How Nissan Achieves Its 5-Star and TOP SAFETY PICK+ Awards

Here in the Dick Smith Nissan of St. Andrews blog, we promptly inform you when one of our models receives an overall 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) or is designated as either a TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). We understand that while you appreciate the new styling features and performance of our Nissan model lineup, safety is the most crucial concern. The 2025 Nissan Murano has achieved both of the aforementioned awards, and here is a brief overview of how these accolades are attained, along with other safety goals. 

If you see photos or videos of new vehicle models being crash-tested and think, “It’s a shame to destroy a brand new vehicle like that,” just be aware that those tests are nothing compared to what happens before Nissan models are handed over to the NHTSA and IIHS for testing.   

The real carnage occurs at the state-of-the-art $40 million Nissan Safety Advancement Lab just outside Detroit. Here, engineers can conduct 48 different passive safety crash test simulations onsite with cutting-edge high-speed photography systems, data acquisition equipment, a test dummy calibration lab, space for preparing vehicles, and a pedestrian safety lab. Approximately 400 crash tests are conducted each year.

For each test performed by NHTSA or IIHS, Nissan engineers replicate the test multiple times. They analyze the results after each crash, identify the flaws, consult with engineers to find solutions, implement solutions into the vehicle, and then retest it. Advanced computer simulations can reduce the number of crash tests conducted, but nothing beats the real thing for accuracy. In addition to examining how well the airbags functioned and measuring cabin intrusion, engineers also ensure that the doors remain latched and that there are no fuel leaks.  

“During our entire development process, we always think about the customer,” said Derrick Diver, Nissan senior safety performance engineer.  “Nissan safety and design engineers collaborate extensively to ensure the Murano’s body structure deforms as intended to absorb energy during a crash and protect passengers.” NHTSA

To our eyes, a shining new Murano is a thing of beauty. However, to Diver and other safety engineers, nothing is prettier than a vehicle that deforms exactly as intended, which, of course, indicates minimal damage to the simulated passengers inside. 

While drivers may be wary of large objects like commercial trucks, safety engineers are more concerned with small but forceful blows. These glancing blows present significant challenges, as they require all energy absorption to occur in a condensed section of the vehicle. This explains the IIHS moderate and small overlap crash tests, which assess the deformability of 40% and 25% of the front ends, respectively, simulating front impact collisions where drivers attempt to avoid crashes but fail.  

A similar difficult test is NCAP’s side impact assessment, which simulates a vehicle sliding sideways into an object, like a light or utility pole. This effectively tests the vehicle’s side and curtain airbags. Designing airbags requires incredible precision, as the vehicle must determine whether to deploy the airbags in only 10 milliseconds. 

More attention is now paid to second-row passengers. “Having a safe rear seat is important in any vehicle,” said Jeff Sitko, Nissan safety performance manager. “That’s where we’re going to put our younger family members, and so we engineered it to be as safe as possible.”  In addition to measuring intrusion into the cabin, attention is given to possible “submarining”–-when a smaller passenger is at risk of partially slipping under the lap portion of the belt. The Murano ultimately scored 5 stars in this test as well. 

When you hear that a vehicle like the Murano has been awarded an overall 5-star rating or is an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ recipient, consider all the work that went into earning those accolades. Visit Dick Smith Nissan of St. Andrews to check out the safety award-winning Murano and other high-safety-achieving models in the Nissan lineup.