ANCAP ratings — what 5 stars in 2014 means in 2026

ANCAP — Australasian New Car Assessment Programme — issues star ratings on a scale that gets harder every 3-4 years. A 5-star rating from 2014 is not the same as a 5-star rating from 2024. Here's the version-by-version reality.

How the protocol has tightened

• 2014 protocol: required frontal offset, side impact, pole, pedestrian — no AEB requirement.
• 2017 protocol: AEB required for 5 stars (city and inter-urban).
• 2020 protocol: junction AEB, cyclist AEB, intelligent speed assist, centre airbag tested.
• 2023+ protocol: child presence detection, far-side passenger protection, EV-specific post-crash safety.

Rough equivalence guide

Used car safety features worth chasing

1. 1.Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian/cyclist detection.
2. 2.Blind spot monitoring.
3. 3.Lane keep assist (not just lane departure warning).
4. 4.Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go.
5. 5.Rear cross-traffic alert.
6. 6.Centre airbag (between front occupants).
7. 7.Reversing camera AND sensors.

Used cars with notably weak crash protection

We won't name and shame, but be especially wary of: kei-class light cars, light commercials older than 2018, certain Chinese SUVs from 2015-2018 (mid-3-star then), and most vehicles 15+ years old regardless of original rating.

A star rating describes the model; an inspection describes the car

Crash-test results are produced once, on a new example, under controlled conditions. The vehicle you are about to buy has since had years of Sydney roads, an unknown repair history and whatever the last owner decided to defer. Both facts matter, and only one of them can be looked up online.

• Structural repairs: paint-thickness readings on every panel, included with Elite, show where a car has been re-finished and how heavily.
• Restraint and airbag systems: stored and pending fault codes from the OBD-II scan flag modules that are not reporting healthy.
• Braking: pad and rotor life measured per corner, so you know how much stopping distance is actually still on the car.
• Tyres: tread measured per corner, plus what the wear pattern says about alignment and suspension.
• Behaviour under way: a road test on public roads at legal speeds, where pull, shudder and warning behaviour tend to reveal themselves.

Recalls sit alongside the rating

An outstanding safety recall is not visible in a star rating and rarely appears in a listing. It is a specific, published defect on a specific VIN range, and it is worth confirming has been rectified on the exact car you are looking at rather than assuming a previous owner attended to it.

Common questions

Does ANCAP downgrade old ratings retrospectively?

No. The rating shown is from the year of test. But ANCAP does publish 'star rating by date stamp' — always check the date on the rating, not just the stars.

Are EVs safer than ICE?

Generally yes — heavier, lower centre of gravity, no engine to intrude in frontal crashes. But fire response is more complex. Look for EV-tested ratings (post-2023) for the full picture.