54 tracked model-years are passenger cars. Sedans and hatchbacks dominate the five-star list across the whole site — lower centres of gravity help rollover scores — and the ranking below orders them by overall rating with complaints as the tiebreak. Frontal-crash passenger scores are the most common place cars lose marks, so the full sub-score set is shown.
| Model-Year | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Volkswagen Jetta | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 70 |
| 2019 Dodge Charger | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 5 | 120 |
| 2017 Dodge Charger | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 5 | 128 |
| 2021 Hyundai Elantra | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 5 | 132 |
| 2021 Hyundai Sonata | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 5 | 134 |
| 2021 Honda Civic | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 147 |
| 2017 Volkswagen Jetta | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 160 |
| 2017 Toyota Corolla | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 189 |
| 2015 Volkswagen Jetta | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 194 |
| 2019 Toyota Corolla | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 4 | 205 |
| 2019 Nissan Altima | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 5 | 233 |
| 2021 Honda Accord | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 245 |
| 2017 Kia Optima | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 257 |
| 2015 Hyundai Elantra | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 262 |
| 2015 Chevrolet Malibu | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 4 | 270 |
| 2017 Kia Forte | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 305 |
| 2019 Honda Civic | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 5 | 345 |
| 2013 Dodge Charger | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 5 | 360 |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 378 |
| 2017 Nissan Altima | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 4 | 393 |
| 2019 Toyota Camry | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 400 |
| 2023 Tesla Model 3 | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 428 |
| 2020 Tesla Model 3 | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 452 |
| 2017 Honda Accord | 5 ★ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 539 |
| 2019 Volkswagen Jetta | 5 ★ | 4 | 5 | 4 | 549 |
As with every ranking here, the rating belongs to the tested variant. Two-door and four-door versions of the same car are tested separately and can carry different frontal scores — the Accord is a documented example in our data, with the coupe and sedan differing on the frontal passenger test. In this class, 26 of 54 model-years score five stars for rollover resistance — the structural advantage of a low centre of gravity — while the frontal passenger test is the score that most often separates the five-star cars from the four-star ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the safest car here?
By overall rating then fewest complaints, the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta leads the tracked cars at 5 stars overall.
Do coupes and sedans rate differently?
They can. NHTSA tests body styles separately; on the 2013 Accord, for example, the published frontal scores differ between the 2-door and 4-door.
What sub-scores matter most?
Frontal and side overall scores drive the headline rating, while the side-pole test and rollover resistance are the most common places vehicles lose a star.