Headlights decide how much of the road a driver can see after dark, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grades them from good down to poor. Several popular crossovers, trucks and electric cars still ship with lighting that falls short of that top tier. Eleven models, from a stainless-steel pickup to a luxury electric SUV, show where the weak spots sit.
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1. Tesla Cybertruck: Poor Across the Board
The Cybertruck is offered only with headlights that earned a poor rating, according to a poor-rated headlight verdict. Buyers cannot step up to a better lighting package, because no alternative is listed for the truck.
That makes the pickup an unusual case among the vehicles graded here. Most rivals at least offer a choice of headlight type, so a shopper can pay for a better rating. For the Cybertruck, the grade applies to every example sold, whatever the trim or price.
2. Jeep Wrangler: Trim Decides the Rating
Headlights on the Wrangler land between marginal and poor depending on trim, and the IIHS midsize SUV ratings spell out the weakest case. On the Sport with halogen reflector lights, the institute wrote that visibility on curves was inadequate in all four tests.
Curves matter because a driver on a winding road needs light where the vehicle is heading, not where it points right now. The result suggests that the plainest Wrangler setup leaves the most to be desired, while pricier trims fare somewhat better.
3. Ford Bronco: Marginal Beams on the 4-Door
The four-door 2026 Bronco carries headlights rated marginal, a result listed in the IIHS midsize SUV table. The same table also shows marginal marks for moderate overlap front crash protection and for pedestrian results.
Taken together, the grades paint a mixed picture for a model that leans heavily on off-road image. Headlights are a small part of the overall package, yet they are used on every night drive. A marginal rating signals room for improvement rather than outright failure.
4. Toyota Land Cruiser: One Marginal Lamp Option
The 2027 Land Cruiser lists one headlight type that earned a marginal grade, and its moderate overlap front result is also marginal, per the IIHS midsize SUV ratings. The wording points to a single lamp option rather than the whole lineup.
The distinction matters for shoppers, since the rating attaches to a specific lamp type rather than the whole vehicle. Checking which lights come with a chosen trim is the practical step. A returning nameplate with a high price tag still gets graded like any other.
5. Kia Telluride: A Marginal Rating Returns
For 2027, the Telluride carries a marginal headlight rating on one of its headlight types, as shown in the IIHS midsize SUV ratings. The grade applies to that lamp option specifically, not necessarily to every version sold.
Family haulers like this three-row model spend plenty of time on dark suburban roads, so lighting performance has real everyday relevance. A marginal grade is a step below the good and acceptable tiers, which makes the specific lamp option worth confirming before purchase.
6. Chevrolet Trailblazer: Two Grades by Trim
The 2026 Trailblazer earns headlight ratings of acceptable and poor depending on trim, and its moderate overlap front result is poor too, the IIHS small SUV ratings show. The split means one version of the small crossover performs clearly worse after dark.
A gap that wide inside a single model shows how much equipment choices matter. Two buyers of the same nameplate can end up with very different visibility at night. The poor crash result adds another reason to read the full rating sheet before signing.
7. Kia Seltos: Acceptable or Poor by Type
Headlights on the 2026 Seltos are rated acceptable on one type and poor on another, according to the IIHS small SUV ratings. The same entry lists a poor grade for front crash prevention as well.
The pairing of weak lighting and weak crash-avoidance scoring is notable, since both systems aim to prevent a collision. A shopper comparing small crossovers can use the split to pick the better lamp option, if the trim in question allows that choice.
8. Lincoln Corsair: Acceptable and Poor Lamps
The 2026 Corsair has headlights rated acceptable and poor by type, and the IIHS small SUV ratings also record a marginal side-impact rating. The luxury compact therefore carries a weak spot in both lighting and crash protection.
Premium branding does not guarantee top marks in these tests, and the Corsair illustrates that. The acceptable tier shows the better lamp option is a real improvement, so the lighting choice made at the dealership has a measurable effect.
9. Chevrolet Trax: Marginal Lighting, Poor Crash Test
The 2026 Trax has headlights rated marginal, and the IIHS small SUV ratings list a poor result in the moderate overlap front crash test as well. The small crossover therefore pairs a lighting weakness with a crash-test weakness.
Low sticker prices often come with fewer equipment upgrades, and lighting is a frequent casualty. The pairing of marginal beams with a poor front crash grade gives budget-minded shoppers two items to weigh against the price advantage.
10. Cadillac Lyriq: Poor Beams on an EV
The Lyriq, an electric luxury crossover, had its headlights rated poor in an IIHS award release dated April 22, 2025. That release covered models qualifying for the group’s annual safety awards.
A poor lighting grade stands out on a vehicle priced well above the mainstream, where buyers expect advanced equipment. It also shows that the award process spotlights individual weaknesses even when a model otherwise earns recognition elsewhere, and that lighting remains a separate test from crash protection.
11. BMW i4: Marginal or Poor Only
The i4 is available only with marginal or poor headlights, a finding from the IIHS electric vehicle ratings. No lamp option on the electric sedan reached the acceptable tier.
That leaves buyers without a lighting upgrade path to a better grade. A premium German badge and a high price do not change the outcome, and the result adds to the list of electric models where illumination trails other strengths such as range and performance.
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