These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Hyundai Tucson scored by model year.

Hyundai Tucson NHTSA ratings by model year

YearConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRollover
2026 2026 HYUNDAI TUCSON HYBRID SUV HEV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2026 2026 HYUNDAI TUCSON SUV N/A AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2026 2026 HYUNDAI TUCSON SUV N/A FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2025 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2025 2025 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2025 2025 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2024 2024 Hyundai Tucson HEV SUV Early Release AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2024 2024 Hyundai Tucson SUV Early Release AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2024 2024 Hyundai Tucson SUV Early Release FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2023 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUV AWD 4/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2023 2023 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 4/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2023 2023 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUV AWD Early Release 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUV AWD Later Release 4/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUV FWD Early Release 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SUV FWD Later Release 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD Early Release 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD Later Release 4/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD Early Release 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2022 2022 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD Later Release 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2021 2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2021 2021 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2020 2020 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2020 2020 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2019 2019 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2019 2019 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2018 2018 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2018 2018 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2017 2017 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2017 2017 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2016 2016 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2016 2016 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 4/5
2015 2015 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2015 2015 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2014 2014 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2014 2014 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2013 2013 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2013 2013 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2012 2012 Hyundai Tucson SUV AWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5
2012 2012 Hyundai Tucson SUV FWD 4/5 4/5 5/5 4/5

How NHTSA's crash tests work

NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.

What the ratings do not tell you

Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Hyundai Tucson recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.

Common questions about Hyundai Tucson safety

Is the Hyundai Tucson a safe car?
In NHTSA crash tests, the Hyundai Tucson averages 4.6 out of 5 stars overall across the 2012 to 2026 model years, a strong four to five-star result. 24 of the 40 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
What is the Hyundai Tucson crash test rating?
The most recently rated Hyundai Tucson (2026) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 5 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 4 for rollover resistance.
Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.

Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.