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The research, done in conjunction with the Monash University Accident Research Centre, found some second-hand cars are five times more likely than other vehicles to cause serious injury or death if involved in an accident.
In a study of over 3.6 million second-hand vehicles, the 2009 Used Car Safety Ratings backed by motoring organisations such as the RAA and RACV show a large gap between the highest-rated used cars - the 2004-2007 Volkswagen Golf and Mitsubishi's 1999-2003 Nimbus - and the worst, Suzuki's Carry from 1982-2000 and the Suzuki Alto from 1985 to 2000.
RAA technical manager Mark Borlace says small and light cars are particularly problematic in the most recent survey. "Small and light cars are 13 out of 19 vehicles dominating the worst category. "Commercial vans and utes also attracted low ratings due to the high injury risk they posed to both their own occupants and other road users if involved in an accident," he says.
The MUARC used car safety ratings research examined more than 3.6 million vehicles - almost 240 passenger and light commercial vehicles up to 17 years old - and 740,000 injured road users involved in road crashes in Australia and New Zealand between 1987 and 2006.
The crash rating is based on how well protected the occupant and other road users were, including cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. Borlace says the best performers were mostly from Europe and Japan.
None of the large-cars on the list, including a range of Australian-made large cars from Holden, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi, scored above four stars.
"This is a rating for the whole safety performance, both you and the other road users - the older small cars - Sherpa, Alto, Mira - the injuries to occupants get can't be offset by how well it treats everyone else."
"Large cars do a lot of damage to other cars, it makes it hard for them to holistically be a good car in this rating," Borlace says. The results showed over half of the vehicles studied (118) were rated good or excellent, while more than one in 10 (25) were rated excellent.
"What we'd like to have happen with this rating - three out of four of us will buy a used car, not a new car - but more importantly, young people with their first car, they want something sexy and fast.
"But with parents helping with or funding the first purchase, what we want to see them do is use this list as their menu list for the kids, getting something that has five stars but something the kids can live with aesthetically and can afford," Borlace says.
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