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Highest NHTSA Overall Ratings: SUVs (2020–2025)

Ranked by NHTSA crash-test ratings across 439 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 Owner-complaint lists (raw volume, not exposure-adjusted) remain unpublished until exposure and time-at-risk normalization are available.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

    2025 Acura MDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    71

    Crash

    MPG

    21

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  2. 2

    2024 Acura MDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    37

    Crash

    MPG

    21

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  3. 3

    2023 Acura MDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    40

    Crash

    MPG

    21

    Watch for: power train complaints

  4. 4

    2022 Acura MDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    155

    Crash

    MPG

    21

    Watch for: power train complaints

  5. 5

    2020 Acura MDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    215

    Crash

    MPG

    22.5

    Watch for: engine complaints

  6. 6

    2025 Acura RDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    29

    Crash

    MPG

    23

    Watch for: steering complaints

  7. 7

    2024 Acura RDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    11

    Crash

    MPG

    23

    Watch for: unknown or other complaints

  8. 8

    2023 Acura RDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    20

    Crash

    MPG

    23.5

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  9. 9

    2022 Acura RDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    30

    Crash

    MPG

    23.5

    Watch for: unknown or other complaints

  10. 10

    2021 Acura RDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    105

    Crash

    MPG

    23.5

    Watch for: unknown or other complaints

  11. 11

    2020 Acura RDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    339

    Crash

    MPG

    23.5

    Watch for: unknown or other complaints

  12. 12

    2025 Acura ZDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Too few reports to rank

    Complaints

    0

    Crash

    MPG

    Not on record

  13. 13

    2024 Acura ZDX

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    52

    Crash

    MPG

    87

    Watch for: service brakes complaints

  14. 14

    2025 Audi Q3

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Too few reports to rank

    Complaints

    3

    Crash

    MPG

    25

  15. 15

    2024 Audi Q3

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    17

    Crash

    MPG

    24

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  16. 16

    2021 Audi Q3

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    14

    Crash

    MPG

    24

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  17. 17

    2020 Audi Q3

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    63

    Crash

    MPG

    22

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  18. 18

    2025 Audi Q5

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    37

    Crash

    MPG

    25

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  19. 19

    2024 Audi Q5

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    32

    Crash

    MPG

    24

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  20. 20

    2021 Audi Q5

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    95

    Crash

    MPG

    26

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  21. 21

    2020 Audi Q5

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    34

    Crash

    MPG

    25.5

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  22. 22

    2025 Audi Q7

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Raw count · not exposure-adjusted

    Complaints

    13

    Crash

    MPG

    21

    Watch for: electrical system complaints

  23. 23

    2024 Audi Q7

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Too few reports to rank

    Complaints

    1

    Crash

    MPG

    21

  24. 24

    2025 Audi Q8

    SUV

    Complaint record

    Too few reports to rank

    Complaints

    3

    Crash

    MPG

    74

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Common questions

What is the highest NHTSA-rated 2020–2025 SUV?

By our reading of the federal data, the 2025 Acura MDX 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.