"It's 5-star ANCAP rated" is the most common safety claim in car advertising. But what does that actually mean? And can a 5-star car from 2020 be less safe than a 4-star car from 2026?
What ANCAP Actually Tests
ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rates vehicles across four categories, each contributing to the overall star rating:
1. Adult Occupant Protection (scored out of ~38 points)
Crash tests simulating real-world collisions: frontal offset, full-width frontal, side impact, and far-side impact. They measure forces on crash test dummies in the driver, passenger, and rear seats. A score above 80% is considered good.
2. Child Occupant Protection (scored out of ~24 points)
How well the car protects children in child seats during the same crashes. Also tests: how easy it is to install child seats, ISOFIX availability, and whether the car can detect and disable the front airbag when a rear-facing child seat is installed.
3. Vulnerable Road Users / Pedestrian Protection (scored out of ~54 points)
Tests how much damage the car's bonnet and bumper do to pedestrians and cyclists in a collision. Also tests whether the car has AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) that detects pedestrians and cyclists.
4. Safety Assist (scored out of ~16 points)
Active safety technology: AEB performance, lane keep assist, speed assist (speed sign recognition), and driver fatigue monitoring. This category has become increasingly important. a car with excellent crash protection but no AEB will lose stars here.
The Star Rating System
| Stars | What it means |
|---|---|
| 5 Stars | Good overall performance. Strong across all four areas. Has key active safety tech. |
| 4 Stars | Good crash protection but may be missing some active safety features or have weaker pedestrian protection. |
| 3 Stars | Adequate crash protection but significant gaps in safety tech or protection in certain crash types. |
| 2 Stars | Below average. Missing basic safety features. Not recommended. |
| 1 Star | Poor. Minimal safety features and/or poor crash protection. |
The Catch: Ratings Expire
This is the most misunderstood part. ANCAP ratings are valid for the year they were tested. A car rated 5 stars in 2019 was tested against 2019 standards. The 2024 standards are significantly harder. They now require more advanced AEB, cyclist detection, and centre airbags.
A 5-star 2019 car might only achieve 3-4 stars under 2024 testing. Always check the year of rating, not just the number of stars.
What ANCAP Doesn't Test
- Reliability. a car can be safe in a crash but break down constantly
- Rollover resistance. particularly relevant for tall SUVs and utes
- Real-world crash data. lab tests don't capture every scenario
- Post-crash fire risk. EV battery fires are not specifically tested
- Visibility. blind spots, pillar thickness, mirror coverage
Our Safety Scoring
On CarSorted, we show the ANCAP star rating alongside a broader safety score that includes the number of airbags, active safety feature count, and individual sub-scores for adult, child, pedestrian, and safety assist categories when available.
Use our 5-star ANCAP filter to browse only the safest cars, or compare any two cars to see a detailed safety breakdown.