Is it safe to use an old or second-hand child safety seat?

Is it safe to use an old or second-hand child safety seat?

Stephanie Tombrello (Child Passenger Safety Educator & Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe USA) gives expert video advice on: What qualities should I look for in a child safety seat?; Is it safe to use an old or second-hand child safety seat?; Can I still use a child safety seat after an accident? and more...

On the whole, we don't recommend using second-hand seats. Even a seat that comes from a friend or relative has to be looked at very carefully if it's not brand new, out of the box. Safety seats have a lifespan and also, they need to have all their parts and pieces. Sometimes safety seats are given to a person from someone they trust. That person didn't realize that they didn't have the instructions, or there was a recall on the seat, or the seat had been in a collision. So, for all of those reasons, our first recommendation is to get a new seat.