Toyota Motor Corp. has retained first place in a ranking of safe vehicles by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The institute selected 15 Toyota models as winners of its "top safety pick" awards in the 2012 rankings released Thursday, more than any other automaker. General Motors Co. placed second with 14 models and Volkswagen AG third with 13 vehicles. Ford Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. were tied for fourth with 12 models each.
The 15 Toyota models include the Camry sedan, the Corolla and the Lexus CT 200h small cars, and the Prius hybrid.
In selecting the 115 models included in the latest ranking, the institute took into account factors such as roof strength in the event of rollover crashes and whether vehicles possess electronic stability control mechanisms, it said. No Toyota models were picked in a similar ranking released two years ago, in the aftermath of a series of massive recalls by the automaker starting in 2009. But last year, Toyota ranked first among Japanese automakers on the list.