Safest Cars of 2021
These are the 2021 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 165 2021 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 128 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 2021 cars by NHTSA rating
| # | Model | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Recall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mazda Mazda2 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 97 |
| 2 | Toyota C-HR | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 97 |
| 3 | Audi Q3 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 4 | Buick Envision | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 5 | Chevrolet Trailblazer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 6 | Toyota Venza | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 7 | Toyota Prius | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 8 | Audi A4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 9 | Buick Encore | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 87 |
| 10 | GMC Terrain | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 85 |
| 11 | Toyota RAV4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 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 | Chevrolet Equinox | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 15 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 16 | Lincoln Nautilus | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 17 | Toyota Corolla | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 18 | Toyota Sienna | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 19 | Audi A5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 74 |
| 20 | Buick Encore GX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 21 | Subaru WRX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 74 |
| 22 | Cadillac CT5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 73 |
| 23 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 73 |
| 24 | Mazda Mazda3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 72 |
| 25 | Lexus ES | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 26 | Volvo XC60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 70 |
| 27 | Mazda CX-3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 28 | Nissan Rogue Sport | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 29 | Lexus IS | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 30 | Nissan Sentra | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 31 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 32 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 33 | Mazda CX-5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 34 | Volvo S60 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 67 |
| 35 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 36 | Ford Explorer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 37 | Volkswagen Jetta | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 38 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 39 | Lincoln Aviator | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 40 | Audi A6 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 64 |
| 41 | Cadillac XT6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 42 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 43 | Nissan Altima | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 64 |
| 44 | Chrysler Voyager | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 45 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 61 |
| 46 | Nissan Versa | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 47 | Subaru Outback | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 48 | Subaru Crosstrek | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 49 | Honda Ridgeline | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 50 | Infiniti QX50 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 51 | Kia Sedona | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 52 | Chevrolet Trax | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 53 | Lincoln Corsair | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 54 | Mercedes-Benz GLE | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 55 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 56 | Subaru Legacy | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 57 | BMW 3 Series | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 58 | Honda Civic | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 59 | Lincoln Navigator | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | C 57 |
| 60 | Volkswagen Passat | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
Common questions about the safest 2021 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2021?
- 128 2021 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 Mazda Mazda2, Toyota C-HR, Audi Q3.
- 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.