Headlight performance varies widely from one model to the next, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grades each setup it tests from Good down to Poor. Some well-known nameplates earned weak marks in the latest listings, and a few split their results by lamp type. Here are twelve popular vehicles that landed in the Marginal or Poor range.
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1. Chevrolet Trax: Marginal on the Small Side
The 2026 Chevrolet Trax appears in the 2026 small SUV table with its headlights rated Marginal. That places the subcompact crossover among the models where nighttime illumination fell short of the institute’s better grades.
IIHS ratings attach to a specific model year and, in many cases, to a specific headlight type. Shoppers comparing the Trax with rivals in the small SUV class would do well to confirm which lighting hardware a given vehicle carries before relying on the Marginal result as a verdict on every version.
2. Chevrolet Trailblazer: Split Verdict
For the 2026 Trailblazer, the IIHS small SUV ratings shows a split result: Acceptable on one headlight, Poor on another, as reported by the Associated Press. The gap between those two grades is wide, and it keeps the model on a list of popular vehicles with weak lighting.
The split means the outcome depends on which headlights are fitted. A buyer weighing a Trailblazer would need to find out which setup is on the exact vehicle, since the same nameplate can earn very different marks depending on the lamps it carries.
3. Kia Seltos: One Poor Headlight
The 2026 Kia Seltos lands on this list because one of its headlight setups is rated Poor, according to Associated Press coverage of the IIHS small SUV table. Poor is the lowest grade the institute assigns.
A single failing configuration does not condemn every Seltos, but it does show that the model’s lighting is inconsistent across versions. Anyone shopping the subcompact SUV would be wise to ask which headlights come with the trim under consideration and to compare them against the published table.
4. Lincoln Corsair: Luxury Badge, Poor Lights
Among the entries in the small SUV rating summary, the 2026 Lincoln Corsair carries a Poor rating on one of its headlights, reported by the Associated Press. A luxury badge, in this case, did not translate into a top lighting grade.
The finding matters mostly for anyone assuming that a higher price brings better illumination. As with other models on the list, the rating applies to one headlight type, so the lamps fitted to a particular Corsair determine how much of the result applies to that vehicle.
5. Toyota 4Runner: Good, Acceptable and Poor
The 2026 Toyota 4Runner spans nearly the whole rating scale in the midsize SUV ratings table: Good, Acceptable and Poor, depending on headlight type, per the GAP code in the table. Only one of those grades earns it a place on this list.
For owners and shoppers, the spread is the story. The 4Runner can be one of the better performers or one of the weaker ones based on the lamps ordered with it, so the specific configuration matters far more than the model name alone.
6. Jeep Wrangler: Marginal and Poor
The 2027 Jeep Wrangler is listed in the midsize SUV ratings table with the code MP, meaning its headlight types were rated Marginal and Poor. Neither grade reaches the Acceptable or Good tiers that the institute treats as passing marks.
Unlike several models here, the Wrangler shows no better option within its listed results. Buyers considering the 2027 model would find that both tested headlight types fall short, which makes lighting a clear trade-off against the vehicle’s other strengths.
7. Ford Bronco: Marginal Across the Board
According to the midsize SUV ratings table, the 2026 Ford Bronco has Marginal headlights. The rating sits one step above the institute’s lowest grade, but it still falls short of the Acceptable level.
The Bronco’s result is a single grade rather than a spread, so the listing offers no alternate lighting package that clearly performs better. Shoppers drawn to the off-road SUV can treat Marginal as the baseline expectation for nighttime visibility from the headlights.
8. Kia Telluride: Good on One, Marginal on Another
The 2027 Kia Telluride earns a code of GM in the midsize SUV ratings table: Good on one headlight type and Marginal on another. That mix puts the midsize SUV in the middle of this list rather than at the bottom.
The practical takeaway is that the Telluride’s lighting depends on equipment. A buyer who ends up with the Good headlights gets a strong result, while the Marginal version trails it, so confirming the lamp type on a specific vehicle is the sensible step.
9. Chevrolet Silverado 1500: A Poor Setup in the Pickup Class
One headlight setup on the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was rated Poor, according to a Dax Street roundup on recent IIHS headlight testing. The full-size pickup is a mainstream choice, which raises the stakes of the result.
The rating applies to one configuration, so it does not describe every Silverado 1500 on a lot. Truck shoppers would want to check which headlights come with a particular trim, since the same model can carry both better and weaker lamps depending on how it is equipped.
10. Nissan Frontier: Poor in Testing
The tested configuration of the 2024 Nissan Frontier was rated Poor, as noted in a secondary headlight roundup of vehicles whose headlights failed IIHS testing. The midsize pickup therefore joins the list.
A Poor grade is the weakest outcome available, and it applies to the setup the institute actually evaluated. Anyone shopping for a Frontier should ask whether other lighting options exist for the trim they want and whether those have been tested at all.
11. Tesla Cybertruck: Rated Poor
The Tesla Cybertruck’s headlights were rated Poor, according to a Dax Street report on IIHS headlight results. The grade stands out for a vehicle that draws so much attention.
The result is blunt: a single rating with no split between lamp types, and it sits at the bottom of the scale. For prospective owners of the Cybertruck, nighttime visibility from the headlights is a documented weak point worth weighing alongside its other attributes.
12. Cadillac Lyriq: Poor on Every Trim
The 2025 Cadillac Lyriq was rated Poor on all trims, as reported in a Dax Street summary covering headlights that failed IIHS testing. Unlike many entries here, the result does not hinge on picking the right lamps.
That uniformity is the key detail for buyers. With every trim landing at the bottom of the scale, no version of the electric luxury SUV offers a way around the Poor grade, so lighting performance is a fixed trade-off for anyone choosing the 2025 Lyriq.
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