WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
When buying a car for your teenager
Picking out a good car for your teenager can be a real challenge. It needs to be SAFE, above all, not too powerful, but powerful enough, not too big and heavy to get decent gas mileage, and not too small and light to be dangerous in an accident. Plus…it needs to look cool enough for your teen to want to be seen in it, needs to be in good enough condition that it will provide a few good years of reliable service…AND it can’t cost an arm and a leg. Yikes!
Before you (or your teen) pick out a car based on looks and price alone, research models for reliability and safety reviews, and then buy the SAFEST car you can afford.
As parents well know, teenage drivers are the most likely group of drivers to get in an accident. They just don’t have the years of experience behind them to make instant judgment calls. And if the car they’re driving isn’t truly roadworthy and safe, it can be a matter of life and death, or serious, life-changing injuries.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
It’s critical to know that the vehicle your teen will be driving has good tires, good brakes, good suspension and steering, and hasn’t been in a frame tweaking accident in the past. Then, you need to know that the engine isn’t about to have major problems, burn oil, boil over, or make strange noises which “just don’t sound right.” Next, you need to know if there have been any factory recalls for that vehicle, and whether or not those recalls have been taken care of. Most importantly, and this should actually be number one on the list, you need to know how that model fares in crash test scores. You can check that out at www.SaferCar.gov.
HAVE A AAA-APPROVED AUTO REPAIR FACILITY CHECK THE VEHICLE OUT BEFORE YOU PURCHASE IT!
When having a vehicle checked out for YOUR teenager, don’t just take it to anybody. Take it to a AAA approved repair shop with ASE certified technicians. They’ll have the diagnostic equipment, the training, and the experience to give you peace of mind.
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