Toyota Tacoma qualifies for Top Safety Pick

The new Toyota Tacoma crew cab, a small pickup, qualifies for a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety thanks to improved performance in the small overlap front test.

While the 2023 model fell short, the redesigned 2024 version earns a good rating in this key crashworthiness evaluation. Measures taken from the driver dummy did not show any heightened risk of injury, and the occupant compartment maintained its integrity during the test.

To qualify for the 2024 Top Safety Pick award, vehicles need, in addition to a good small overlap rating, good ratings in the original moderate overlap front test and the updated side test as well as acceptable- or good-rated headlights across all trim levels.

An acceptable or good rating in a revised version of the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation is also required. The new version replaces the earlier daytime and nighttime tests with a single evaluation that includes some test runs in daylight and some in the dark.

The Tacoma has a standard front crash prevention system that earns a good rating in the pedestrian test and acceptable headlights across all trims.

The popular pickup misses out on the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award because it was not evaluated in the updated moderate overlap front test. An acceptable or good rating in the updated test is required for the “plus.”