The Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevy Silverado 1500 are not only three of the most popular full-size pickups—but they also top the sales charts for all vehicles sold in the United States. It is powerful, can pull heavy load, and provides high level utility. However, when it comes to safety, they do have shortcomings. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the safest full-size truck isn’t a Ford, Ram, or Chevy. It’s a 2023 Toyota – the only car in its class to earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.
The 2023 Toyota Tundra is the safest full-size pickup truck, according to the IIHS
The 2023 Toyota Tundra is the safest full-size pickup truck available, according to Toyota. The organization recently awarded the Tundra its coveted Top Safety Pick+ award, its highest honor for safety. Both the crew cab and extended cab models have been awarded the Tundra. No other full-size truck received an IIHS award in 2023. The only other truck to receive an award from the IIHS in 2023 is the all-electric 2023 Rivian, a mid-size model.
The F-150 and Ram 1500 earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick Class II award. However, with the IIHS implementing stricter safety requirements in 2023, these models have yet to catch on. Also, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 did not take home any IIHS Awards in 2022 or 2023.
Why was the 2023 Tundra named IIHS Top Safety Pick+?
The 2023 Tundra received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety due to its strong performance in crash tests and other safety ratings. This includes the best possible “Good” rating in crash tests for the small front overlap (driver and passenger side), roof strength, side, moderate front overlap, headrests and seats.
The Tundra also earned the best possible ratings of “Superior” for frontal protection: vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian (Day) – and a rating of “Good” for seatbelt reminders. The rating where the full-size truck didn’t get a perfect score was Forward Collision Prevention: Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (Night) – with an “Advanced” rating of 2. Also, for the headlights, while some Tundra trims got a “Good” rating, others got an “Fair” rating.
Conversely, the 2023 Ford F-150, 2023 1500, and 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 did not perform well in the ratings. As a result, they didn’t earn an IIHS award for safety—with the Tundra leading them as the safest full-size truck.
Safety and driving assistance features in the Toyota Tundra
The 2023 model comes with a host of safety features. All models have eight airbags and the Toyota Star Safety System, which includes traction control, brake assist, smart stop technology, electronic brake-force distribution, anti-lock braking system, and vehicle stability control.
In addition, the full-size pickup truck comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 technology suite. This includes road sign assist, automatic high beams, lane following assist, lane departure alert, steering assist, adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision system, and pedestrian detection. Some trims also have a blind-spot monitor, trailer merge warning, and rear cross-traffic alert.
For pickup truck drivers who put a premium on the high standard, the 2023 Toyota Tundra is a better option than the 2023 Chevy Silverado, 2023 Ram 1500 and 2023 Ford F-150. With an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, the Tundra is the safest full-size truck around.
