Full-size pickup trucks are a popular choice for many drivers in the United States due to their power, ruggedness, and versatility. Car safety is also an important consideration when looking for a vehicle. Over the last few years, manufacturers have been making significant strides in improving the safety features of their full-size trucks while safety ratings are becoming increasingly important to consumers.

In 2023, the competition among automakers to produce the safest full-size trucks on the market is fierce. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has set tougher criteria in place for winning its highest awards. There were only a couple of full-size trucks on the market that didn’t earn a 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2023.

The 2023 Ram 1500 didn’t get perfect scores across the board

The NHTSA website shows that the 2023 Ram 1500 crew cab models earned the highest overall safety rating of five stars in either the rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configurations.  Neither of the quad cab models of the Ram 1500, the rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, earned a perfect overall score.

These models only got four-star ratings on the frontal crash and rollover tests, which assesses the vehicle’s ability to resist rolling over in the event of a crash.

It’s worth noting that the crew cab models got the same four-star ratings in both the frontal crash and rollover tests even though they earned five stars overall. While this didn’t impact the overall safety score of the crew cab models, it’s still an important consideration for those who prioritize vehicle safety.

Otherwise, there wasn’t a lot of information provided about why the quad cab models didn’t receive the top overall rating.

The 2023 Nissan Titan failed to earn a 5/5

No model of the 2023 Nissan Titan received the top five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA. Only the crew cab models, both in rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations, appear to have been fully evaluated by the agency. Those models received an overall score of four stars, with both models receiving four stars in the frontal crash tests. 

The rear-wheel drive crew cab model of Titan received four stars on the rollover tests while the four-wheel drive crew cab model only earned three out of five stars. 

The lower overall safety rating for the 2023 Titan is mostly due to its performance in the frontal crash test. The NHTSA uses that test to evaluate the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger by tracking the forces experienced by crash test dummies in a head-on collision. The four-star rating indicates there is a higher risk of injury.

Two 2023 Nissan Titan King cab models were put through the rollover test, both received four out of five stars. They don’t appear to have been put through either the front or side crash tests. The 2023 Nissan Titan XD doesn’t appear to have been tested at all and there’s not a lot of information on why that’s the case on these three models.

How other 2023 full-size trucks fared

The 2023 Ford F-150, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and the 2023 GMC Sierra all earned five-star overall scores from the NHTSA. 

Most versions of the 2023 Ford F-150 earned five stars on the frontal crash and side crash tests while earning four stars on the rollover test. Only the Lightning BEV models weren’t thoroughly tested, just showing a four-star rating on the rollover test.

Only a few models of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 were fully evaluated by the NHTSA. Both the Silverado 1500 rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive received top five-star overall ratings with four out of five-star ratings on frontal crash and rollover tests and five stars earned on the side crash test. A couple of models were put through the side crash and rollover tests while most haven’t yet been evaluated.

Not all of the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500s have been fully tested. Two models earned top five-star overall safety ratings from NHTSA. Both received five stars on the side crash test but only four stars on both the frontal crash and rollover tests. Two of the 2023 Toyota Tundra models have been fully tested and earned top five-star overall safety ratings while other models either have been tested at all or have been put through one or two of the tests.