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Once upon a time, Volvo was the nerdy kid at the back of the class who did all the homework early and wore a helmet to recess. It was the safety gold standard. But for 2025, IIHS says Volvo didn’t even show up to class.

Only Volvos built in 2024 made the list

Volvo offers a dozen badges of sedan, wagon, and crossover with powertrains ranging from mild hybrid to fully electric. But in 2024, only the XC90 (in both mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid configurations) earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.

Fast-forward a year, and Volvo’s slapped some 2025 stickers on XC90s made last year. So the IIHS said those get to keep their Safety Pick awards, Note that the heavy plug-in hybrid configuration slipped from a Pick+ to a Pick. So what about XC90s assembled in 2025? (We’ll call them 2025.5). No award. Not Pick+. No regular Pick. Nothing.

So wait, has IIHS just not had a chance to test the 2025.5 yet? Doubtful. On its page for the XC90, it specifies that all crash ratings carry over to the 2025.5. But not the Safety Pick award. So no Volvo built in 2025 gets an IIHS Safety Pick award.

Volvo IIHS snub: What changed for 2025?

IIHS didn’t just toughen the rules. It rewrote the playbook.

“We’re once again challenging automakers to make their new models even safer than those they were building a year ago,” said IIHS President David Harkey.

Now, to earn any award, vehicles need to perform in a revamped moderate overlap crash test—this time keeping rear seat passengers safer. “The updated test includes an additional dummy positioned in the second row,” IIHS explained. That change alone dropped dozens of vehicles from contention.

IIHS also now requires nighttime pedestrian crash prevention to win a Pick or Pick+. And it shows. Just 48 vehicles made the 2025 cut, down from 71 last year.

2025 was a big shake-up by the IIHS, a big loss for Volvo

Mazda walked away with eight awards. Volvo? Nada. For a company that literally invented the seatbelt, that’s rough.

The IIHS spelled it out: “Safety isn’t just about surviving crashes anymore. It’s about preventing them in the first place.” That means smart tech, not just strong steel. Volvo’s legacy is safety. But if it wants to stay on top, it’ll need more than history.

You can see all of IIHS’ 2025 winners in the video embedded below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari is a MotorBiscuit Staff Writer who brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Henry covers Ford models daily, including the F-150. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. He’s an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts. Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont.