The Lemon Index
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Best cars

Safest used cars for teens.

5-star crash tests first, then the fewest owner complaints per car sold. 2012 and newer, no sports cars.

The top 20

At a glanceLemon Index: shorter bar = fewer complaints per car sold. Dashed line = the average car (100). Tap a car.
1 2018 VW Jetta82 2022 Nissan Murano93 2021 Toyota Prius94 2022 BMW 3 Series115 2020 Lexus ES126 2017 Honda Odyssey127 2022 Toyota Camry138 2016 BMW 5 Series149 2022 Subaru Crosstrek1510 2013 GMC Acadia1511 2022 Mazda CX-91612 2022 Nissan Altima1613 2020 Toyota Sienna1614 2019 Mazda61615 2018 Lincoln MKX1616 2020 Toyota C-HR1717 2019 Audi A41718 2020 Honda HR-V1819 2017 Honda Fit1820 2015 Cadillac ATS18
  1. 1Volkswagen Jetta

    2018 Volkswagen Jetta

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 12× fewer complaints than the average 2018 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints8Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2014 2015 2016 2017 2020 2021 2022

  2. 2Nissan Murano

    2022 Nissan Murano

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 11× fewer complaints than the average 2022 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints9Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2016 2018 2019 2020 2021

  3. 3Toyota Prius

    2021 Toyota Prius

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 11× fewer complaints than the average 2021 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints9Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2012 2013 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2022

  4. 4BMW 3 Series

    2022 BMW 3 Series

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 9× fewer complaints than the average 2022 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints11Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021

  5. 5Lexus ES

    2020 Lexus ES

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 8× fewer complaints than the average 2020 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints12Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022

  6. 6Honda Odyssey

    2017 Honda Odyssey

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 8× fewer complaints than the average 2017 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints12Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2012 2013 2015 2016 2021

  7. 7Toyota Camry

    2022 Toyota Camry

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 8× fewer complaints than the average 2022 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints13Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019 2020 2021

  8. 8BMW 5 Series

    2016 BMW 5 Series

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 7× fewer complaints than the average 2016 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints14Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2017

  9. 9Subaru Crosstrek

    2022 Subaru Crosstrek

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 7× fewer complaints than the average 2022 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints15Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2020 2021

  10. 10GMC Acadia

    2013 GMC Acadia

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 7× fewer complaints than the average 2013 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints15Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2012 2014 2015 2016 2019 2020 2022

  11. 11Mazda CX-9

    2022 Mazda CX-9

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2022 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints16Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2018 2019 2020 2021

  12. 12Nissan Altima

    2022 Nissan Altima

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2022 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints16Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

  13. 13Toyota Sienna

    2020 Toyota Sienna

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2020 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints16Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

  14. 14Mazda6

    2019 Mazda6

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2019 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints16Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

  15. 15Lincoln MKX

    2018 Lincoln MKX

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2018 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints16Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2017

  16. 16Toyota C-HR

    2020 Toyota C-HR

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2020 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints17Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2018 2019 2021

  17. 17Audi A4

    2019 Audi A4

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2019 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints17Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2016 2017 2018

  18. 18Honda HR-V

    2020 Honda HR-V

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2020 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints18Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022

  19. 19Honda Fit

    2017 Honda Fit

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2017 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints18Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2015 2016 2018 2020

  20. 20Cadillac ATS

    2015 Cadillac ATS

    5 stars in every NHTSA crash test, and 6× fewer complaints than the average 2015 car.

    Crash test5 of 5stars
    Complaints18Lemon Index

    Also on the list: 2014 2016

Best by type

SUVs

  1. Nissan Murano2022 Nissan Murano9
  2. Subaru Crosstrek2022 Subaru Crosstrek15
  3. GMC Acadia2013 GMC Acadia15

Cars

  1. Volkswagen Jetta2018 Volkswagen Jetta8
  2. Toyota Prius2021 Toyota Prius9
  3. BMW 3 Series2022 BMW 3 Series11

Minivans

  1. Honda Odyssey2017 Honda Odyssey12
  2. Toyota Sienna2020 Toyota Sienna16
  3. Kia Sedona2014 Kia Sedona42

Pickups

  1. Chevrolet Silverado2018 Chevrolet Silverado37
  2. GMC Sierra2018 GMC Sierra63
  3. Ford F-Series2015 Ford F-Series89

Quick answers

What is the safest used car for a teenager?

By NHTSA crash ratings and owner complaints, the 2018 Volkswagen Jetta ranks first: 5 stars overall in NHTSA crash tests and a Lemon Index of 8 (100 is the average car, lower is better).

Why only 2012 and newer?

Electronic stability control, which helps stop skids and rollovers, has been required on every new U.S. passenger vehicle since the 2012 model year (federal standard FMVSS No. 126). Older cars may not have it.

Does this list include prices?

Not yet. We only publish a price when we can cite where it came from, and we don't have a free used-price source for every model year. For budget picks, see the lists of the best used cars under $10,000, $15,000 and $20,000.

How did you pick these cars?

Model years 2012 to 2022 (stability control standard, and 3 full years of owner complaints); a 5-star NHTSA overall crash rating for at least one version; a Lemon Index of 110 or lower (about average or better); no sports or muscle cars (IIHS advises new drivers to stay away from high horsepower) and no cargo vans. Ranked by the lowest crash rating NHTSA gave any version that year, then by the fewest owner complaints per car sold. "Lowest" = the lowest overall rating NHTSA gave any version (body style, drive) that year: check the exact car's rating by VIN.

Before you buy

Check the VIN for open recalls

Free. It's on the dashboard by the windshield, on the door frame, or on the registration.

2

Read that year's complaints

Open the exact model year from the list: its top problems, recalls and owners' repair bills.

3

Get an inspection

Have an independent mechanic check the car before you pay.

Shopping on a budget?

Under $5,000Top scored pick: Honda CivicSee the list ›Under $10,000Top scored pick: Honda CivicSee the list ›Under $15,000Top scored pick: Toyota CamrySee the list ›Under $20,000Top scored pick: Mazda CX-5See the list ›
The safest used cars for a teen driver, by our data: the 2018 Volkswagen Jetta, the 2022 Nissan Murano and the 2021 Toyota Prius. Each has a 5-star NHTSA crash rating, standard stability control (every 2012 and newer car) and fewer owner complaints than the average car. Sources: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (overall rating, per model year and version, api.nhtsa.gov); NHTSA owner complaints filed within 3 years of each model year, per vehicle sold; published U.S. sales. Stability control: FMVSS No. 126. 496 model years earned 5 stars for every version tested. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect. This is not a safety rating of its own: it combines NHTSA's crash tests with our complaint score.

Know a parent shopping for a first car?

Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data

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