The 2026 Tesla Model 3 has received the highest possible overall safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), earning five stars in every category tested by the agency.
The achievement was announced by the Tesla North America on X, which highlighted that the electric sedan achieved five-star ratings in the frontal crash, side crash and rollover categories, along with a five-star overall score.
NHTSA’s frontal test simulates a head-on collision between two similarly sized vehicles, while its side-impact evaluations include crashes involving another vehicle and a fixed object such as a utility pole. The rollover rating estimates a vehicle’s risk of rolling over during a single-vehicle crash.
The latest result continues the Model 3’s strong history in independent crash testing. Previous versions of the electric sedan have also earned five-star NHTSA ratings, including five stars in each individual category when the original Model 3 was evaluated.
Like Tesla’s other vehicles, the Model 3 benefits from an electric platform that places the battery pack beneath the passenger compartment. This contributes to a low centre of gravity, helping reduce rollover risk. The absence of a conventional engine under the hood also gives engineers more room to design the front structure to absorb energy during a collision.
The Model 3’s result comes less than two weeks after the 2026 Model Y earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation.
2026 Model 3 earns a 5-star overall rating (and each category) from NHTSA pic.twitter.com/IZrbkumGGv
— Tesla North America (@tesla_na) September 13, 2026
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