Ford Motor Co. is the biggest winner in the safety sweepstakes for model year 2009, with 16 of its vehicles topping the list of 72 “Top Safety Picks” recognized by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker’s safest vehicles include three models from its Swedish Volvo subsidiary, but the other 13 are among its Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda brands — including midsize cars and SUVs, compact SUVs and even the redesigned F-150 pickup. The Ford F-150 is the first domestic full-size pickup to earn the Top Safety Pick designation, which signifies that the vehicle has received the top rating in the independent crash tests conducted by the institute for simulated front, side and rear crashes.

Honda, Acura, and Subaru were the only automakers that had an award winner in every vehicle class in which they have entries, the institute said.

Among its vehicles, Honda and its Acura luxury division had 13 winners, the second-highest total behind Ford. Honda’s redesigned Fit was the first to win the safety award in the minicar category.

Honda winners included the Odyssey minivan; Honda Accord and Acura RL, TL and TSX sedans; and Honda Pilot and Acura RDX and MDX sport utility vehicles, among others.

General Motors, the biggest U.S. automaker, scored the top safety award for all four of its large crossover SUVs, including the all-new Chevrolet Traverse, as well as the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook.

The only other large SUV to make the list was the Audi Q7.

Among GM vehicles, the only others on the list were the Saturn Vue midsize SUV; Cadillac CTS and Saab 9-3 midsize sedans; and Saab 9-3 convertible. The Saab 9-3 SportCombi wagon is included in the sedan category, as well.

Toyota had eight winners, including the Avalon in the large car class. But surprisingly, the top-selling car in the United States, the midsize Camry sedan, did not make the list — although its biggest competitor, the Accord sedan, did, along with the two Ford midsize models and the Volkswagen Passat and Jetta, among others.

The only other full-size pickup to make the list is the Toyota Tundra, which earned the safety award last year.

The institute also lists the Honda Ridgeline as a Top Safety Pick winner in the large pickup category, but that vehicle is more accurately classed as a midsize pickup. The midsize Toyota Tacoma also won the safety award, the only vehicle officially listed by the institute in the small pickup category.

Chrysler LLC had no vehicles among the Top Safety Picks from any of its three brands, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep.

Ford’s other winners include the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize sedans; Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Volvo S80 and Lincoln MKS large sedans; Volvo XC90, Lincoln MKX and Ford Edge, Flex and Taurus X midsize SUVs; Volvo C70 midsize convertible; and the Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute small SUVs.