Every car has a safety record, and some are written in the hardest numbers available. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety counted driver deaths across several years and divided them by how many vehicles were registered. Here are twelve models that landed at the top of that grim table, starting with the Kia Rio.
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1. Kia Rio: The Top of the Table
Leading the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s list, the Kia Rio recorded a rate of 170 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the IIHS driver death study. That is the highest figure among all the vehicles in the ranking, and the Rio is classed as a minicar.
The figures cover 2023 and equivalent earlier models, with deaths counted across 2021 to 2024. Small, light vehicles dominate the upper end of the table, which makes the Rio’s first place part of a pattern rather than an outlier.
2. Nissan Versa: Runner-Up in Small Cars
Close behind the Rio, the Nissan Versa logged a rate of 164 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the second-highest figure in the study, according to the IIHS ranking. The gap between the two is only six deaths per million.
Both are small cars, and the IIHS report highlights how often small cars appear near the top. Rates are tied to registered vehicle years, so the number reflects exposure across the whole fleet on the road.
3. Chrysler 300: Big Car, Big Rate
Size alone did not protect drivers of the Chrysler 300, a large car with a rate of 132 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years in its two-wheel-drive version, according to the two-wheel-drive rate. That puts it third overall, ahead of many smaller models.
The finding shows why the IIHS pairs vehicle type with engine power in its headline. A big sedan with a powerful engine can still land among the highest entries, depending on who drives it and how.
4. Dodge Charger: Hemi Horsepower
The HEMI two-wheel-drive Dodge Charger, another large car, came in at a rate of 127 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the IIHS findings. It ranks fourth in the IIHS table, just below the 300.
The study’s title points directly at models with powerful engines, and the Charger fits that description. Because the row applies to the 2WD HEMI variant specifically, the figure should not be read as covering every Charger configuration.
5. Dodge Challenger: The Muscle Coupe
The Dodge Challenger, a large two-wheel-drive car, posted a rate of 125 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the Kelley Blue Book summary. It sits fifth, only two points behind the Charger.
Kelley Blue Book’s coverage of the study groups the small cars at the top of its deadliest list and the SUVs at the bottom. The Challenger shows that big, powerful coupes can still reach the upper rows of the same table.
6. Kia Forte: Compact, Costly Outcomes
Among small cars, the Kia Forte reached a rate of 120 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the IIHS figures in a Kelley Blue Book report. That is the sixth-highest figure in the list and the second Kia in the top six.
Kelley Blue Book’s write-up notes that small cars top the deadliest list while SUVs are the least deadly. The Forte illustrates the trend, since a compact body offers drivers less structure in a serious crash.
7. Chevrolet Malibu: Midsize Doesn’t Mean Safe
The Chevrolet Malibu, a midsize car, recorded a rate of 116 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the study coverage. Its seventh-place finish shows that the problem is not limited to minicars and muscle coupes.
The Malibu is the first midsize sedan in this countdown, and it lands above many vehicles that are smaller. Rates like this are measured across years of registrations, so they describe real-world results rather than a single crash test.
8. Nissan Altima: A Familiar Family Sedan
The Nissan Altima, another midsize car, shows a rate of 105 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the Kelley Blue Book analysis. It shares that figure with the Maxima, which places the two Nissans in a tie.
A sedan this common on American roads makes the number worth noting. The IIHS study expresses risk per registered vehicle year, so a popular model with a high rate can account for a large share of the deaths.
9. Nissan Maxima: Tied With Its Sibling
The Nissan Maxima, a midsize car, matches the Altima with a rate of 105 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the Carscoops report. Carscoops reported on the July 2026 study and included the Maxima among its midsize entries.
Two models from the same brand landing on an identical rate suggests that the factors involved are shared across the lineup. Vehicle size, engine output and the typical driver profile can all influence a figure like this.
10. Kia K5: Newer, Still Elevated
The Kia K5, a midsize car, registered a rate of 94 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the Carscoops coverage. That is lower than the Altima and Maxima but still well above the rates seen for many SUVs.
Carscoops included it in its summary of the July 2026 release, which makes the K5 the third Kia in this ranking. A rate of 94 is the lowest among the midsize sedans in the list.
11. Chevrolet Camaro: Pony Car Caveat
The Chevrolet Camaro, a large sports car, has a driver death rate of 88 per million registered vehicle years, according to the CarPro study summary. CarPro’s summary of the study places sports and muscle cars alongside small cars among the highest-rate groups.
Sports cars sell in low volume, so a handful of crashes can move the rate noticeably. The figure is real, though it deserves more caution than one drawn from a model with a very large number of registrations.
12. Chevrolet Corvette: America’s Sports Car
Closing the list, the Chevrolet Corvette, a midsize sports car, comes in at a driver death rate of 82 per million registered vehicle years, according to the CarPro report. It is the lowest rate in this countdown, though still a serious number.
Like the Camaro, the Corvette is sold in small numbers, so the rate rests on a limited sample. The CarPro report places both under the sports and muscle car heading, where powerful engines are standard equipment.
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