Skip to main content

IIHS says pickup trucks have bad headlights too

When it comes to headlights, pickup trucks perform poorly — as do other vehicle categories — according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Over the past few months, the organization has criticized the performance of headlights after conducting a series of group tests.

As with previous tests involving cars and crossovers, the IIHS found the majority of new pickup trucks to have inadequate lighting. All four “small” pickup trucks in its group test received the lowest rating of “poor,” while only one “large” truck, the Honda Ridgeline, received the top rating of “good.” Note that the Ridgeline and all trucks in the “small” category are generally considered midsize trucks, while all other trucks tested are full-size models.

Recommended Videos

The IIHS tested 11 trucks with 23 possible headlight combinations. The Ridgeline was the only bright spot (no pun intended), and only performed well with the headlight system available on the RTL-E and Black Edition trim levels. This included LED projector low beams and high-beam assist, which automatically switches the high beams on when no other vehicles are present.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Read more: Mercedes-Benz X-Class concept previews upcoming pickup truck

The GMC Sierra earned an “acceptable” rating with headlights available on certain trim levels. Both Nissan Titan headlight systems received a “marginal” rating, as did certain Ram 1500 systems. Every other truck in the test received a “poor” rating. The IIHS rates headlights by measuring projection over a straightaway and left and righthand curves, as well as the level of glare for oncoming drivers.

Among the trucks rated “poor” was the Ford F-150, which is the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. The IIHS found both base halogen and optional LED lighting systems to be inadequate, with the LED system producing “unacceptable” levels of glare. The headlights with the worst level of visibility belonged to the Chevrolet Colorado. The Chevy’s base halogen low beams could only illuminate up to 123 feet on the right side of the straightway, compared to 358 feet for the Ridgeline’s LED low beams.

Automakers will have to improve their performance if they want to continue getting top ratings from the IIHS. Beginning with the 2017 model year, vehicles will need headlights rated “good” or “acceptable” to receive the organization’s highest rating, Top Safety Pick+.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2025 Awards
Top Tech of CES

Las Vegas is overrun. Every billboard in town is shouting about AI, hotel bar tops now sport a sea of laptops, and after hours The Strip is elbow to elbow with engineers toting yard-long beers.

That means CES, the year’s biggest tech bacchanalia, has come to town, and Digital Trends editors have spent the last four days frolicking among next year’s crop of incredible TVs, computers, tablets, and EVs. We’re in heaven.

Read more
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more
Bose wants to dominate car audio, and I heard its next-gen 3D automotive speakers
Bose logo on a speaker grille

Bose’s automotive audio business is huge, and it’s set to get even bigger. The company has been making big plays in car audio for some time now. The audio company works with premium brands like Porsche, building high-end speakers that allow drivers to experience high-quality audio on the road, whether they’re carting the family around in an Escalade or weaving around the highway (don’t do that) in a Porsche Macan.

But while it has a solid selection of audio brands under its belt, the world of personal audio is also evolving. Mercedes-Benz showed off its Dolby Atmos system at CES last year, and now, a year later, plenty of other brands are joining the trend. At CES 2025, Bose walked me through its current lineup of automotive audio products, as well as a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Immersive audio
The big trend in all areas of personal audio right now essentially boils down to supporting 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. Consumer home theater products are increasingly offering up-firing and side-firing speakers that can bounce audio around the room to simulate height and surround effects, while headphone brands are increasingly developing spatialized audio tech that can convert stereo audio into simulated spatial audio.

Read more