What is the difference between Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+?

Both are yearly IIHS awards. Top Safety Pick+ is the higher tier, with stricter requirements. A car can win either one, both in different years, or neither.

Are IIHS and NHTSA ratings the same thing?

No. NHTSA is the US government regulator and gives 1–5 stars. IIHS is a nonprofit funded by insurers that runs its own tests and gives awards. Many cars have both.

Does an award from last year still count?

Only for last year's car. IIHS awards apply to a specific model year and the criteria change, so always check the year you are buying.

▸ EXPLAINER

What do IIHS "Top Safety Pick" and 5-star crash ratings mean?

By PixPause Editorial · Updated October 1, 2026 · 5 sources

SHORT ANSWER

In the US, two groups crash-test new cars. The government's NHTSA gives 1 to 5 stars, and the insurer-funded IIHS gives yearly "Top Safety Pick" and the higher "Top Safety Pick+" awards. Both are real, independent tests — but an award belongs to one model year, and the bar gets higher every year, so "award-winning" only tells you something when you know which year and which tier.

EXPLAIN IT LIKE I'M 5

A Top Safety Pick is like a school prize for one year. Winning it in 2022 doesn't mean you won in 2023 — and each year the teachers make the test a bit harder.

Who rates US car safety

NHTSA starsGovernment tests: 1 to 5 stars for frontal, side and rollover

IIHS awardsInsurer-funded tests: Top Safety Pick, then Top Safety Pick+

One model yearEach award is for one year; the criteria tighten over time

Check it yourselfLook up the exact year and body style on iihs.org and nhtsa.gov

Two testers, two scales

NHTSA, the US road-safety regulator, runs the New Car Assessment Program and rates cars from 1 to 5 stars for frontal crashes, side crashes and rollover risk. The IIHS is a nonprofit funded by insurance companies; it runs its own, often tougher, crash tests and gives two yearly awards: Top Safety Pick and, one tier higher, Top Safety Pick+. Europe, Australia and other regions run their own NCAP programmes with their own stars.

Why the year matters

IIHS awards are given each year to the best performers of that year, and the criteria change as the institute adds new tests. A car that earned Top Safety Pick+ one year can drop to plain Top Safety Pick the next, even if the car itself barely changed — which is exactly what happened to the Honda Civic in the PixProof below.

How to check a safety claim

When an ad or a dealer says "top safety rating", look the car up yourself on iihs.org and nhtsa.gov using the exact model year and body style (sedan and hatchback can score differently). Check which tier it really earned, and whether the claim is about this year's car or an older one.

▸ THE HYPE VS WHAT WE FOUND

Real claims involving this term, each checked in a PixProof with linked sources.

"The 2023 Civic is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+."IIHS gave the 2023 Civic sedan and hatchback the plain Top Safety Pick. The higher TSP+ belonged to the 2022 model; the criteria changed and the 2023 car didn't requalify at that tier.BUYHonda Civic PixProof →"Telluride secures highest honor from IIHS for second consecutive year."Holds up: IIHS lists the 2023 Telluride as a Top Safety Pick+, and Kia's other award wins are independently recorded too.QUESTION ITKia Telluride PixProof →

▸ PIXPROOFS THAT USE THIS TERM (2)

Honda Civic · BUY · Honda
Kia Telluride · QUESTION IT · Kia

▸ COMPANIES BEHIND IT

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Kia Corporation

HYPE OR REAL?

"The 2023 Honda Civic earned IIHS's Top Safety Pick+."

▸ QUICK QUESTIONS

What is the difference between Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+?: Both are yearly IIHS awards. Top Safety Pick+ is the higher tier, with stricter requirements. A car can win either one, both in different years, or neither.
Are IIHS and NHTSA ratings the same thing?: No. NHTSA is the US government regulator and gives 1–5 stars. IIHS is a nonprofit funded by insurers that runs its own tests and gives awards. Many cars have both.
Does an award from last year still count?: Only for last year's car. IIHS awards apply to a specific model year and the criteria change, so always check the year you are buying.

▸ SOURCES

Spot something wrong? Tell us — corrections are logged, see methodology.

▸ MORE EXPLAINERS

What does "All Natural" on a food label actually mean?How true is "based on a true story"?What is AGI?What is AI?What is an AI agent?What does "up to X hours" battery life really mean?What is a benchmark, and why do scores mislead?What does a box-office record actually mean?What is a class-action lawsuit, and does a settlement prove the claim was false?What is clock speed?What does EV "fast charging" really mean?How is EV range measured?What is EPG?Can food brands say anything about health?What is frame generation, and are those frames real?What is GPT, and what is ChatGPT?Do GitHub stars and Hacker News points prove a tool is good?What are input latency and polling rate?What is an LLM?What is a live-service game?What counts as a mathematical proof?What does the NHTSA complaint count for a car tell you?What is open world?What does "open source" mean for software and AI?What is open-ear?Do more megapixels mean a better phone camera?What is a process node?What is prompt injection?What are vehicle safety ratings?What is refresh rate?What do Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores mean?What is a safety recall?What does "self-driving" actually mean?What are specs?What is controller stick drift?What is a telephoto lens?Are voice assistants always listening?What does IP68 mean?