The short answer
Car safety ratings come from two main programs. NHTSA, the U.S. government, gives 1-to-5 stars from three crash tests. The IIHS, an insurer-funded nonprofit, grades cars Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor across more demanding tests like the small overlap front crash. The tests differ, so a 5-star car can still fail an IIHS test — for the safest buy, check both and favor a 5-star, IIHS Top Safety Pick.
What is NHTSA's 5-star safety rating and how is it tested?
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings, run under its New Car Assessment Program, score crashworthiness from one to five stars using three tests: a 35 mph frontal barrier crash, a side-impact crash, and a rollover resistance measurement. Five stars is the top score. The program is run by the U.S. federal government, and every rating is free to look up.
- Frontal crash — the vehicle hits a fixed barrier head-on at 35 mph.
- Side crash — a moving barrier and a rigid pole strike the vehicle's side.
- Rollover resistance — measures how top-heavy the vehicle is and its risk of tipping.
- Overall rating — combines the three into a single 1-to-5-star score.
Look up any vehicle's stars on NHTSA's ratings site. NHTSA also runs the free recall lookup you should use in our used-car inspection checklist.
What is the IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ and how do they differ?
Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ are annual awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an insurer-funded nonprofit. To win either, a vehicle must earn Good or Acceptable ratings across IIHS crash tests plus qualifying front crash prevention and headlights. Top Safety Pick+ is the higher tier, demanding Good-rated headlights on every trim, not just one.
| Requirement | Top Safety Pick | Top Safety Pick+ |
|---|---|---|
| Crashworthiness tests | Good / Acceptable | Good / Acceptable |
| Front crash prevention | Qualifying | Qualifying |
| Headlights | Good or Acceptable | Good on all trims |
The criteria tighten most years, so a 2024 winner may not qualify in 2026. Confirm the award for the exact model year on the IIHS ratings site.
What is the difference between NHTSA and IIHS ratings?
NHTSA is the U.S. federal agency that rates cars 1 to 5 stars from three crash tests, while the IIHS is an insurance-industry nonprofit that grades cars Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor across more tests — including the small overlap front crash it added in 2012. IIHS tests are generally tougher, which is why the two ratings can disagree on the same car.
| NHTSA | IIHS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | U.S. government agency | Insurer-funded nonprofit |
| Scale | 1 to 5 stars | Good · Acceptable · Marginal · Poor |
| Crash tests | Frontal, side, rollover | Includes small overlap, moderate overlap, side |
| Extras rated | Crash-avoidance recommendations | Headlights, front crash prevention, seat belt reminders |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Because the programs measure different crashes, the most reliable safety read comes from checking both — the same way reliability data informs which car brands are most reliable.
Can a car have a 5-star NHTSA rating but fail an IIHS test?
Yes. When the IIHS introduced its small overlap front crash test in 2012, several vehicles holding 5-star NHTSA ratings earned a Poor grade, because NHTSA's frontal barrier test does not replicate a small overlap impact — where only a corner of the front end hits an object. The two programs use different tests, so a top score on one does not guarantee a top score on the other.
- The small overlap test sends 25% of the front end into a rigid barrier at 40 mph.
- It stresses parts of the structure NHTSA's full-width frontal test does not load.
- Automakers later strengthened front-end structures in response, raising scores industry-wide.
The IIHS documents this history on its vehicle ratings overview. The lesson: a 5-star NHTSA badge alone is not the full safety picture.
What ADAS features does NHTSA now evaluate in its safety program?
NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program is expanding to recommend driver-assistance technologies starting with model year 2027 vehicles, including blind spot warning, blind spot intervention, lane keeping assist, and pedestrian automatic emergency braking. NHTSA finalized this decision in November 2024, adding crash-avoidance assessments alongside the existing 1-to-5-star crashworthiness ratings.
- Blind spot warning (BSW) — alerts you to vehicles in the blind spot.
- Blind spot intervention (BSI) — steers or brakes to prevent a blind-spot collision.
- Lane keeping assist (LKA) — nudges the car back into its lane.
- Pedestrian automatic emergency braking — brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian.
Separately, NHTSA's FMVSS No. 127 rule will require automatic emergency braking on all new passenger cars by September 1, 2029 and on light trucks by September 1, 2030. For a full breakdown of which systems actually prevent crashes, see our guide to ADAS safety features. Details on each system are on NHTSA's driver-assistance technologies page.
How should I use safety ratings when shopping for a car?
Check both NHTSA stars and the IIHS rating for the exact model year you are buying, and favor a 5-star NHTSA score that is also an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+. Confirm the car has automatic emergency braking — vehicles with AEB are about 50% less likely to be in a rear-end crash — and that the rating matches the specific trim.
- Pull the NHTSA stars and IIHS grades for the year, make, model, and trim.
- Prefer 5 stars overall plus an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+.
- Verify automatic emergency braking and other crash-avoidance tech are included.
- Remember ratings can change year to year, so don't assume a 2022 award still applies.
- Pair the rating with a hands-on inspection before you buy.
Safety scores also affect what you pay to insure the car — see how car insurance rates are set, and why ratings matter most for a new driver's first car. After purchase, learn to read your dashboard warning lights.
Frequently asked questions
What is NHTSA's 5-star safety rating and how is it tested?
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings, part of its New Car Assessment Program, score a vehicle's crashworthiness from one to five stars based on three crash tests: a 35 mph frontal barrier, a side-impact test, and a rollover resistance measurement. Five stars is the highest score. The U.S. government runs the program, and ratings are free at nhtsa.gov.
What is the IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+?
Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ are annual awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an insurer-funded nonprofit. A vehicle must earn Good or Acceptable ratings in IIHS crashworthiness tests and qualifying front crash prevention and headlight performance. Top Safety Pick+ is the higher tier, requiring Good-rated headlights across all trims.
What is the difference between NHTSA and IIHS ratings?
NHTSA is the U.S. federal government agency and rates cars on a 1-to-5-star scale from three crash tests. The IIHS is an insurance-industry nonprofit that grades cars Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor across more crash tests, including the small overlap front test. IIHS tests are generally tougher, so the two ratings can disagree.
Can a car have a 5-star NHTSA rating but fail an IIHS test?
Yes. When the IIHS introduced its small overlap front crash test in 2012, several vehicles with 5-star NHTSA ratings earned a Poor grade because NHTSA's frontal test does not replicate that crash. The two programs use different tests, so a car can excel on one rating and struggle on the other.
What ADAS features does NHTSA now evaluate in its safety program?
NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program is expanding to evaluate driver-assistance technologies starting with model year 2027 vehicles, including blind spot warning, blind spot intervention, lane keeping assist, and pedestrian automatic emergency braking. The agency finalized the decision in November 2024 to recommend these systems beyond the existing crash-test star ratings.
How should I use safety ratings when shopping for a car?
Check both NHTSA stars and the IIHS rating for the exact model year you are buying, and prioritize a 5-star NHTSA score plus an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+. Confirm the car has automatic emergency braking, which makes a rear-end crash about 50% less likely, and verify ratings match the trim.
Sources
CarsLens is editorial guidance, not individualized advice. This page draws on NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).