NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
The U.S. government's crash-test program. More stars means better crash protection.
The 5-Star Safety Ratings come from NHTSA, the federal road-safety agency, which buys vehicles and crashes them: frontal impact, side impacts, and a rollover assessment. Results combine into an overall rating from one to five stars.
Stars compare best within a size class, since physics favors heavier vehicles in two-car collisions. A model year without a rating usually means NHTSA has not tested that vehicle yet, not that it is unsafe.