Safest Cars of 2013
These are the 2013 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 136 2013 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 60 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 2013 cars by NHTSA rating
| # | Model | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Recall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Venza | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 2 | Toyota Prius | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 3 | Audi A4 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 4 | Buick Encore | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 5 | Toyota Avalon | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 6 | Audi S4 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 7 | Cadillac CTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 81 |
| 8 | Cadillac ATS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 9 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 10 | Cadillac XTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 78 |
| 11 | Dodge Dart | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 76 |
| 12 | Buick Regal | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 13 | Chevrolet Sonic | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 14 | Lexus ES | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 15 | Volvo XC60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 70 |
| 16 | Chevrolet Malibu | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 17 | Ford Taurus | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 18 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 68 |
| 19 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 20 | Volvo S60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 67 |
| 21 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 22 | Ford Explorer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 23 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 24 | Nissan Altima | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 25 | Chevrolet Cruze | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 26 | BMW 5 Series | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 27 | Buick LaCrosse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 62 |
| 28 | Subaru Outback | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 29 | Chevrolet Volt | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 60 |
| 30 | Lincoln MKS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 31 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 32 | Subaru Legacy | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 33 | Tesla Model S | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 34 | BMW 3 Series | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 35 | Honda Civic | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
| 36 | Infiniti M35 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
| 37 | Volkswagen Passat | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
| 38 | Subaru Impreza | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 56 |
| 39 | Chevrolet Camaro | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 53 |
| 40 | Acura ILX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 39 |
| 41 | Cadillac SRX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 35 |
| 42 | Ford Focus | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 34 |
| 43 | Honda CR-V | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 34 |
| 44 | Honda Accord | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 33 |
| 45 | Hyundai Elantra | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 32 |
| 46 | Volkswagen Beetle | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 31 |
| 47 | Hyundai Sonata | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 29 |
| 48 | Kia Optima | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | D 29 |
| 49 | Lexus RX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 29 |
| 50 | Acura ZDX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 27 |
| 51 | Buick Verano | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 26 |
| 52 | Infiniti M56 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | D 21 |
| 53 | Hyundai Santa Fe | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 19 |
| 54 | Ford Fusion | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | F 16 |
| 55 | Dodge Charger | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | F 15 |
| 56 | Kia Sportage | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 13 |
| 57 | Mercedes-Benz M-Class | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 9 |
| 58 | Lincoln MKZ | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | F 7 |
| 59 | Dodge Challenger | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 6 |
| 60 | Chrysler 300 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | F 5 |
Common questions about the safest 2013 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2013?
- 60 2013 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 Venza, Toyota Prius, Audi A4.
- 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.