Wondering Where to Get Safety Ratings on Used Cars?

 

 

Every year we see reports that are published regarding vehicle safety ratings for new cars but you may be wondering how to get safety information on a used car you are interested in buying.  It is actually easier to do than you may have thought. 

Safercar.gov is a website that is run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is loaded with all kinds of good information including data on car safety ratings.   Their unbiased crash test safety ratings go all the way back to 1990 and you can use the information to compare vehicles.  The NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings cover crashworthiness and rollover safety by model, class and manufacturer as well as the comparison safety ratings.

They do warn that starting with 2011 models tougher standards were used on their new 5-Star Safety Rating system to provide consumers more information on safety and new crash avoidance technologies.  Given this, they recommend you do not compare older 1990-2010 models with 2011 and newer vehicles, and even then only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight class.  

In order to do a search on your vehicle, go to the Safercar.gov website and open the tab along the top for “Vehicle Shopper”.   Hit the link to the 5-Star Safety Ratings page and from there you will be able to search for vehicles by model, class, manufacturer, and compare safety ratings.  There is a separate section for 2011 vehicles and newer. 

The NHTSA states that the new 5-Star Ratings include, “side pole testing, using different sized crash-test dummies, collecting more crash data, offering a single Overall Vehicle Score per vehicle, and highlighting new crash avoidance technologies.”  They state the reason for the new rating system is to encourage manufacturers to continue to build the safest vehicles. 

safercar.gov/Safety+Ratings

The Car Show, Inc. has been a trusted name for used vehicles for over 25 years and was chosen to be the "Quality Dealer of the Year" by the Colorado Independent Auto Dealers Association (CIADA).  Come in and browse our showroom or check out our online site for the most extensive selection of outstanding used cars, trucks, motorcycles, and new and used RVs.