Safest Cars of 2015
These are the 2015 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 154 2015 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 102 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 2015 cars by NHTSA rating
| # | Model | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Recall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subaru BRZ | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 98 |
| 2 | Toyota Venza | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 3 | Audi S3 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 4 | Acura RLX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 91 |
| 5 | Ford Transit Connect | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 88 |
| 6 | Audi A4 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 7 | Buick Encore | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 8 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 9 | Audi A3 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 86 |
| 10 | Toyota RAV4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 11 | Infiniti Q70 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 12 | Toyota Avalon | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 13 | Toyota Highlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 82 |
| 14 | Audi S4 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 15 | Cadillac CTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 16 | Cadillac ATS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 17 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 18 | Infiniti Q50 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 80 |
| 19 | Toyota Corolla | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 20 | Toyota Sienna | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 21 | Cadillac XTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 78 |
| 22 | Hyundai Veloster | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 77 |
| 23 | Dodge Dart | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 76 |
| 24 | Buick Regal | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 25 | Chevrolet Sonic | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 26 | Acura MDX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 27 | Mazda Mazda3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 28 | Chevrolet Impala | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 29 | Chrysler 200 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 30 | Lexus ES | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 31 | Volvo XC60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 70 |
| 32 | Chevrolet Malibu | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 33 | Ford Taurus | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 34 | Lexus IS | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 35 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 68 |
| 36 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 37 | Mazda CX-5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 38 | Volvo S60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 67 |
| 39 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 40 | Ford Explorer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 41 | Volkswagen Jetta | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 42 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 43 | Nissan Pathfinder | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 44 | Audi A6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 64 |
| 45 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 46 | Nissan Altima | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 47 | Chevrolet Cruze | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 48 | Audi S6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 49 | BMW 5 Series | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 50 | Buick LaCrosse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 62 |
| 51 | Subaru Outback | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 52 | Subaru Crosstrek | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 53 | Chevrolet Volt | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 60 |
| 54 | Kia Sedona | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 55 | Chevrolet Trax | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 56 | Lincoln MKS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 57 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 58 | Subaru Legacy | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 59 | Tesla Model S | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 60 | BMW 3 Series | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
Common questions about the safest 2015 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2015?
- 102 2015 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 Subaru BRZ, Toyota Venza, Audi S3.
- 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.