ALT-1 How to Evaluate Car Safety during a Test Drive
This most likely is a question for older cars since new cars would be virtually impossible to determine how safe the car is because all the safety problems would have been addressed before delivery to the dealership.
Instead, let's concentrate on a used car as this is where most problems may develop.The most important of course is how well does the car stop. Do the brakes fade upon repeated stops? How do they feel when applying the pedal, do you feel any vibration, or do you hear any noise that shouldn't be there when applying the brakes?
Does the car pull to one side or the other when braking, and is it pulling hard enough so that you have to use pressure when trying to keep it straight?How well does the car keep a straight path when you let your hands off the wheel?If it veers to the side one way or the other, you can bet you either have a bad tire, or needing an alignment.
If going around a corner, does the car have a positive feel, or does the front end feel like it may be a bit unstable, in which case you may have some front end work ahead of you such as ball joints or tie rods etc.
Do you hear any growing sound coming from the wheels in motion? This could be you may have problems with the wheel bearings.
Do you smell gas fumes of any kind which would be indicative of a leak in the line, and depending where it's at, it could pose a potential fire? Do the light all work as well as the turn signals etc? Try a quick acceleration, and check to see if there is no slippage in the transmission or that it fails to kick into another gear without letting off the gas.
Try moving the car back and forth a few times to see if there is any unusual sound in the drive train or any hesitation before the transmission engages in gear.
Pop the hood and check the dipstick for oil, and if it's black, consider that the car wasn't well maintained for its fluids which can mean a shorter life span for the engine.
New cars come with many safety features that will not be easily diagnosed by the average driver, but to be sure, there are reports that can be obtained that show the differences between makes and models so as to guide you when choosing a new car.
A used car is always a risk factor, and when ever possible ask to see the repair history, or maintenance history that was followed. If all looks good on paper, and a test drive doesn't show any unusual symptoms, it's a safe bet you are looking at a sound car.
