Safest 2026 midsize sedans by NHTSA recall record
Highest Safety Signal among 19 midsize sedan model-years, ties broken by fewest owner complaints.
| # | Vehicle | Safety | Recalls | Complaints | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026 Nissan Altima | A | 0 | 0 | 100 / 100 |
| 2 | 2026 Lexus ES | A | 0 | 0 | 100 / 100 |
| 3 | 2026 Alfa Romeo Giulia | A | 0 | 0 | 100 / 100 |
| 4 | 2026 Bentley Flying Spur | A | 0 | 0 | 100 / 100 |
| 5 | 2026 Lexus LS | A | 0 | 0 | 100 / 100 |
| 6 | 2026 Subaru WRX | A | 0 | 0 | 100 / 100 |
| 7 | 2026 Volvo S90 | A | 0 | 0 | 100 / 100 |
| 8 | 2026 Mazda Mazda3 | A | 0 | 1 | 100 / 100 |
| 9 | 2026 Toyota Crown | A | 1 | 1 | 97 / 100 |
| 10 | 2026 Audi RS | A | 1 | 1 | 97 / 100 |
| 11 | 2026 Audi A6 | A | 1 | 8 | 97 / 100 |
| 12 | 2026 Cadillac CT5 | A | 1 | 4 | 92 / 100 |
| 13 | 2026 Kia K4 | A | 1 | 8 | 92 / 100 |
| 14 | 2026 Nissan Sentra | A | 1 | 14 | 92 / 100 |
| 15 | 2026 Tesla Model 3 | A | 1 | 20 | 92 / 100 |
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.