Safest Cars of 2023
These are the 2023 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 160 2023 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 122 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 2023 cars by NHTSA rating
| # | Model | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Recall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexus RZ | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 96 |
| 2 | Buick Envision | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Trailblazer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 4 | Toyota Venza | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 5 | Toyota Prius | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 6 | GMC Terrain | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 85 |
| 7 | Toyota RAV4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 8 | Toyota Crown | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 9 | Toyota Highlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 82 |
| 10 | Chevrolet Equinox | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 11 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 12 | Toyota Tundra | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 13 | Kia Niro | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 14 | Lincoln Nautilus | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 15 | Toyota Corolla | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 16 | Toyota Sienna | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 79 |
| 17 | Buick Encore GX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 18 | Subaru WRX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 74 |
| 19 | Cadillac CT5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 73 |
| 20 | Acura MDX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 21 | Mazda Mazda3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 72 |
| 22 | Lexus ES | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 23 | Volvo XC60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 70 |
| 24 | Chevrolet Malibu | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 25 | Lexus IS | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 26 | Nissan Sentra | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 27 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 28 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 29 | Mazda CX-5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 30 | Volvo S60 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 67 |
| 31 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 32 | Ford Explorer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 33 | Nissan Rogue | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 34 | Volkswagen Jetta | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 35 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 36 | Lincoln Aviator | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 37 | Nissan Pathfinder | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 38 | Cadillac XT6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 39 | Nissan Altima | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 64 |
| 40 | Chrysler Voyager | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 41 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 61 |
| 42 | Nissan Versa | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 43 | Subaru Outback | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 44 | Subaru Crosstrek | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 45 | Honda Ridgeline | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 46 | Infiniti QX50 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 47 | Lincoln Corsair | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 48 | Mercedes-Benz GLE | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 49 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 50 | Subaru Legacy | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 51 | BMW 3 Series | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 52 | Honda Civic | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 53 | Volvo XC90 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
| 54 | Ford Expedition | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 56 |
| 55 | Nissan Leaf | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 56 |
| 56 | Subaru Impreza | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 56 |
| 57 | Chevrolet Camaro | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 53 |
| 58 | Honda Pilot | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 53 |
| 59 | Subaru Forester | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 52 |
| 60 | Cadillac XT5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 49 |
Common questions about the safest 2023 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2023?
- 122 2023 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 Lexus RZ, Buick Envision, Chevrolet Trailblazer.
- 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.