Safety star ratings (NCAP and NHTSA)
Crash-test star ratings from Euro NCAP in Europe, ANCAP in Australia, and the US government's NHTSA. Compare only within one program, and check the test year.
Star ratings condense safety testing into a score. In Europe the tester is Euro NCAP, an independent organization, active since 1996, that gives each new car from zero to five stars. From 2026 its assessments are structured around four pillars: safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection, and post-crash safety. Australia has its own program, ANCAP. In the US, the federal agency NHTSA runs the 5-Star Safety Ratings program, which has used its star system since 1993.
Two rules keep the stars honest. Compare within one program: ANCAP states that ratings from other programs cannot be applied to models sold in Australia and New Zealand, because test protocols differ. And check the test year: Euro NCAP updates its protocols regularly, and a rating is valid for up to six years from the date it is awarded.
Verify a specific car's rating at euroncap.com, ancap.com.au, or nhtsa.gov. ANCAP notes that its ratings are for comparing vehicles of similar size, so read a rating alongside the car's size class.
Differs by market
Euro NCAP covers Europe, ANCAP covers Australia and New Zealand, and NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings cover the US. A car's stars from one program do not transfer to another.