Safety ratings due to expire on these cars

Updated 9 hours ago

Some of Australia's favourite models will see their safety ratings lapse in 2026.

Another batch of vehicles will go on sale with expired Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) safety ratings in 2026. 

ANCAP is Australia and New Zealand’s independent authority on crash test safety and rates each tested car between zero and five stars. 

Read more about

New cars will have to undergo a revamped testing system from 2026 after ANCAP announced several new assessment areas. 

ANCAP recently announced a revamp of its testing protocols, which are being called the ‘Stages of Safety’. The four-stage system will be scored out of 100 points and experience as a percentage. 

There will continue to be an overall star rating for each assessed car, with minimum thresholds for each stage.

2026 ANCAP testing criteria 

A range of Australia’s popular and well-known models will see their ANCAP ratings expire in 2025, which include several leading models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Other vehicles affected include some of Toyota’s best sellers, such as the outgoing HiLux.

The unrated status only applies to newly-built vehicles from 1 January 2026, meaning all vehicles built prior to that date maintain their rating. 

Models currently on sale with ratings expiring at the end of 2025