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Highest NHTSA Overall Ratings: Sedans (2012–2016)

Ranked by NHTSA crash-test ratings across 235 model-years of federal data.

Safety and fuel-economy results are ranked from NHTSA and EPA federal data. Owner-complaint lists (raw volume, not exposure-adjusted) remain unpublished until exposure and time-at-risk normalization are available.

NHTSA says overall scores should only be compared within the same vehicle class and at roughly similar curb weights. Treat this as a shortlist, not a complete safety verdict; 2010 scores are excluded because NHTSA changed the rating system for 2011.

  1. 1

    2016 Acura ILX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    51

    Crash

    MPG

    29

    Watch for: air bags complaints

  2. 2

    2015 Acura ILX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    19

    Crash

    MPG

    26.5

    Watch for: air bags complaints

  3. 3

    2014 Acura ILX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    30

    Crash

    MPG

    26

    Watch for: air bags complaints

  4. 4

    2013 Acura ILX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    65

    Crash

    MPG

    26

    Watch for: air bags complaints

  5. 5

    2016 Acura RLX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Too few reports to rank

    Complaints

    6

    Crash

    MPG

    23

  6. 6

    2015 Acura RLX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    11

    Crash

    MPG

    23

    Watch for: steering complaints

  7. 7

    2016 Acura TLX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    110

    Crash

    MPG

    25

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  8. 8

    2015 Acura TLX

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    340

    Crash

    MPG

    26.5

    Watch for: power train complaints

  9. 9

    2016 Audi A4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    25

    Crash

    MPG

    27

    Watch for: engine complaints

  10. 10

    2015 Audi A4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    44

    Crash

    MPG

    26

    Watch for: engine complaints

  11. 11

    2014 Audi A4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    75

    Crash

    MPG

    26

    Watch for: steering complaints

  12. 12

    2013 Audi A4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    109

    Crash

    MPG

    26

    Watch for: steering complaints

  13. 13

    2016 Audi A6

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    51

    Crash

    MPG

    28

    Watch for: engine complaints

  14. 14

    2015 Audi A6

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    21

    Crash

    MPG

    28

    Watch for: engine and engine cooling complaints

  15. 15

    2014 Audi A6

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    40

    Crash

    MPG

    28

    Watch for: steering complaints

  16. 16

    2016 Audi S4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Too few reports to rank

    Complaints

    0

    Crash

    MPG

    20.5

  17. 17

    2015 Audi S4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Too few reports to rank

    Complaints

    1

    Crash

    MPG

    20.5

  18. 18

    2014 Audi S4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    17

    Crash

    MPG

    20.5

    Watch for: steering complaints

  19. 19

    2013 Audi S4

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    32

    Crash

    MPG

    20.5

    Watch for: steering complaints

  20. 20

    2016 BMW 3 Series

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    93

    Crash

    MPG

    Not on record

    Watch for: engine and engine cooling complaints

  21. 21

    2016 BMW 5 Series

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    82

    Crash

    MPG

    Not on record

    Watch for: engine and engine cooling complaints

  22. 22

    2016 Buick Cascada

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    21

    Crash

    MPG

    23

    Watch for: structure complaints

  23. 23

    2016 Buick LaCrosse

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    46

    Crash

    MPG

    21

    Watch for: steering complaints

  24. 24

    2015 Buick LaCrosse

    Sedan

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    44

    Crash

    MPG

    21

    Watch for: steering complaints

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Common questions

What is the highest NHTSA-rated 2012–2016 sedan?

By our reading of the federal data, the 2016 Acura ILX tops this list. Open its verdict page for the full complaint, recall and crash record before you buy.

How is this ranking put together?

We rank the 24 matching model years by NHTSA overall crash-test rating, using public NHTSA and EPA data. Owner-complaint lists (raw volume, not exposure-adjusted) remain unpublished until exposure and time-at-risk normalization are available.

This list is generated from NHTSA complaint, recall and crash-test data and EPA fuel-economy data; it is not sales-adjusted and updates on scheduled source refreshes.