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Back to EpisodesGMC Canyon Falls Short In Two Key IIHS Safety Tests
Description
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its latest safety scores earlier this month, and only two out of seven newly tested vehicles achieved the authority’s top safety award. It has become increasingly tougher for manufacturers to meet this standard, but stricter tests are continuously improving safety standards in new vehicles. Of the group of seven vehicles, the only pickup was the 2026 GMC Canyon Crew Cab. While it aced some tests, it fell well short in two others. Here’s a closer look at the popular pickup’s results and how it compares to rivals.
GMC Canyon Safety Ratings
The IIHS runs six key safety tests for every vehicle. Three of them cover crash safety, one test is for the effectiveness of the headlights, and two more evaluate crash prevention. In each test, a vehicle is given a score of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor. Here’s an overview of the six key safety tests.
Test | Description | Minimum Required Rating For Top Safety Pick+ Award | GMC Canyon Results |
Small overlap front | 40-mph test in which 25% of the vehicle’s width on one side strikes a rigid barrier | Good | Good |
Moderate overlap front | 40-mph crash in which 40% of the vehicle’s width strikes a deformable barrier | Good | Marginal |
Side | SUV-like rig strikes a vehicle on the driver’s side at 37 mph | Good | Good |
Headlights | Illumination effectiveness on straight roads and curves | Acceptable or Good | Acceptable |
Front crash prevention (vehicle-to-vehicle) | Evaluates whether a vehicle can avoid a collision with another car at various speeds | Good or Acceptable | Poor |
Front crash prevention (pedestrian) | Evaluates whether a vehicle can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at various speeds | Good | Acceptable |
So, what did the GMC Canyon do well? The pickup achieved Good ratings in the small overlap front and side crash tests, where it did a great job of protecting occupants. However, it only achieved a Marginal rating in the moderate overlap front test. Here, IIHS researchers found that rear-seat passengers had a heightened risk of head/neck injuries in this test, and a slightly increased risk of chest injuries. The driver was also at risk of more serious leg/foot injuries than ideal.
The Canyon has Acceptable ratings for its headlights and pedestrian front crash prevention, but it fell far short in vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention, with a Poor rating. The pickup was only able to avoid a collision in one test where there was a passenger car target, but it was only able to reduce its speed in other tests. A heavy pickup striking a car at even lower speeds could result in serious injuries, so GMC has some work to do to improve its current system. Furthermore, when there was a motorcyclist as a target, the Canyon failed to provide the driver with a timely warning on two occasions.