How to Look Up NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (and Compare Them Fairly)

How to search NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings, what frontal, side and rollover tests measure, when you can compare vehicles, and what “Not Rated” and the warning symbol mean.

Updated November 13, 2026. Checked against NHTSA’s ratings pages on that date.

Quick answer

NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings come from the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). One star is the lowest rating and five stars is the highest. Search by model year, make and model on NHTSA’s ratings search, or start from the ratings page. More stars mean a lower average injury risk in the tests NHTSA describes — but frontal scores and the overall score can only be compared within the same vehicle class and a 250-pound weight window.

How to look up a rating

Open nhtsa.gov/ratings-search or the Ratings page.
Search by the vehicle’s model year, make and model. The ratings page also lets you search ratings by manufacturer.
Read the frontal, side, rollover and Overall Vehicle Score, plus any recommended driver-assistance technologies and any warning symbol.

The ratings page notes that SaferCar.gov is now part of NHTSA.gov. New vehicles have carried 5-Star Safety Ratings information on the window label since 2006, according to NHTSA’s program timeline.

What the tests measure

NHTSA says it conducts frontal, side and rollover tests because those types account for the majority of crashes on America’s roadways. In brief, as described on the official ratings page:

Frontal crash: a vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph, representing a crash between two similar vehicles of the same weight. Injury evaluation covers the head, neck, chest and femur. An average-size adult male is in the driver seat and a small-size adult female is in the front passenger seat, both belted.
Side barrier: a 3,015 lb moving barrier hits a standing vehicle at 38.5 mph, representing an intersection-type collision. Injury evaluation covers the head, chest, abdomen and pelvis.
Side pole: the vehicle, angled at 75 degrees, is pulled sideways at 20 mph into a 25 cm diameter pole at the driver’s seating location.
Rollover resistance: based on an at-rest laboratory measurement called the Static Stability Factor (how “top-heavy” the vehicle is) and a driving maneuver that tests whether the vehicle is vulnerable to tipping up in a severe maneuver.

How to compare vehicles fairly

NHTSA categorizes vehicles by class and curb weight (the weight with standard equipment including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, coolant, and air conditioning). Passenger cars are further subdivided into mini, light, compact, medium and heavy groups by pound ranges listed on the ratings page; other classes include sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans.

Side and rollover ratings can be compared across all classes. Frontal ratings must only be compared between vehicles from the same weight class (±250 lbs). Because the Overall Vehicle Score includes the frontal rating, overall scores have the same comparison limit. NHTSA’s examples: do not compare a 4,500-pound SUV with a 3,000-pound sedan, and do not compare a 3,600-pound pickup with a 3,400-pound van even though the weights are close, because the classes differ.

The Overall Vehicle Score is calculated from injury probabilities used in the frontal and side ratings and a projected injury probability based on rollover resistance, weighted to reflect the proportion of real-world injuries associated with each crash type, then compared with the average risk across the vehicle fleet. Five stars means overall injury risk is much less than average; one star means much greater than average.

“Not Rated,” the warning symbol, and recommended technologies

If a vehicle has not been tested for a particular crash condition, the label shows “Not Rated.” NHTSA still notes that all vehicles sold in the United States are certified by the manufacturer as complying with applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (CFR Title 49, Chapter V, Part 571).

A warning symbol alerts consumers to a government safety concern about the vehicle. NHTSA’s examples include structural failure or unintended performance of a component such as fuel leakage or a door opening. That concern is not part of the Overall Vehicle Score, so a high star rating can still carry the symbol; it appears in the relevant crash category and the overall-score area.

The ratings page also lists recommended driver-assistance technologies that have met NHTSA performance tests (forward collision warning, lane departure warning, crash imminent braking, and dynamic brake support) and other equipment such as air bags, seat belts, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. The program timeline says automatic emergency braking was added to the recommended list starting with model year 2018 vehicles.

Frequently asked questions

Can I compare any two vehicles’ star ratings?

Not for every score. NHTSA says side crash ratings and rollover ratings can be compared across all classes. Frontal crash ratings, and the Overall Vehicle Score (because it includes the frontal rating), can be compared only with other vehicles in the same class whose weight is within plus or minus 250 pounds.

What does “Not Rated” mean?

NHTSA says “Not Rated” appears if the vehicle has not been tested for that crash condition. Even then, vehicles sold in the United States are certified by the manufacturer as complying with applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Does a high star rating mean there is no safety concern?

Not necessarily. NHTSA says a warning symbol alerts consumers to a safety concern such as structural failure or unintended performance (for example, fuel leakage or a door opening). That concern is not part of the Overall Vehicle Score calculation, so a vehicle can have a high star rating and still show the symbol.

Is NHTSA the only crash-test program?

No. NHTSA says other organizations also crash-test vehicles, but NHTSA is the only organization that rates rollover resistance in addition to frontal and side crashworthiness.

Sources

MotorDeets is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Always confirm a vehicle’s current ratings on nhtsa.gov. This page does not rate vehicles.