Federal crash-test scores come from NHTSA rather than a magazine, and five stars overall is the clearest free safety signal available to shoppers. The 2026 model year brings a long roster of SUVs that earn that top federal mark, from electric three-row haulers to full-size family movers. Here are twelve of them, drawn from three separate rating lists.
1. Hyundai Ioniq 9: Top Of The Table
ForCar’s 2026 ranking names the Ioniq 9 “the safest 2026 car we rate,” and the ForCar safety table shows five stars overall from NHTSA, plus five stars in each of the frontal, side and rollover tests. A perfect sweep across all three sub-scores is what separates a top-ranked entry from one that merely clears the five-star bar.
For three-row electric SUV shoppers, that makes the Hyundai a reference point. Any rival claiming equal safety has to match a full set of fives on every individual test, not just the headline number.
2. Kia EV6: Clean Sweep
The 2026 EV6 is listed with five stars overall from NHTSA and a clean sweep of five stars in frontal, side and rollover, according to ForCar rating listings. That puts the compact electric crossover in the same company as far larger and pricier vehicles on the table.
Federal testing does not reward size or price, and the EV6 shows it. Buyers comparing electric crossovers can treat the matching sub-scores as a useful tiebreaker when overall stars are identical.
3. Cadillac Lyriq: Triple Five
Few SUVs post five stars in all three of frontal, side and rollover as well as five overall, and the 2026 Lyriq is one of them, per the ForCar 2026 list. Rollover is usually the weak spot for taller vehicles, which makes a top score there notable.
That matters for a luxury electric SUV with a low-slung battery pack and a high ride height. Shoppers weighing the Cadillac against rivals can check that rollover figure first, since it is where many SUVs drop a star.
4. Subaru Ascent: Rollover Exception
The 2026 Ascent holds five stars overall from NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four in rollover, as ForCar reports. It is the one entry in this lineup that shows a sub-score below perfect.
The distinction is worth knowing for a three-row family hauler. A four-star rollover result still rolls up into a five-star overall rating, so the headline number can hide small differences that careful comparison shoppers may want to see.
5. Honda CR-V: Roster Regular
The 2026 CR-V appears on a roster of 76 SUVs where, in the words of CarFactsheet, “All 76 SUVs earned NHTSA’s top 5-star overall safety rating for 2026.” That is a long list, and a compact crossover this popular is among those carrying the top overall score.
Volume sellers earning the same federal mark as niche luxury models is good news for ordinary buyers. Safety at this level is no longer a premium feature, though the roster speaks only to the overall rating, not every sub-test.
6. Toyota Highlander: Family Favorite
One of the 76 SUVs on the CarFactsheet roundup is the 2026 Highlander, all of which “earned NHTSA’s top 5-star overall safety rating for 2026.” The three-row Toyota has long been a default pick for families who need seating for up to eight.
Being on the list means the overall federal score is the top one available. Anyone cross-shopping should still confirm the model year, since ratings apply to a specific year and body style rather than the nameplate across generations.
7. Ford Explorer: Midsize Mainstay
The 2026 Explorer is listed among the 76 SUVs carrying NHTSA’s top 5-star overall safety rating for 2026, according to a 2026 SUV roster. The Ford sits in the crowded midsize three-row class, where buyers have many alternatives to compare.
Because the rating is specific to the 2026 model year, older used Explorers do not automatically inherit it. Shoppers looking at a pre-owned example should check that vehicle’s own year in NHTSA’s database instead of assuming the score carries over.
8. Chevrolet Tahoe: Full-Size Five
The full-size 2026 Tahoe also makes the 76-SUV roster of vehicles with NHTSA’s top 5-star overall safety rating for 2026, as listed by CarFactsheet again. Large body-on-frame SUVs have historically faced rollover questions, so a five-star overall mark stands out.
For towing households that need a big cabin and real cargo room, the score removes one worry. It is the overall rating only, so anyone wanting detail should look at the frontal, side and rollover results individually.
9. Subaru Outback: Wagon-Style Contender
TrueCar’s safest-SUV list shows the 2026 Outback with a 5-star NHTSA rating, labelled “5 Star NHTSA Ratings: Up to 11,” on its TrueCar safest list. The wording refers to a count of ratings rather than a stated overall score.
That distinction matters for careful readers: the label confirms five-star results exist, without spelling out which tests. The Outback’s long-running reputation as a safe family wagon-SUV gets federal backing here, with details available from NHTSA directly.
10. Subaru Forester: Count Of Eleven
The 2026 Forester appears on TrueCar rankings with a 5-star NHTSA rating on the same “Up to 11” count as the Outback. Two Subarus sharing that figure suggests the brand’s compact and midsize models are being scored alike in federal testing.
As with the Outback, the label stops short of calling it an overall rating. Shoppers wanting the specific frontal, side and rollover breakdown can look up the Forester on NHTSA’s own site rather than relying on a retailer summary.
11. Mercedes-Benz GLE: Lone German
TrueCar lists the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE with a 5-star NHTSA rating, and the TrueCar top group makes it the only German SUV in that group. Several rival luxury brands from the same country are absent from the top tier.
A luxury price tag does not guarantee federal top marks, so the result is worth noting for premium shoppers. The retailer’s label is worded as a 5-star NHTSA rating, which leaves the individual test scores for NHTSA’s database to confirm.
12. Chevrolet Traverse: Up To Nine
The 2026 Traverse is listed by TrueCar with a 5-star NHTSA rating, on a count of “Up to 9,” according to the TrueCar SUV list. That figure is lower than the Subarus’ count, yet the five-star rating itself is the same.
The numbers measure how many ratings the retailer tallied, not how safe a model is. For a three-row Chevrolet aimed at big families, the useful takeaway is the five-star label, with the full breakdown best checked at NHTSA.
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