The Tool Desk
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The reliable sequence is: identify the exact vehicle, look it up in both databases, read the individual test categories and any warnings, apply the agencies’ comparison limits, and complete a separate recall search before buying.
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Start with both official rating databases
NHTSA and IIHS measure different aspects of vehicle safety. Using both gives you a broader picture than relying on a single star score or a seller’s description.
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- Write down the vehicle’s model year, make, model, body style and trim. If possible, record the VIN and the manufacturing date from the certification label.
- Search that year, make and model in NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings tool, select the tested vehicle variant, and open the ratings for that vehicle ID.
- Select the same year and vehicle in IIHS’s ratings database. Read the crashworthiness and crash-avoidance information, including any headlights or front-crash-prevention assessments shown on the vehicle page.
- Compare only results that apply to the same generation, variant and build period. A mid-year engineering change can make two cars carrying the same model-year name have different results.
- Run a separate NHTSA recall search with the 17-character VIN or license plate, and confirm that every required repair is complete.
How to find a NHTSA 5-Star rating
NHTSA’s consumer tool is the starting point for federal crash-test results. Open the 5-Star Safety Ratings page, choose the vehicle year, make and model, and then choose the tested variant offered for that combination. The database can contain more than one tested vehicle ID under a nameplate, so stopping at the model name can produce the wrong result.
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What to record from the NHTSA result
- Copy the model year, make, model and the exact tested variant displayed on the result page.
- Record the frontal, side and rollover ratings separately rather than saving only the overall stars.
- Note whether the page displays a warning symbol or says “Not Rated” for a test condition.
- Save the vehicle ID or print the result so you can match it with the car’s equipment and build period later.
NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program ratings data covers vehicles from 1990 to the present. The agency’s downloadable data file showed an update date of August 7, 2026; that is the file’s update date, not a claim that every individual rating changed on that day. The data documentation is available through NHTSA’s datasets and APIs page.
What the federal tests mean
| Category | What NHTSA reports | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Frontal crash | Performance in the program’s frontal-crash evaluation, expressed as stars and related injury-probability information. | Compare only within the class and weight limits described below. |
| Side crash | Performance in side-impact testing. | Side ratings may be compared across vehicle classes. |
| Rollover | Rollover resistance and the projected injury probability used in the program’s calculations. | Rollover ratings may be compared across vehicle classes, but they do not describe every real-world crash circumstance. |
| Overall score | A combined result incorporating injury probabilities from the frontal and side ratings and projected injury probability from rollover resistance. | It is not a substitute for reading each component or checking for a warning symbol. |
Five stars is the highest NHTSA rating and one star is the lowest. The score is a consumer crash-test result, not a legal statement that a vehicle is safe in every collision.
How to find the IIHS rating
Open the IIHS vehicle-ratings search, select the vehicle year and then the vehicle. IIHS describes its program in two broad groups: crashworthiness, which concerns how well the passenger compartment protects occupants in a crash, and crash avoidance and mitigation, which concerns systems intended to prevent or reduce a crash. Individual vehicle pages can also show assessments such as headlights and front-crash-prevention systems.
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- Choose the exact model year, not merely the current generation or the year shown in a dealer advertisement.
- Open the vehicle page and read every listed crashworthiness result, not just an award or headline recommendation.
- Read the crash-avoidance and mitigation entries separately from the crashworthiness results; they answer different questions.
- Check the notes for equipment or production changes that limit which vehicles the result covers.
- Save the page or its PDF-style result for your purchase file, along with the VIN and build information.
IIHS’s used-car guidance recommends looking up an individual model even when it is not included in one of the organization’s featured recommendation lists. A missing recommendation list entry is not itself a crash-test failure.
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Match the rating to the actual car
The most common lookup error is applying a result to a car that was not the tested configuration. Use the vehicle’s identification documents and labels to establish the match before treating a rating as relevant.
Model year, generation and trim
Confirm the model year shown on the title or registration, then check the body style and trim. A name can cover a sedan, wagon, coupe or sport-utility vehicle with different structures and equipment. NHTSA’s workflow specifically takes you from year, make and model to a tested vehicle variant; select that variant instead of assuming the first result applies.
Build date and mid-year changes
IIHS says some recommendations apply only to vehicles built after a change made during the model year. Find the certification label, usually on or near the driver-side door, and read its manufacture month and year. Compare that date with the IIHS note before relying on an award, structural result or safety-system assessment. Two cars sold as the same model year can therefore fall on opposite sides of an engineering change.
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Equipment differences
Check whether the tested vehicle had standard or optional safety equipment that the used car lacks. This is especially important for crash-avoidance results: an assessment of a particular forward-collision or headlight system should not be treated as an assessment of every trim.
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Compare ratings without creating a false ranking
NHTSA sets explicit boundaries for comparisons. Applying those boundaries prevents a high number from one class being presented as proof that a different-size vehicle will perform identically.
| Result | Permitted comparison | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Side rating | Can be compared across vehicle classes. | NHTSA allows cross-class comparisons for this category. |
| Rollover rating | Can be compared across vehicle classes. | NHTSA allows cross-class comparisons for this category. |
| Frontal rating | Compare only with vehicles in the same class and within plus or minus 250 pounds of the rated vehicle. | Vehicle class and mass affect the meaning of a frontal result. |
| Overall rating | Use the same-class and plus-or-minus-250-pound restriction that applies to the frontal result. | The overall score incorporates the frontal score. |
For a shopping comparison, write down each candidate’s class and curb weight as identified by the relevant rating record, then apply the rule before declaring one vehicle better. If the candidates do not meet the boundary, keep the ratings as separate pieces of information instead of combining them into a single ranking.
Read warning symbols separately from stars
NHTSA says a warning symbol on a ratings label identifies a government safety concern, such as structural failure or unintended component performance. The concern is not included in the overall-score calculation. A vehicle can therefore display a strong overall star result and still require attention to the issue represented by the symbol.
Understand “Not Rated”
“Not Rated” means NHTSA did not test that crash condition under its New Car Assessment Program. It is not a one-star score and does not show that the vehicle performed poorly. Do not convert a missing test into either a pass or a fail.
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Vehicles sold in the United States are manufacturer-certified to meet applicable federal motor-vehicle safety standards. That certification is a requirement for sale; it is not the same thing as a consumer crash-test rating and does not fill in a “Not Rated” result.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check recalls as a separate buying step
Crash-test ratings describe a tested vehicle design. Recalls address a specific safety defect and the remedy for vehicles affected by it. Always perform the recall search independently, even when the ratings look strong.
Run the NHTSA VIN or plate search
- Find the 17-character VIN. Common locations are the lower-left corner of the windshield, the label inside the driver-side doorjamb, the vehicle registration, or an insurance document.
- Use NHTSA’s vehicle-safety resources and enter the VIN or, where offered, the license plate. The current resource is available at NHTSA Vehicle Safety Resources.
- Read each open recall, its safety consequence and the remedy status. Ask the seller or a franchised service department for documentation when the database shows an unrepaired campaign.
- Do not treat a clean result as proof that the car has never been damaged or poorly maintained; it means no matching recall information was returned for that search.
IIHS’s used-car guide, updated July 2023, states: "Before buying a used vehicle, always check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site for recalls and make sure all necessary repairs are completed." That advice applies whether you buy from a dealer or a private seller.
Recall volume explains why this step matters but does not predict the status of any one car: NHTSA reports that 997 vehicle-safety recalls affected more than 29 million vehicles in the United States in 2025. That is a national annual figure, not a count of recalls for a particular model or VIN.
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Use ratings alongside a condition inspection
A crash-test result belongs to the tested design and equipment. A used vehicle may have crash damage, corrosion, flood exposure, worn tires, failed restraints, an inoperative airbag warning system or poorly completed repairs that the original test could not measure. Arrange an independent pre-purchase inspection and ask the technician to document structural repairs, restraint-system faults, tire condition, brake condition and evidence of water intrusion.
Confirm that the VIN on the dashboard, door label, title and registration agrees. A mismatch can prevent a reliable recall lookup and may indicate a paperwork or identity problem. Keep the rating record, VIN search result and inspection report together so a future repair shop can see which configuration was evaluated.
A practical decision workflow for two or more candidates
- Define the exact vehicles. Record year, make, model, body style, trim, VIN and build date for each candidate.
- Collect NHTSA results. Select the tested variant and record frontal, side, rollover, overall, warning symbols and any “Not Rated” entries.
- Collect IIHS results. Read the year-specific crashworthiness and crash-avoidance pages and note production-date or equipment limitations.
- Normalize comparisons. Apply NHTSA’s same-class and plus-or-minus-250-pound rule to frontal and overall ratings. Use cross-class comparisons only for side and rollover results, where NHTSA permits them.
- Investigate exceptions. Open every warning note, missing test and build-date qualification rather than averaging it away.
- Check recalls. Search each VIN or plate and obtain proof that required repairs are complete.
- Inspect the actual car. Have an independent technician evaluate condition, previous damage and restraint systems.
- Make the decision. Prefer the candidate whose rating evidence matches its configuration, whose recalls are resolved and whose physical condition is documented—not simply the one with the highest headline number.
Common mistakes and how to correct them
- Searching only by model name: Return to the year, make and model fields, then select the tested variant or IIHS year-specific page.
- Using a current-year result for an older car: Search the car’s actual model year. Safety equipment and structures can change between years.
- Ignoring the door-label date: Check the certification label whenever IIHS limits a recommendation to vehicles built after a production change.
- Comparing all star scores as if they were universal: Apply the class and weight rule to NHTSA frontal and overall ratings.
- Treating “Not Rated” as one star: Record it as an untested condition, not a poor result.
- Reading only the overall score: Inspect frontal, side and rollover components and any warning symbol.
- Assuming a rating proves the used car is undamaged: Obtain a condition inspection and review the vehicle’s physical evidence.
- Skipping the recall search: Use the VIN or plate independently and verify completion of every required repair.
What to save in your purchase file
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| VIN, license plate and certification-label date | Identifies the individual car and its production period for recall and build-change checks. |
| NHTSA vehicle ID and component ratings | Shows which tested variant produced the frontal, side, rollover and overall results. |
| IIHS year-specific result and notes | Preserves crashworthiness, crash-avoidance and equipment or production qualifications. |
| Warning-symbol or “Not Rated” explanation | Prevents a missing test or separate government concern from being overlooked. |
| Recall search result and repair invoices | Documents whether safety campaigns were open and whether remedies were completed. |
| Independent inspection report | Addresses the condition of the particular used car, which laboratory ratings cannot establish. |
Keeping these records makes your conclusion auditable: you can show exactly which vehicle was tested, which limitations applied, which recalls were checked and what condition the used example was in when you considered buying it.
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