Australians can now access the 2025 Used Car Safety Ratings, providing the latest independent insights to help consumers choose the safest second-hand cars on the market.
Based on data analysed by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), this year’s ratings draw from 9.5 million vehicles and 2.6 million injured road users involved in police-reported crashes across Australia and New Zealand between 1987 and 2023.
The findings show that vehicle safety continues to advance, with the average risk of death or serious injury in the event of a crash for drivers in 2023 models 43 per cent lower than in vehicles manufactured in 2001.
Over the full analysis period, the overall safety of the light vehicle fleet has improved by more than 50 per cent.
A total of 561 vehicle models manufactured between 1982 and 2023 have been rated out of five stars for overall safety.
This is a reflection of the overall performance of the vehicle in protecting people from serious injury in a crash, including its driver and other road users with which it collides as well as the vehicle’s ability to avoid a crash in the first place.
Of the vehicles rated, 130 models achieved a 5-star rating, and 72 earned ‘Safer Pick’ status for their superior performance across all key safety categories.
The Tesla Model 3 (2019-2023) became the first fully electric vehicle to be rated, achieving both 5-stars for Overall Safety and ‘Safer Pick’ status, demonstrating that electric models can excel in both occupant and other road user protection.
This year’s results also show continued gains in occupant protection and primary safety technologies, with many newer models fitted with advanced driver assistance systems such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, electronic stability control (ESC) and reversing sensors or cameras as standard.
The ratings reveal substantial variation in safety performance across vehicle types, underscoring the importance of informed vehicle choice.
Medium and small SUVs once again lead for overall safety, followed closely by people movers and medium passenger cars.
Commercial utes continue to perform poorly for both driver protection and the safety of other road users, with 70 per cent rated only one or two stars overall.
The average modern small car now provides better driver protection than the average modern commercial ute, highlighting significant differences in safety design between vehicle classes and showing that big is not always better when safety is concerned
The 2025 ratings highlight emerging concerns around increasing vehicle size and mass, particularly the growing popularity of large SUVs and commercial utes, which contribute to higher risks for pedestrians and other road users despite their strong driver protection.
Encouragingly, safe vehicles are accessible across all price ranges. Almost all ‘Safer Pick’ vehicles are available second-hand for under AU$25,000, with more than half priced below AU$10,000, making them an excellent choice for young and first-time drivers.
