Selling safely under the General Product Safety Regulations
If you sell or hire used motor vehicles, you must make sure they are safe before offering them for supply. This is a legal requirement under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
The law states that:
- used cars must be safe under normal or foreseeable conditions of use
- it is illegal to supply, offer, expose or possess for supply any unsafe product
- penalties include fines up to £20,000 and/or up to 12 months imprisonment
- products that meet agreed safety standards are considered safe
A safe used car is one that:
- meets MOT standards
- has key features in good condition. These include tyres, lights, brakes, steering, suspension and protection against corrosion
- meets the minimum safety standards set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986