Do you think that this car would be safe for a 17 year old to drive?

Hi - My son is 17, turning 18 in December and he's had his license for about 2 years now. He's had no accidents or run-in's with the law. My mother had a 1989 Pontiac Grand Am which she basically drove once a month until 2006 when she decided that she didn't want the car anymore. My question is, do you think that a 20 year old car, with no air bags and about 100,000 miles on it is safe for a teenager to drive?
Additional Details
There's a few minor problems. The battery is dead, the tires will need to be replaced, the rear-view mirror fell off the windshield, the car has no power steering and the brakes are pretty bad.

tomd1980

I think that as long as the car is mechanically sound then there is no problem

Ok, it does not have airbags, but then a lot of older cars didn't and there was no problems.

I live in the Uk and every car over three years old goes through a test to make sure it is road worthy and safe to drive called an MOT. It does not say the car is in good condition, but it does guarantee the car is safe to drive (i.e brakes work, lights, the frame is in good condition, etc). If you have a similar test where you live put the car through that or get it rigorously checked out by a trusted mechanic and it should be fine.

qwerty1234

No air bags is a no-no. I'm 17 myself, and I know how kids drive these days. You never know what could happen... even if he's the most careful driver in the world (other people could hit him too!). Plus the car sounds like it's in pretty bad condition... you wouldn't want it to break down in the middle of the road.

NDC325

No, i don't think its a great choice for a teenage driver. Older cars don't have the strict regulations/codes for safety back then. In a study they said that airbags and newer cars with airbags have significantly reduced accident fatalities over the past 20 years. Consider a car with at least a driver airbag and seat belt, ABS, and Stability Control. There are much better choices, it's up to you.

gremlingts

What makes you think an air-bag car is safer than one without? Plenty of people drive them without. It's a feature, but doesn't make a vehicle "more safe" or less because of it. Get hit by a tractor trailer, and that bag won't help you at all most likely. Sure, it will in other accidents, but don't disparage a car without them.

Nothing wrong with a car like that, long as you take care of the basics, it should provide a good, safe vehicle. I tend to buy older, high-mileage vehicles to keep my operating costs low. I'm 48, and still alive. It's all in how you drive, not WHAT you drive (usually).

Sounds like it just needs basic maintenance and repairs, have it checked out by a competent mechanic to be sure, otherwise it should be good to go.

- The Gremlin Guy -

UCANTCME

I have worked on many of these cars and at 100,000 miles the car is on its last leg and if you do buy it, it will be in the shop on a regular basis..........

This vehicle will have either a 2.0, 2.3 or a 2.5 engine and all three are 4 cyl and as stated above are worn out.

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