Automakers Refuse to Fix These Vehicles

Every vehicle on this list is on sale right now with a Poor crash test rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Not from a test they just failed. From a rating earned at least two model years ago, and never fixed.

The automakers had time to modify the structure, retune the restraints, and come back for a better result. They didn’t. These vehicles are still rolling off dealer lots today, putting thousands of buyers and their families into seats that carry unnecessary risks.

Most of these Poor ratings come from the updated moderate overlap front crash test. The vehicle strikes a deformable barrier at 40 miles per hour, with only 40 percent of the front end taking the hit, and a second dummy rides in the back seat behind the driver. The rest come from the updated side test: a 4,200-pound barrier, tall enough to mimic a modern SUV, slams the driver side at 37 miles per hour.

Many automakers have already fixed problems exposed by these tests. These are the ones that haven’t.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

The 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross earned a Poor in the side test, and that rating applies to every Eclipse Cross built since 2018, including versions still sold today.

The structure was not up to the task. The intrusion stopped a mere 12 centimeters short of the driver seat’s centerline — under 5 inches. That left the driver dummy with a high risk of torso injury and an elevated risk to the pelvis.

The Eclipse Cross is also rated Poor in the moderate overlap test. In the 2022 model, the rear passenger dummy’s head came dangerously close to hitting the front seat, and injury values indicate a likely risk of injury to the head or neck and chest. This poor performance hasn’t improved since then.

It is the only vehicle on this list rated Poor in two of these tests.

Jeep Compass

The 2021 Jeep Compass has the longest-running Poor on this list in the moderate overlap evaluation. It still applies to the 2026 model, six model years later.

Both rear seat belts stayed in their ideal positions, but the rear dummy recorded a likely risk of injury to the head or neck and chest.

Ram 1500

The Ram 1500 is the clearest example on this list of a fix that didn’t work.

The 2023 model earned a Poor in the moderate overlap test. Rear passenger injury risk was high for the head or neck and the chest. The lap belt also slid off the pelvis and onto the abdomen. That’s dangerous because the belt stops loading the strongest structure in the lower torso, the pelvis, and concentrates crash forces on soft internal organs instead.

For 2025, Ram added pretensioners and load limiters to the rear outboard seats. The pretensioners tighten the belt at the start of a crash, and load limiters manage how much force the belt applies to the body during it. The retest showed real gains. Neck tension on the rear dummy was cut in half, head and neck injury risk improved significantly, and chest risk improved slightly.

But the seatbelts still didn’t stay where they belong. The shoulder belt now rode up toward the dummy’s neck, and the lap belt still slid onto the abdomen. Restraints and dummy kinematic performance got worse, and the overall rating stayed Poor. It still applies to the 2027 model.

Nissan Altima

The 2022 Nissan Altima earned a Poor in the side test — after Nissan had already made changes.

For 2022, Nissan enlarged the side curtain airbags and added door sill and pillar reinforcements. This is the improved version, and the structure still struggled. The crush stopped just 7.5 centimeters short of the driver seat’s centerline — less than 3 inches, the least amount of survival space of any vehicle on this list.

The driver dummy’s head moved downward past the side curtain airbag and struck the window sill hard. Torso and pelvis injury risks were both high. The rating hasn’t changed since.

Honda Odyssey

The 2023 Honda Odyssey earned a Poor in the moderate overlap evaluation, and that rating carries through to the 2027 model.

The rear passenger dummy’s head moved toward the front seat, which increases the risk of head injury. Injury values indicate a likely risk of injury to the head or neck and a moderate risk to the chest.

Honda CR-V

The 2024 Honda CR-V shows a failure that appears nowhere else on this list.

During the crash, the left rear seat cushion moved forward and rotated downward because the brackets securing it to the seatback deformed.

The shoulder belt moved too far upward toward the dummy’s neck, which makes it less effective at restraining the torso. The lap belt also slid onto the abdomen. Restraints and dummy kinematics were rated Poor, and the rating still applies to the 2027 CR-V.

Ford F-150

The 2023 Ford F-150 is the only vehicle on this list where the rear passenger was rated Poor on head or neck injury, chest injury, and restraints together — an across-the-board failure.

The shoulder belt rode up toward the dummy’s neck, and the lap belt slid onto the abdomen. The rating hasn’t changed since it was first tested.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is the only vehicle on this list where the driver dummy also lost points. The driver dummy’s head hit the steering wheel hard through the airbag, and the legs and feet had a moderate injury risk.

In the back seat, there was a moderate risk of injury to the head or neck and chest, and the lap belt slid onto the abdomen. The Poor rating still applies to new models.

Chevrolet Tahoe

The 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe’s rear passenger recorded a likely risk of head or neck injury, and the lap belt slid onto the abdomen. This rating still applies to Tahoes sold today.

Kia K5

The 2023 Kia K5’s rear dummy recorded a likely risk of injury to the head or neck and chest, and the lap belt slid onto the abdomen. The K5 is still sold today with these deficiencies.

Lexus RX

In the 2023 Lexus RX, the rear dummy recorded a likely risk of chest injuries. Even more concerning, the shoulder belt rode up toward the dummy’s neck, and the lap belt slid onto the abdomen. The rating still applies to new models.

Chevrolet Trax

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax shows a fix is possible. For 2026, Chevrolet changed the side structure and airbags, and the Trax improved to Good in the side test.

The back seat didn’t get the same treatment. The rear dummy recorded a likely risk of head or neck injuries and a moderate risk of chest injuries. The Trax is still rated Poor in the moderate overlap test.