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GM Makes Seven Vehicles With ‘Poor’ or ‘Marginal’ Headlights, Per The IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) began factoring in headlight worthiness into its Top Safety Pick choices after 2017 and the move has left seven General Motors vehicles out of the winners’ circle.

Autoblog reported Monday that 40 new cars total received “poor” headlight ratings from the IIHS that kept the cars from earning Top Safety Pick ratings, even though the vehicles exhibited the right crashworthiness and mix of active safety features.

From GM, the vehicles are:

A handful of the cars received Top Safety Picks before the headlight tests were incorporated, including the Bolt EV and the Acadia.

The IIHS factors headlights into its top award after noting many fatal crashes in the United States happen in the dark. Headlights, obviously, play an important role in crash avoidance. The testing body evaluates headlights on a lux scale. One lux is the illumination of a full moon on an absolutely clear night. Sensors measure a car’s headlights to see how far light extends with an intensity of at least 5 lux. The tests are performed in a straight line and on gradual and sharp curves.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. This is just another grand standing headline for the IIHS.

    The truth be told the Headlamps in question are to their standards not the DOT.

    All the lights failed in the test are safe and most work really well and all exceed DOT requirements.

    My Acadia and the HID lights work more than fine for driving safely and I am not in any peril. Actually the Auto Dim works really well too.

    Now are there some better lights…. Sure. But that does not make the others blind bats.

    I have seen some of the other lights that are so bright that they can distracting to other drivers at night.

    The industry generally has been upgrading lighting since the 70’s as the government permits. We now have lights that are all more than safe and most will be LED in the near future.

    Generally many cars can not take LED as a straight plug in. Resisters need to be put inline to cut flickering. Others the Body control module needs redone to work with the different power loads.

    Also the housings often have to be done to deal with the heat. LED has to be cooled or it will fail. Many housings are updated at the refresh to accept these bulbs.

    Reply
    1. Agee. My 2017 Acadia headlights are fine. The auto dimming feature works great as well.

      Reply
    2. Took the words right out of my mouth. The IIHS will also score headlights as “poor” for being aimed too high which is a very simple adjustment that anybody could do. So if a car fails it doesn’t even necessarily mean the headlights are dim by their criteria. I remember they failed the Silverado equipped with HIDs for this reason, even though they were one of the better performing headlights that they tested

      Reply
    3. Definitely disagree with Scott3. I have a2018 Terrain. I noticed that the headlights are bright but the light ends abruptly 30 yards or so ahead. On a street that I drive daily, with no streetlights I can’t see much beyond that. Two reasons that I can think of is the very bright LED has such sharp contrast that it is hard for MY eyes to adjust to the dark road ahead. Once I put my brights on I see what I feel is a comfortable distance ahead. I was going to ask the shop if the headlights were adjusted correctly and I happened to hear about the ‘poor” rating on Terrain.

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    4. My Acadia headlights are awful, they are so dim on low i need to check to make sure they are on, its bordering on dangerous

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    5. The projector headlights in my 2019 Equinox are horrible and the design of them is nothing other than gross negligence because they are aimed too high to blind drivers coming towards me while they are routinely flashing their high beams at me to blind me as well! Meanwhile, I am left with crappy headlights preventing me from seeing properly in front and to both sides while driving! I have almost zero light while making turns! When I complained to both GM and to my dealer twice, both told me that they could do nothing and would do nothing because these projector headlights are not designed to be adjusted! I hope that a class action litigation is started to force GM into fixing this ongoing safety issue! If I am or someone else is killed because of these horrendous headlights I hope that this comment is found! Today is Dec 26th 2020

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    6. Have a 2018 Acadia love the car but how in the hell did the hi/low headlights pass safety tests? They suck can not see the road at night and you can barely tell the difference between the hi and low beams, complete trash and not safe!!!

      Reply
  2. I have been arguing this for two years now on this site and a lot of you get upset with me.
    GM needs to step up their game. I mean BMW, and Audi are offering laser ights and we have to have arguments if GM should offer LED option on a brand new Blazer. I mean the Toyota Corolla has LED as standard.

    Reply
    1. Yet Audi made the IIHS list with 5 models?

      Reply
    2. Laser lights are not on US models.

      Reply
      1. Then they are probably not legal in this country.

        Non issue then.

        The Government regulations have been the greatest restrictor of lighting in this country than anything.

        Reply
    3. I have a 2015 Impala and I don’t have the HIDs. If you are on a road with no lights and no moon out the visibility is horrible. Everyone on the Impala Forum complains about them even the guys with the HIDs. Other say converting to LED helps but still not great. I’m actually surprised the Impala isn’t on the list. I love the car just the headlights are not the best. To prove my point, I rarely have people flash their beams at me when I am driving with my Hi-beams on

      Reply
      1. This is one of the things I do not like about my 2017 LT Impala. And this is a case where technology has failed once again. The old halogen headlights on my 2000/2008 and 2013 Impala’s were far superior and could be easily upgraded for about 40 bucks. Heck my 1981 Trans Am and 1987 Cutlass have outstanding headlights now that they have been aligned properly.

        I’m also very leery how long the mechanical shutters will last on the new Impala’s . Unnecessary complication where it’s not needed and apparently does no good.

        Reply
    4. Yet the Corolla still has a 4 speed automatic and rear drum brakes……..and EFI, and the Corolla only has pathetic and out dated 132hp and 128lb ft of torque that can barely take the cap off toothpase when a Cruze has 153hp and 177lb ft? How come the Corolla has rear drum brakes when the Cruze has discs all around? Home come the Corolla is still using 80’s era EFI when everyone else has DI?????

      Why don’t you and the Corolla go get an f-ing room so you can both go F each other you F ing Toyota humping troll ????

      Reply
  3. “The IIHS factors headlights into its top award after noting many fatal crashes in the United States happen in the dark”. The crashes are caused by human errors (such as speeding, driving tired, or impaired by influences), not by bad headlights. If the IIHS did these same test decades ago, no vehicle will be considered “safe” since the older sealed beam lights were weak and yellowed due to using heated filaments (Edison’s invention). HIDs improved night visibility greatly. And modern LEDs also improved visibility, even as DRLs.

    Reply
  4. why is the 2018 XT5 rated poor when it is the same as the 2017 XT5 ??? or is it fake news ????

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  5. My ats 2015 (Base model) have no light at all. (Night) but I love it !!!!

    Reply
  6. I think most LED lights emerging as headlights on cars are not only ugly as duck but are ducking annoying.

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  7. All Subarus, including the ones made in Ohio, pass this test with flying colours. Domestic brands have been plagued with poor headlights for decades. About time IIHS takes this on. Congrats!

    Reply
  8. I thought my eyes had gotten really bad in the last year, coincidentally since I purchased my 2018 Terrain. Not! I had a 2012 Terrain, won’t go down that road about the engine, but the headlights were great. The newer one I almost forget I’m driving with the high beam because they are so bad. I’m wondering if GM can do anything to make them better.

    Reply
  9. I have a 2018 GMC Terrain TD model. I was driving it home late last night and was marvelling at the fact that this is by far the finest vehicle I have ever purchased. I buy a new vehicle every 5 years and have 3 at a time in my driveway. What I am not understanding here, both from this article and some of you, is how and what problem? Personally, and I also fly a plane, I would rate the headlights on my Terrain at a solid 9 at minimum. I had just made the comment to my wife last night, as the car practically drove itself home, that “wow, these are great headlights!” I dont even use the brights, as they are not needed.
    So, since I bought the vehicle late in the model year, maybe I got a set for the 2019?
    I rate this vehicle at a solid 9.

    Reply
  10. I have a 2018 Acadia the headlights are inadequate in dimly lighted areas and on turns in the dark – do not illuniate he area you are turning into – my wife’s Audi Q3 has at least twice the illuminated area, much brighter and illuminated corners on turning. I feel compelled to look into replacement headlights purely for safety reasons – great vehice but GM cut corners where they should not.

    Reply
  11. Today is Oct 22 2020–I have a 2019 Equinox diesel! I want this on the record! The headlights on my Equinox are so poor, it scares the hell out of me that it will cause some kind of terrible accident! The low beams are HORRIBLE as it is! When I hit my high beams there is no real difference other than I can see overhead tree branches light up to a very small amount! There is zero improvement with my headlights to see further ahead or side to side. This is worthless! I brought my Equinox to the local Chevy dealership for this urgent problem! The dealership told me that nothing could be done! They told me that they did not have better bulbs and the level of the headlights could not be adjusted at all!

    Reply
  12. issue not resolved in 2019 impala, gm does not know of this issue because there are to tac cases, let your dealer know and demand a fix also call gm customer care , the more case listed maybe the will have a fix

    Reply
  13. I have been to the dealer 2 times about this and I have called GM 4-5 times! Both parties say that there are absolutely no adjustments for the headlights on my 2019 Equinox and they have no plans to create a fix for this problem! This is PURE BLATANT
    GROSS NEGLIGENCE by GM and it’s a class action litigation waiting to happen when people die because of it! I really don’t want to be one of them!

    Reply

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