Both of these versions of the F-150 merited four-star overall ratings from NHTSA, with five-star ratings in side-crash tests and four-star ratings in the frontal crash and rollover tests. The 2018 Ram 1500 is also consistently rated at four stars overall and with similar ratings on the individual tests; some versions received only three stars in rollover testing, however.
If safety is your chief concern and four stars overall just won't cut it, there are five-star rated 2018 pickups on the market. Crew-cab 2018 Ford F-150s and all versions of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 have received the coveted five stars in the overall rating.
Heavy-duty truck data is less complete; some three-quarter-ton pickups have overall ratings, although none is higher than four stars. In other cases, these models have only been partially tested.
NHTSA was established in 1970 and has been testing and rating vehicles for crash safety since 1978. The five-star rating system was first created in 1993 and has been updated numerous times since then as safety technology improved.
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Brian Normile
Road Test Editor Brian Normile joined the automotive industry and Cars.com in 2013, and he became part of the Editorial staff in 2014. Brian spent his childhood devouring every car magazine he got his hands on — not literally, eventually — and now reviews and tests vehicles to help consumers make informed choices. Someday, Brian hopes to learn what to do with his hands when he’s reviewing a car on camera. He would daily-drive an Alfa Romeo 4C if he could.