Headlights decide how much of the road a driver sees after dark, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grades them on a four-step scale that ends at Poor. Plenty of best-selling family haulers and work trucks still carry setups that land at or near the bottom. Here are eleven SUVs, trucks and minivans where at least one headlight configuration rates Poor.
1. Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Bottom of the Scale
Chevrolet’s full-size pickup collects the lowest mark IIHS gives, with a Poor headlight rating on the crew cab. The scale runs Good, Acceptable, Marginal, Poor, so this result sits at the far end rather than near a borderline. A truck can score well in other tests and still light the road badly.
Anyone who drives rural roads or commutes before sunrise has reason to weigh this grade alongside crash results. Checking the exact trim before signing matters, because the rating belongs to a particular headlight setup.
2. Chrysler Pacifica: Poor Even in 2027
The latest model year has not fixed the problem for Chrysler’s flagship minivan. The 2027 headlight grade still comes back Poor, which suggests the underlying lighting hardware has carried through from earlier versions of the van.
Families use minivans for school runs and long night drives, which makes dim headlights a practical concern. A shopper considering a Pacifica may want to test-drive it after dark and compare it against rivals in the class.
3. Chrysler Voyager: Worst in Its Class
Among minivans, the Voyager has the unwelcome distinction of the weakest headlight result, a Poor headlight grade that ranks at the bottom of the entire class. Rivals in the segment manage better marks, so the gap is visible within a group of otherwise similar vehicles.
The Voyager is positioned as the budget-minded option, and lighting is one place where that positioning shows. Buyers cross-shopping minivans can treat the headlight grade as a tiebreaker.
4. Jeep Wrangler: Trim Decides the Grade
Jeep’s Wrangler does not get a single headlight verdict. The IIHS headlight ratings run from Marginal down to Poor depending on the trim, so two Wranglers on the same lot can light the road quite differently.
Because the result varies, a buyer cannot rely on the model name alone. Asking which headlight package a specific Wrangler carries, and looking up that configuration, is the sensible way to avoid a Poor setup.
5. Jeep Gladiator: Pickup With Dim Lights
The Gladiator shares its family’s headlight trouble, with IIHS headlight results for the pickup landing between Marginal and Poor across trims. Neither end of that range reaches Acceptable, let alone Good, so no trim of the pickup escapes the problem entirely.
Shoppers drawn to the open-air, off-road appeal of a Gladiator should know that night visibility is a weak spot throughout the lineup. Paying for a higher trim may not change that outcome, so the specifics are worth confirming.
6. Kia Seltos: Split Decision on Lighting
Kia’s small SUV is a mixed case, since the Seltos headlight ratings differ by setup. Some versions rate Acceptable, a respectable mark, while others fall all the way to Poor.
The spread means the right choice is available but not guaranteed. A buyer who wants the better lighting should confirm which headlight configuration comes on the exact Seltos in question, rather than assuming the whole lineup performs alike. Dealers may not volunteer the difference unprompted.
7. Chevrolet Trailblazer: Version Matters Here
Chevrolet’s subcompact SUV shows how wide the gap can be within one model. Trailblazer headlight grades range from Acceptable to Poor depending on the version, which puts two different Trailblazers in very different places on the scale.
Because the better outcome sits at only Acceptable, even the best case is not top of class. Shoppers can use the spread as a reason to compare trims directly before committing, since the cheapest version may be the one with the weaker lights.
8. Lincoln Corsair: Luxury Without the Light
Paying for a premium badge does not buy better headlights here. Corsair headlight ratings span Acceptable to Poor, a range that matches far cheaper SUVs on this list. Only some versions reach the middle of the scale, and none reach Good.
For a buyer choosing Lincoln for comfort and refinement, that result is a reminder to check specifics instead of assuming price implies performance. The trim and lighting package are worth confirming before purchase.
9. Subaru Solterra: Good Trims, One Poor
The electric Subaru has real strengths, since its best trims earn Good, the top grade. Still, one Solterra headlight setup rates Poor, so the lineup holds both the best and the worst outcome.
That split puts the burden on the shopper. Anyone looking at a Solterra can aim for a Good-rated configuration, but should verify which trim carries it, since a Poor variant is sold under the same name. An EV buyer already paying a premium should not have to accept dim lighting.
10. Toyota bZ: Widest Spread of All
No SUV here covers more ground than the electric Toyota. bZ headlight grades span Good to Poor across its trims, the full length of the scale inside a single nameplate.
The takeaway for buyers is simple: the trim chosen largely determines how well the road is lit. Anyone interested in the bZ can pursue the Good-rated version, but the lower-rated ones are easy to end up with by accident if the grade goes unchecked at the dealership.
11. Toyota 4Runner: Three Grades, One Name
The 4Runner turns up in several categories at once. 4Runner headlight ratings run Good, Acceptable and Poor depending on which version is purchased, so the outcome is a matter of configuration rather than the model name.
For a vehicle often bought for night-time trips to trailheads, that matters. Buyers can protect themselves by confirming the lighting grade for the specific 4Runner on the lot before agreeing to a deal, since the same badge covers well-lit and poorly lit versions alike.
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