Safest Cars of 2017
These are the 2017 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 156 2017 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 113 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 2017 cars by NHTSA rating
| # | Model | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Recall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buick Cascada | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 99 |
| 2 | Mazda Mazda2 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 97 |
| 3 | Lincoln Continental | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 94 |
| 4 | Buick Envision | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 5 | Volkswagen Golf R | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 6 | Audi S3 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 7 | Toyota Prius | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 8 | Acura RLX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 91 |
| 9 | Ford Transit Connect | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 88 |
| 10 | Audi A4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 11 | Buick Encore | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 12 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 13 | Toyota Yaris | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 86 |
| 14 | Toyota RAV4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 15 | Toyota Avalon | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 16 | Toyota Highlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 82 |
| 17 | Cadillac CTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 18 | Cadillac ATS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 19 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 20 | Toyota Corolla | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 21 | Toyota Sienna | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 22 | Cadillac XTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 78 |
| 23 | Hyundai Veloster | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 77 |
| 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 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 30 | Lexus ES | 5/5 | 4/5 | 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 | Mazda CX-3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 35 | Lexus IS | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 36 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 68 |
| 37 | GMC Acadia | 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 | 4/5 | 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 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 51 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 61 |
| 52 | Subaru Outback | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 53 | Subaru Crosstrek | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 54 | Chevrolet Volt | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 60 |
| 55 | Honda Ridgeline | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 56 | Kia Sedona | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 57 | Chevrolet Trax | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 58 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 59 | Subaru Legacy | 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 2017 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2017?
- 113 2017 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 Buick Cascada, Mazda Mazda2, Lincoln Continental.
- 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.