New Vehicles with the Highest Safety Ratings
October 31, 2024- Categories: Lemon Law
Every year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announces its top picks for cars, trucks, and SUVs that meet stringent standards for safety. Vehicles that perform the best in the IIHS evaluations achieve the TOP SAFETY PICK rating, and the highest-level rating is TOP SAFETY PICK+. These awards identify and commend the best vehicle choices in several size categories annually. While larger, heavier vehicles are generally designed with better safety protections than smaller, lighter vehicles, even some compact and smaller cars and trucks achieve stellar marks for safety and passenger protection.
The IIHS 2024 Top Safety Picks list was recently released and identifies the award winners in each category – the new vehicles with the highest safety ratings. Because of their meticulous design, consumers are often attracted to these makes and models when shopping for a new vehicle. But even the best of the best models can sometimes roll off the assembly line with unexpected defects; when this happens, California has an exceptional, consumer-friendly lemon law to protect consumers.
Neale & Fhima’s team of skilled and experienced attorneys have a 99% success rate in lemon law cases.
IIHS Rates Vehicles for Safety Rating
The criteria for being chosen as an IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ are exacting. Only a few vehicles can achieve the highest ratings. Criteria includes:
Top Safety Pick
- Advanced or superior rating for daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian front-crash prevention
- Acceptable or good rating in the updated side test
- Good ratings in the driver- and passenger-side small-overlap front tests and original moderate-overlap front test
- Acceptable or good headlights standard
Top Safety Pick+
- Acceptable or good headlights standard
- Advanced or superior rating for daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian front-crash prevention
- Good rating in the updated side test
- Good ratings in the driver- and passenger-side small-overlap front tests and original moderate-overlap front test
- Advanced or superior rating for nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front-crash prevention
Here Are the Most Recent Results
A top IIHS safety rating is incredibly difficult to achieve, and manufacturers are always striving for these awards. Here are the most recent results:
Small Cars
- 2023-2024 Acura Integra 4-door hatchback
- 2024 Hyundai Elantra 4-door sedan
- 2024 Mazda 3 4-door hatchback
- 2024 Mazda 3 4-door sedan
- 2024 Subaru Impreza 4-door wagon
Midsize Cars
- 2023-2024 Honda Accord 4-door sedan
- 2023-2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 4-door sedan
- 2023-2024 Subaru Outback 4-door wagon
- 2023-2024 Toyota Camry 4-door sedan
Small SUVs
- 2023-2024 BMW X1 4-door SUV
- 2024 Genesis GV60 4-door SUV
- 2023-2024 Honda CR-V 4-door SUV
- 2023-2024 Honda HR-V 4-door SUV
- 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 4-door SUV
Midsize SUVs
- 2023-2024 Honda Pilot 4-door SUV
- 2023-2024 Hyundai Palisade 4-door SUV
- 2023-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4-door SUV
- 2023-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L 4-door SUV
- 2023-2024 Kia Telluride 4-door SUV
IIHS Tightens Standards
Even though these standards are incredibly high, IIHS has been increasing standards for auto manufacturers to earn the coveted Top Safety Pick+ designation. To obtain the Top Safety Pick+ status, the car, truck, or SUV must score at least a ‘Good’ or ‘Acceptable’ rating in several categories. The higher safety standards are in addition to current standards for elevated ratings for side-crash tests, roof strength, and moderate-overlap frontal-crash tests.
IIHS is urging the industry to enhance protections for both drivers and passengers. Consumer Reports strongly urges potential buyers to review crash-test ratings when considering a new car, truck, or SUV purchase. The agency also recommends a review of critical safety data like the ability to avoid accidents and braking distances.
What If Your Vehicle Is Unsafe?
A Top Safety Pick+ rating is an exceptional honor for a manufacturer, but what about other vehicles that are not as safe because of design and manufacturing defects? Previous IIHS studies have shown that numerous vehicles have relatively poor safety-test results, potentially leading to serious injuries in car accidents. The worst vehicles have dozens of driver fatalities for each one million registered vehicle years. If you’ve identified a mechanical or electrical defect in your new or used vehicle that never seems to get fixed no matter how many times you take it in for repairs at the dealership, you could be entitled to file a lemon law claim in California. We can also explain the difference between a lemon law claim and a dealer fraud case.
Neale & Fhima Knows California’s Lemon Law
Our experienced and skilled team of lemon law attorneys have an efficient and organized approach to handling cases. We place the client at the center of everything we do. We will:
1. Thoroughly Assess Your Case
The first step in pursuing a successful lemon law claim is to determine if your vehicle meets the criteria for lemon law protection. Our lawyers will comprehensively assess your case, examining factors such as the number of repair attempts, severity of the defect, and the impact on your vehicle’s safety and value.
2. Negotiate Forcefully with Manufacturers
We negotiate aggressively with the manufacturer on our client’s behalf, seeking the best resolution possible. Our lemon law attorneys are not afraid to go toe-to-toe with major auto manufacturers to achieve a favorable outcome.
3. Fight for Compensation
We will aggressively pursue the highest compensation under lemon law guidelines. This could include a refund of your vehicle’s purchase price, a replacement vehicle, or a “cash and keep” settlement.
Call Neale & Fhima Today
If you’ve purchased a defective vehicle – even one with a high IIHS safety rating — you shouldn’t give up hope and settle for less. You might qualify for lemon law protection. Neale & Fhima has a 99% success rate in lemon law cases. Our lemon law attorneys know California lemon law inside and out, and we can interpret the law in ways that favor you. Attorney Aaron Fhima is among the best and the brightest. We have successfully qualified defective vehicles even if they were purchased longer ago than the 4-year lemon law statute of limitations in California. That’s because we have filed countless lemon law claims and have decades of experience in California courts. The outstanding testimonials we receive from satisfied clients speak for themselves. Call Neale & Fhima at 949-661-1007 for a free consultation about your case.
Attorney Aaron Fhima
Attorney Aaron Fhima is a trial attorney who has secured numerous settlements and verdicts against large corporations and some of the largest auto manufacturers in the world. Representing consumers and injury victims throughout the state of California, Aaron’s practice areas include personal injury, and lemon law litigation. Aaron has a long record of success taking on large defense firms; and he doesn’t hesitate to take cases to trial when necessary to enforce his clients’ rights.
