Safest Cars of 2024
These are the 2024 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 161 2024 models NHTSA has crash-tested, 127 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 2024 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 | Audi Q3 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 3 | Buick Envision | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Trailblazer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 5 | Toyota Venza | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 93 |
| 6 | Toyota Prius | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 92 |
| 7 | Audi A4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | A 87 |
| 8 | GMC Terrain | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 85 |
| 9 | Toyota RAV4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 84 |
| 10 | Toyota Crown | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 83 |
| 11 | Toyota Highlander | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 82 |
| 12 | Honda Odyssey | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 13 | Toyota Tundra | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | A 80 |
| 14 | Kia Niro | 5/5 | 4/5 | 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 | Audi A5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 74 |
| 18 | Buick Encore GX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 74 |
| 19 | Subaru WRX | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 74 |
| 20 | Cadillac CT5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 73 |
| 21 | Acura MDX | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 72 |
| 22 | Mazda Mazda3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 72 |
| 23 | Lexus ES | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 71 |
| 24 | Volvo XC60 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 70 |
| 25 | Chevrolet Malibu | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 69 |
| 26 | Lexus IS | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 27 | Nissan Sentra | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 28 | Toyota Camry | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 68 |
| 29 | GMC Acadia | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 30 | Mazda CX-5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 67 |
| 31 | Volvo S60 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 67 |
| 32 | Buick Enclave | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 33 | Ford Explorer | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 34 | Nissan Rogue | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 35 | Volkswagen Jetta | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 66 |
| 36 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 37 | Lincoln Aviator | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 38 | Nissan Pathfinder | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 65 |
| 39 | Audi A6 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 64 |
| 40 | Cadillac XT6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 64 |
| 41 | Nissan Altima | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | B 64 |
| 42 | Chrysler Voyager | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 63 |
| 43 | Nissan Versa | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 44 | Subaru Outback | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 45 | Subaru Crosstrek | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 61 |
| 46 | Honda Ridgeline | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 47 | Infiniti QX50 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | B 60 |
| 48 | Audi Q7 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 49 | Lincoln Corsair | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 59 |
| 50 | Chevrolet Traverse | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 58 |
| 51 | Subaru Legacy | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 58 |
| 52 | BMW 3 Series | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 53 | Honda Civic | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 57 |
| 54 | Volvo XC90 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 57 |
| 55 | Ford Expedition | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 56 |
| 56 | Nissan Leaf | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 56 |
| 57 | Subaru Impreza | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 56 |
| 58 | Audi Q5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | C 54 |
| 59 | Audi Q8 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 53 |
| 60 | Chevrolet Camaro | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | C 53 |
Common questions about the safest 2024 cars
- What are the safest cars of 2024?
- 127 2024 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, Audi Q3, Buick Envision.
- 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.