Used Car Safety: How to Ensure that a Used Car Is Safe

With used car safety advertised as "better than ever," there’s no excuse for the next used car that you buy to not be safe for you and your family. But what constitutes safety? And how can you be sure that your prospective car is a safe one? There are several things you should know about used car safety, and it's important to check each one before you take the plunge and buy.

Check the History Report

Auto history reports are always a good indicator of whether a car has been in an accident or not. More information on these can be found in here on autos.com. Frame damage to a car is a serious issue, and most history reports will let you know if your car has been in an accident that resulted in frame damage. You could also take the car to be inspected by your mechanic to confirm this as well. In general, avoid cars with frame damage. Not only might they catastrophically fail in an accident, but they might make maintenance more difficult by compromising structure in the engine bay (motor mounts, for example).

Is the Title Clean?

Salvaged title cars, or cars that have been in accidents but have since been repaired, may be a good deal if the car is older. In newer cars the airbags have likely gone off already, and if they have not been replaced - a relatively expensive procedure - then your car will have no airbags. You can do better than that, and should seek out a car that has at least driver and passenger-side airbags. Vehicle history reports will also take note of salvage titles, though a visual inspection of the airbags will usually reveal previous damage. Sometimes the airbag compartments will be stuffed with newspaper or plastic packaging.

Take the Used Car to Your Mechanic

Even if the safety report is good and the title is clean, always take the car to a local and trustworthy certified mechanic to get it checked out. Most mechanics will have a “check for buy” checklist that they can run through, for your peace of mind. Wear and tear items like brakes, tires, hoses and more can be worn or frayed. If this is the case, you may be able to bargain with the dealer into fixing them for you before the sale. Tire wear is an important safety concern that is easily overlooked.

Many vehicles come with a plethora of other car safety technology such as car seat tie-downs, automatic lights and wipers, traction control, and in newer GM vehicles, OnStar crash response systems. Many of these are convenient, and added safety is always a plus. You might want to look into adding these, though that will mean an increase in total vehicle price. If you don’t know which ones are worth it, look into professional reviews. Sites such as ConsumerReports.org and SaferCar.gov rate and review car safety, and are a good source of information. Safety is a priority in car-buying, and should not be compromised.