Safest Cars of 2011
These are the 2011 vehicles that earned NHTSA's top 5-star overall crash rating, ranked so the models with the cleanest recall records come first. It combines two things buyers usually have to check separately: how a car performs in a crash, and how often it gets recalled.
Of the 69 2011 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 16 earned the full five stars overall. Plenty of cars hit five stars, so the table breaks the tie the way a buyer actually should: among the top-rated models, the ones with the cleanest recall record rank first. Crash performance and recall history are two different things, and a car can be strong on one and weaker on the other.
Safest 2011 cars by NHTSA rating
| # | Model | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Recall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Prius | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 2 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 3 | Acura MDX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 4 | Volvo XC60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 70 |
| 5 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 6 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 7 | Chevrolet Cruze | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 8 | BMW 5 Series | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 9 | Buick LaCrosse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 62 |
| 10 | Chevrolet Volt | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 60 |
| 11 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 12 | Nissan Leaf | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 56 |
| 13 | Honda Accord | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 33 |
| 14 | Hyundai Sonata | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 29 |
| 15 | Kia Optima | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 29 |
| 16 | Acura ZDX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 27 |
| 17 | Toyota Venza | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 18 | Toyota Tacoma | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 88 |
| 19 | Audi A4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 20 | GMC Terrain | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 85 |
| 21 | Toyota Highlander | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 82 |
| 22 | Audi S4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 23 | Chevrolet Equinox | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 24 | Toyota Tundra | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 25 | Toyota Sienna | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 26 | Mazda Mazda3 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 27 | Chevrolet Malibu | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 28 | Ford Taurus | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 29 | Nissan Sentra | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | B 68 |
| 30 | Toyota Camry | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | B 68 |
| 31 | Ford Fiesta | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 32 | Nissan Rogue | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 33 | Volkswagen Jetta | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 34 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 35 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 36 | Nissan Altima | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 37 | Subaru Outback | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 38 | Subaru Legacy | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 39 | Honda Pilot | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 53 |
| 40 | Subaru Forester | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | C 52 |
| 41 | Buick Lucerne | 4/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | C 41 |
| 42 | Honda CR-V | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | D 34 |
| 43 | Ford F-150 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 30 |
| 44 | Lexus RX | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 29 |
| 45 | Kia Sorento | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | D 27 |
| 46 | Nissan Murano | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 27 |
| 47 | Kia Soul | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 23 |
| 48 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 22 |
| 49 | GMC Sierra 1500 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 21 |
| 50 | Infiniti M56 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 21 |
| 51 | GMC Yukon | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | D 20 |
| 52 | Ford Edge | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 19 |
| 53 | Cadillac Escalade | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | F 18 |
| 54 | Chevrolet Tahoe | 4/5 | 5/5 | — | 3/5 | F 16 |
| 55 | Ford Fusion | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | F 16 |
| 56 | Kia Forte | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | F 10 |
| 57 | Lincoln MKZ | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | F 7 |
| 58 | Mercury Milan | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | F 3 |
| 59 | Toyota RAV4 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 60 | Toyota Corolla | 3/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
Common questions about the safest 2011 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2011?
- 16 2011 models earned NHTSA's top 5-star overall crash rating. The table ranks them, and among the 5-star cars it puts the ones with the cleanest recall records first, so you get crash safety and reliability in one view. The leaders include the Toyota Prius, Honda Odyssey, Acura MDX.
- What does a 5-star safety rating mean?
- It is NHTSA's highest overall score in its New Car Assessment Program, combining frontal crash, side crash, and rollover tests. Five stars means the vehicle performed best in those federal tests. It is not a guarantee of safety in every real-world crash.
- Do 5-star cars still get recalls?
- Yes. Crash-test ratings and recalls are separate. A car can ace its crash tests and still be recalled for a defect later. That is why this list shows each model's recall safety score next to its stars, and links to the full recall history.
Crash ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Recall scores are from our recall methodology. This list updates as NHTSA publishes new ratings. Reference only, not legal or safety advice.