Car scams everywhere

[zzyzzx]

I'm adding state inspection scams to my list of scammy car related things.
As in to get your used car registered in MD you take it to a shop. They give you a long list of items that they claim need to be replaced. You look over the car and find that it only needs one of the items, which is a light bulb. You then replace the light bulb and take the vehicle to another shop for inspection, and it easily passes, and the mechanic specifically states that it was the nicest vehicle that they have inspected in a while.

 

[brages]

A Car-X near me advertised free (state-mandated) safety inspections. Now, the safety inspection is normally like $7 but the emissions inspection (plug in an OBD reader) makes up for it - $30 or whatever. So it's not a huge savings, but hey seven bucks.

I took my car there and they failed it for wiper blades. Showed me that there was about an inch of torn rubber on the end of the blade.

But I had checked my wiper blades before I took the car in for inspection and they were fine. That's a scam.

I had replacements in the garage ready, so I went home and put them on and came back to pass. I don't go there for inspections anymore.

 

[SC Maintenance]

State mandated inspections have always been a scam. We have had several threads here on it. Then of course some will say "I don't want to ride around with those dangerous cars", and I will point me to some lawyers website or other biased source telling me how unsafe it is.

People believe what they want I guess.