How to check that a used car is safe to drive

If you’re shopping for a new car on a budget, buying used is the best way to get a good deal from a whole range of different vehicles. However, if you’re not familiar with the specific cars you’re looking at or unsure of what makes a secondhand car safe, it can be a tough job. 

To help you out, we’ve put together a guide on how to tell if a used car is safe to drive so you can be confident in your purchase. 

Buy from a reputable dealer

Where you’re looking for a car is just as important as what you’re looking for. Dealing with online auction sites can be good for finding low prices, but it’s a big sacrifice on security – especially if you’re not an experienced car buyer. You also often don’t have any protections if something goes wrong in the sale. 

When buying from a reputable dealer you have access to not just the car’s history but the company’s as well. Dealers like us also offer genuine servicing, which is perfect for ensuring your used car stays safe to drive. 

Check it has an updated Warrant of Fitness

New Zealand has relatively strict car inspection criteria compared to some other countries around the world which offers great peace of mind for secondhand car buyers. Even if a car has a current Warrant of Fitness (WOF), finding out about any past failures – even for minor issues – can be useful in learning about the car’s history.

Get the car inspected buy a trusted mechanic

A car’s past WOF is one thing, but what about its next inspection? When buying privately or online, it’s common to see cars up for sale because the current owner doesn’t want to do any costly repairs. That’s great if you’re mechanically minded and want a deal, but it doesn’t help to get you and your family safely and reliably on the road. 

An inspection can help you work out what’s been done to the car recently and what work might need doing in the short or long-term as parts wear out. Maybe the tyres had enough tread for last year’s WOF but are wearing to the point where they’re unsafe. A good inspection will tell you all this and much more.

Investigate its safety rating

Price, fuel efficiency and performance are just some of the many traits you might be looking for in a used car, but have you considered its safety rating? Automotive safety technology improves massively each year and the ratings evolve to reflect this. ANCAP updates its safety rating criteria every three years to track these changes. 

The difference between buying a 15-year old used car and a 5-year old used car – even if they’re the same brand and model – can impact elements like side-impact protection, automatic braking assists and lane departure warnings. The newer a used car is, the more of this life-saving and collision-avoidance technology it’s likely to have. 

Finding a used car that ticks every box and is safe to drive can be a challenge. Thankfully, the team at Niccars is here to help with a fleet of secondhand cars across a range of trusted brands. Get in touch with the team or stop by one of our locations to see how we can get you into a safe and reliable used car.