configuration, the Toyota Tundra earns the IIHS Top Safety Pick designation and a five-star overall safety rating. The smaller Extended Cab variant achieves a top Good score in the various crashworthiness tests but is not rated by NHTSA. All trims come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, an suite of driver-assist and active safety technologies. This includes front automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and automatic high-beams. Higher-end Tundra models also incorporate blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert with trailer support.
For in-depth expert analysis, read our full Toyota Tundra review.
006 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Some critics dismiss it as not a “real” truck, but the unibody-based Hyundai Santa Cruz might be the perfect fit for certain drivers. It seamlessly combines the driving comfort of a crossover with the utility of a truck bed, making it an ideal partner for daily commuting, weekend adventures, and home projects. Although the Ford Maverick dominates this compact truck category, the Santa Cruz delivers superior safety performance.
The 2026 Santa Cruz has earned the IIHS 2025 Top Safety Pick status and the NHTSA five-star overall rating. Standard safety and driver-assist features include front automatic emergency braking, rear and side cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high-beams.
For in-depth expert analysis, read our full Hyundai Santa Cruz review.
016 2024 Tesla Cyberbeast
2026 Tesla Cybertruck
With its distinctive sharp-edged stainless-steel body, the Tesla Cybertruck possesses a unique aesthetic that could be intimidating. However, occupants are exceptionally well-protected. The 2026 Cybertruck has been awarded the Top Safety Pick+ designation and a five-star overall rating. This unconventional pickup boasts clever storage solutions, a comfortable ride, and excellent handling characteristics, largely thanks to its all-wheel steering system.
Like all Tesla vehicles, the Cybertruck is equipped with an advanced suite of driver-assist and active safety technologies. These include front automatic emergency braking, obstacle-aware acceleration, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and a rain-sensing windshield wiper. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology is available as an optional upgrade.
For in-depth expert analysis, read our full Tesla Cybertruck review.
021 2025 Rivian R1T Dual
2026 Rivian R1T
Combining luxurious refinement, rugged off-road capability, and sporty performance, the Rivian R1T is an electric truck that will impress drivers with its versatility. It also functions exceptionally well as a pickup, offering lifestyle-ready utility, innovative storage features, and solid towing capacity. Performance and charging capabilities are robust, regardless of the chosen powertrain configuration.
The 2026 R1T achieves Top Safety Pick status using IIHS’ 2025 criteria. Standard active safety and driver-assist features include automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beams. Rivian continues to advance its self-driving technology, utilizing the R1T’s extensive camera array, sensor suite, and redundant control systems to ensure safety.
For in-depth expert analysis, read our full Rivian R1T review.
The Safest Trucks for 2026: Work Hard, Stay Safe
Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado don’t qualify.
By: Alex Leanse
Ryan Lugo
Illustration By: MotorTrend Staff
Photographer: Apr 09, 2026
Pickup trucks, by their very nature, are sturdy and imposing. With their significant mass, fortified structures, and advanced engineering, they inherently offer a degree of crash protection. However, this robustness doesn’t guarantee safety. Out of the multitude of options available in 2026, only a few stand out as the safest pickup trucks. These leaders are selected based on rigorous crash avoidance and protection evaluations conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
IIHS has updated its testing protocols for 2026, and based on these newer standards, only two trucks have achieved the prestigious Top Safety Pick+ designation—the highest possible rating. Additionally, two other models are still qualified for the second-highest Top Safety Pick award, having met 2025 testing criteria. This article includes these vehicles, alongside their performance in NHTSA’s five-star rating system.
2026 Toyota Tundra TRD PRo 1
2026 Toyota Tundra
While Toyota has made strides, the Tundra isn’t a leader in driving refinement, all-terrain capability, or heavy-duty towing and hauling. Yet, none of its direct competitors in the full-size truck segment offer the same level of safety assurance. The 2026 Toyota Tundra holds merits such as its spacious interior, a robust twin-turbo V-6 with optional hybrid support, a configurable gauge cluster, and a muscular exterior design.
In its Crew Cab configuration, the Toyota Tundra earns the IIHS Top Safety Pick designation and a five-star overall safety rating. The smaller Extended Cab variant achieves a top Good score in the various crashworthiness tests but is not rated by NHTSA. All trims come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, an suite of driver-assist and active safety technologies. This includes front automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and automatic high-beams. Higher-end Tundra models also incorporate blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert with trailer support.
For in-depth expert analysis, read our full Toyota Tundra review.
006 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Some critics dismiss it as not a “real” truck, but the unibody-based Hyundai Santa Cruz might be the perfect fit for certain drivers. It seamlessly combines the driving comfort of a crossover with the utility of a truck bed, making it an ideal partner for daily commuting, weekend adventures, and home projects. Although the Ford Maverick dominates this compact truck category, the Santa Cruz delivers superior safety performance.
The 2026 Santa Cruz has earned the IIHS 2025 Top Safety Pick status and the NHTSA five-star overall rating. Standard safety and driver-assist features include front automatic emergency braking, rear and side cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high-beams.
For in-depth expert analysis, read our full Hyundai Santa Cruz review.
016 2024 Tesla Cyberbeast
2026 Tesla Cybertruck
With its distinctive sharp-edged stainless-steel body, the Tesla Cybertruck possesses a unique aesthetic that could be intimidating. However, occupants are exceptionally well-protected. The 2026 Cybertruck has been awarded the Top Safety Pick+ designation and a five-star overall rating. This unconventional pickup boasts clever storage solutions, a comfortable ride, and excellent handling characteristics, largely thanks to its all-wheel steering system.
Like all Tesla vehicles, the Cybertruck is equipped with an advanced suite of driver-assist and active safety technologies. These include front automatic emergency braking, obstacle-aware acceleration, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and a rain-sensing windshield wiper. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology is available as an optional upgrade.
For in-depth expert analysis, read our full Tesla Cybertruck review.
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