Safest Cars of 2018
These are the 2018 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 2018 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 118 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 2018 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 | Toyota C-HR | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 97 |
| 4 | Lincoln Continental | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 94 |
| 5 | Buick Envision | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 6 | Volkswagen Golf R | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 7 | Audi S3 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 8 | Toyota Prius | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 9 | Acura RLX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 91 |
| 10 | Ford Transit Connect | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 88 |
| 11 | Audi A4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 12 | Buick Encore | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 13 | Mitsubishi Outlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 14 | Audi A3 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 86 |
| 15 | Toyota Yaris | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 86 |
| 16 | GMC Terrain | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 85 |
| 17 | Toyota RAV4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 18 | Toyota Avalon | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 19 | Toyota Highlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 82 |
| 20 | Cadillac CTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 21 | Cadillac ATS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 81 |
| 22 | Chevrolet Equinox | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 23 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 24 | Toyota Corolla | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 25 | Toyota Sienna | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 26 | Cadillac XTS | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 78 |
| 27 | Audi A5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 74 |
| 28 | Chevrolet Sonic | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 29 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 73 |
| 30 | Acura MDX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 31 | Mazda Mazda3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 32 | Chevrolet Impala | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 33 | Lexus ES | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 34 | Chevrolet Malibu | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 35 | Ford Taurus | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 36 | Mazda CX-3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 37 | Lexus IS | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 38 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 39 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 40 | Mazda CX-5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 41 | Volvo S60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 67 |
| 42 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 43 | Ford Explorer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 44 | Volkswagen Jetta | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 45 | Nissan Pathfinder | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 46 | Audi A6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 64 |
| 47 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 48 | Nissan Altima | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 49 | Chevrolet Cruze | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 50 | Audi S6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 51 | Buick LaCrosse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 62 |
| 52 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 61 |
| 53 | Subaru Outback | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 54 | Subaru Crosstrek | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 55 | Chevrolet Volt | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 60 |
| 56 | Honda Ridgeline | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 57 | Kia Sedona | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 58 | Audi Q7 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 59 | Chevrolet Trax | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 60 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
Common questions about the safest 2018 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2018?
- 118 2018 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, Toyota C-HR.
- 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.