The safest cars in America
Of 465 vehicles crash-tested by U.S. safety regulators, 218 earn a perfect 5-star overall NHTSA rating. The very safest — like the Hyundai Ioniq 9 — score five stars across every test: overall, frontal, side and rollover. By brand, Subaru leads — about 100% of its tested models earn five stars.
NHTSA 5-STAR
218
models with 5★ overall
DATASET
465
models crash-tested
SAFEST TYPE
58%
of SUVs are 5★
#1 BY 5★ SHARE
Subaru
safest brand
The safest cars right now
Ranked by our ForCar Safety Score — NHTSA 5-star crash testing combined with real-world owner-reported injury severity and recall frequency. Every car here aces government crash tests; the score separates the very safest.
The safest SUVs
SUVs are the most-searched safe vehicle — and the type most likely to earn five stars. These crossovers and SUVs ace NHTSA crash testing.
FIG.02
01
Hyundai Ioniq 9Overall 5★ · Rollover 5★99/100
02
Kia EV6Overall 5★ · Rollover 5★97/100
03
Honda PrologueOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★96/100
04
Volvo EX90Overall 5★ · Rollover 4★96/100
05
Lexus RZOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★95/100
06
Buick Encore GXOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★95/100
07
Mazda CX-50Overall 5★ · Rollover 4★94/100
08
Cadillac LyriqOverall 5★ · Rollover 5★94/100
09
Kia SeltosOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★94/100
10
Toyota bZ4XOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★94/100
11
Subaru ForesterOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★93/100
12
Volkswagen TiguanOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★93/100
The safest car brands
Which brands build the safest cars — share of each maker's tested models that earn a 5-star overall NHTSA rating. Subaru leads the pack.
FIG.03
01
Subaru9 of 9 models 5★100%
03
Buick8 of 10 models 5★80%
04
Lincoln8 of 11 models 5★73%
06
Honda11 of 16 models 5★69%
07
Hyundai15 of 22 models 5★68%
08
Mazda8 of 12 models 5★67%
09
Genesis4 of 6 models 5★67%
10
Acura7 of 11 models 5★64%
11
Chevrolet15 of 24 models 5★63%
12
Volkswagen10 of 16 models 5★63%
13
Cadillac11 of 18 models 5★61%
14
Ford12 of 23 models 5★52%
Safest by body type
Which kinds of vehicles are safest — share of models earning five stars, by body type. SUVs come out on top.
The safest cars for families
For families, crash protection plus size and rollover resistance matter most. These 5-star SUVs and large haulers are the safest picks for carrying kids.
FIG.05
01
Hyundai Ioniq 9Overall 5★ · Rollover 5★99/100
02
Kia EV6Overall 5★ · Rollover 5★97/100
03
Honda PrologueOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★96/100
04
Volvo EX90Overall 5★ · Rollover 4★96/100
05
Lexus RZOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★95/100
06
Buick Encore GXOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★95/100
07
Mazda CX-50Overall 5★ · Rollover 4★94/100
08
Cadillac LyriqOverall 5★ · Rollover 5★94/100
09
Kia SeltosOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★94/100
10
Toyota bZ4XOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★94/100
11
Subaru ForesterOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★93/100
12
Volkswagen TiguanOverall 5★ · Rollover 4★93/100
The safest cars for teens & new drivers
For a teenager's first car, the goal is a top crash-test score in a practical, non-exotic model. These mainstream 5-star cars pair the highest safety with the sensible size and cost a new driver needs.
FIG.06
01
Subaru WRXOverall 5★ · 6 recalls98/100
02
Kia K4Overall 5★ · 3 recalls96/100
03
Nissan ARIYAOverall 5★ · 4 recalls96/100
04
Toyota CrownOverall 5★ · 11 recalls93/100
05
Hyundai Ioniq 6Overall 5★ · 13 recalls92/100
06
Kia StingerOverall 5★ · 20 recalls90/100
07
Nissan PathfinderOverall 5★ · 15 recalls88/100
08
Kia K5Overall 5★ · 20 recalls87/100
09
Chevrolet Bolt EVOverall 5★ · 38 recalls86/100
10
Toyota CamryOverall 5★ · 149 recalls85/100
11
Honda AccordOverall 5★ · 410 recalls85/100
12
Ford MustangOverall 5★ · 308 recalls85/100
Frequently asked questions
What are the safest cars?
By NHTSA 5-Star crash-test ratings, 218 current models earn a perfect 5-star overall score. The top picks — like the Hyundai Ioniq 9 — score five stars across overall, frontal, side and rollover tests.
What is the safest SUV?
The Hyundai Ioniq 9 is among the safest SUVs, with top marks across NHTSA crash tests. SUVs earn five stars more often than any other body type.
Which car brand is the safest?
By share of models earning 5 stars, Subaru leads — about 100% of its tested lineup earns a perfect 5-star overall rating.
How are cars crash-tested?
NHTSA (the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) crash-tests vehicles and rates them 1–5 stars for overall safety, plus frontal, side and rollover tests. Five stars is the highest.
Are 5-star cars actually safer?
A 5-star NHTSA rating means the vehicle performed best in government crash testing. It is one of the strongest, most objective safety signals available — though real-world safety also depends on size, driver assists and how the car is driven.
What are the safest cars for teens and new drivers?
For a first car, prioritise a top crash score in a practical model. The Subaru WRX and other mainstream 5-star cars balance the highest safety with the sensible size and cost a new driver needs.
What are the safest cars for families?
For families, the safest picks are 5-star SUVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 9 — extra size and rollover resistance add protection when carrying kids.
What is the ForCar Safety Score?
It blends NHTSA 5-star crash tests (60%) with real-world owner-reported injury severity (25%) and recall frequency (15%) into a single 0–100 score — so even among five-star cars you can see which are genuinely the safest.
IIHS vs NHTSA — what is the difference?
NHTSA is the U.S. government's 5-Star Safety Ratings program, used here. IIHS is a separate insurance-industry body with its own "Top Safety Pick" awards and different tests. Both are respected; NHTSA rates the most models on a consistent star scale.
Methodology
The
ForCar Safety Score blends the U.S. government's
NHTSA 5-Star crash tests (overall, frontal, side and rollover — 60% of the score) with real-world
owner-reported injury severity (25%) and
recall frequency (15%), across
465 crash-tested models. We use each model's most recent test year (2023+); brand and body-type leaders show the share of models earning a 5-star overall rating. Note: newer models with little owner-complaint or recall history can score slightly higher. Last updated Jul 2026.
Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.Cite this study
Journalists and writers are welcome to use these findings with attribution and a link to this page.
ForCar Research, “The Safest Cars: NHTSA 5-Star Ratings.” ForCar.org. https://forcar.org/safest-cars/