In the latest wave of vehicles tested for safety from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, only one vehicle from the Detroit Three was eligible ― and it scored poorly.
The Cadillac CT5, a luxury midsize sedan, earned “poor” marks in four of the testing areas: the moderate overlap front crash test, the side impact crash test, the headlight test, as well as the updated front crash prevention test.
IIHS, an auto insurance-funded safety organization, tests new vehicles as they launch on a variety of metrics.
Of the nine recently launched vehicles tested, only four reached the highest standard to achieve a Top Safety Pick+ designation.
As the tests are continually refined, higher standards are required to earn top status. Recent changes require automakers to improve protection for back seat passengers as well as to ensure crash avoidance systems are better at preventing pedestrian crashes, as well as higher speed crashes with other vehicles.
But for a vehicle to score poorly on so many of the tests, particularly those that have been around for several years, is unusual, according to Jessica Jermakian, senior vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
“It is disappointing. Many of these test programs have been out for many years and the performance of the CT5 is not in line with the performance we see from vehicles across the board,” Jermakian said. “It seems the crashworthiness and crash avoidance results weren’t important for GM when they were redesigning the Cadillac CT5.”
GM introduced the CT5 in 2019. In 2025, the vehicle underwent an upgrade in styling that did not include structural changes.
In a statement emailed to the Detroit Free Press, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly noted that vehicle safety is the highest priority for the entire GM team.
“We are confident in the safety of the 2026 Cadillac CT5 that achieved a 5-Star rating in NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program,” Kelly said. “We respect the consumer metric ratings from IIHS and look to incorporate their findings into our vehicle designs.”
In the moderate overlap test, the CT5 earned a “good” structural rating. Room for improvement was seen with the rear passenger test, an area in which Jermakian noted vehicles still struggle since the criteria was updated in 2022. The rear passenger test dummies displayed results that indicate passengers could see severe head and chest injuries. The dummies also moved too far forward in the vehicle during the crash test that also added to their risks.
For the side impact test, the vehicle’s structure didn’t hold up to the testing standard.
“We measure how far the B pillar ― the vertical structure between the front and rear seat ― moves into that occupant space so there’s plenty of survival space,” she said, noting that the test showed an elevated injury risk to the driver, especially as the air bag didn’t protect the dummy from contact with the vehicle windowsill. “It could have been worse, but it did crush into the occupant compartment more than we would like to see.”
It’s unusual for a Cadillac vehicle to score so poorly, Jermakian said, as the brand historically has earned higher ratings for vehicles in previous studies.
While the Cadillac is joined in the lower performance group by the Audi A3 sedan, the Lexus IS, Nissan Kicks and Toyota Tacoma crew cab pickup truck, none of the other vehicles earned a poor rating on the same tests. The Audi A3 got a “poor” seat belt reminder score as well but that criteria does not factor into the Top Safety Pick award decision process.
Of the other nine vehicles recently tested by the institute ― the Audi A6, BMW X1, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid ― secured Top Safety Pick+ awards. Consumers can find the full list of Top Safety Pick+ award winners on the IIHS website.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New Cadillac CT5 gets ‘poor’ marks on safety tests from IIHS
Reporting by Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Jackie Charniga, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
