Safest Cars of 2012
These are the 2012 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 117 2012 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 31 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 2012 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 | Cadillac CTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 81 |
| 3 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 4 | Buick Regal | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 5 | Chevrolet Sonic | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 6 | Volvo XC60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 70 |
| 7 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 68 |
| 8 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 9 | Volvo S60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 67 |
| 10 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 11 | Chevrolet Cruze | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 12 | BMW 5 Series | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 13 | Buick LaCrosse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 62 |
| 14 | Chevrolet Volt | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 60 |
| 15 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 16 | BMW 3 Series | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 17 | Honda Civic | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
| 18 | Volkswagen Passat | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
| 19 | Nissan Leaf | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 56 |
| 20 | Chevrolet Camaro | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 53 |
| 21 | Cadillac SRX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 35 |
| 22 | Honda CR-V | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 34 |
| 23 | Honda Accord | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 33 |
| 24 | Hyundai Elantra | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 32 |
| 25 | Hyundai Sonata | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 29 |
| 26 | Kia Optima | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 29 |
| 27 | Acura ZDX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 27 |
| 28 | Dodge Charger | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | F 15 |
| 29 | Kia Sportage | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 13 |
| 30 | Chrysler 300 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 5 |
| 31 | Saab 9-4X | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 2 |
| 32 | Toyota 4Runner | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | A 94 |
| 33 | Toyota Venza | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 34 | Dodge Journey | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 91 |
| 35 | Mitsubishi Lancer | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | A 90 |
| 36 | Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | A 90 |
| 37 | Toyota Tacoma | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 88 |
| 38 | Audi A4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 39 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 40 | Nissan Juke | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 41 | Toyota Yaris | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 86 |
| 42 | GMC Terrain | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 85 |
| 43 | Chrysler Town and Country | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 44 | Toyota RAV4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 45 | Dodge Grand Caravan | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 46 | Toyota Highlander | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 82 |
| 47 | Audi S4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 48 | Chevrolet Equinox | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 49 | Toyota Tundra | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | A 80 |
| 50 | Toyota Corolla | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 51 | Toyota Sienna | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 52 | Suzuki SX4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | B 75 |
| 53 | Acura MDX | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 54 | Mazda Mazda3 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 55 | Chevrolet Impala | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 56 | Chrysler 200 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 57 | Chevrolet Malibu | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 58 | Ford Taurus | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 59 | Nissan Sentra | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | B 68 |
| 60 | Ford Fiesta | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
Common questions about the safest 2012 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2012?
- 31 2012 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, Cadillac CTS, Honda Odyssey.
- 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.