Maine State Inspection

[supton]

On some car blog I came across a statement that I wanted to check on the veracity of: the commentor stated that Maine used to have two vehicle safety inspections per year! Years and years ago, 70's or earlier I think (it was an old comment, on an old article).

Can someone shed light on that?

 

[VNTS]

Mass used to be like that back in the 70's.

Been in Maine for 10 yrs, done yearly.

 

[The_Jeff]

Yes they went out of doing it in or around 1981. NH was the same way IIRC.

The current inspection manual has a prologue about how they changed brake lining specs to reflect the "new" annual inspections.

I also believe our confusing stickers, with the current year and next year, are an artifact of that era, where one or the other would get punched.

School busses are still 6 months. Factoid, massachusetts school busses get it every 2 months and a sticker, then the regular annual one on top of it all with another sticker.

 

[Oldwolf]

NC was trying to get a waiver on the state inspection for cars 2 years old or less on grounds that what could be wrong with them? The legislature voted it down because we need the revenue they said. I bought a new car this year and it had to be inspected before I picked it up!

 

[HerrStig]

It's amazing how much the average citizen will allow pointy headed bureaucrats to push them around before they say "ENOUGH, inspections TWICE a year...bullbleep."

 

[supton]

Very interesting! Learn something new every day.

NH requires inspection on new vehicle also. Makes you wonder just how long and thorough that inspection is.

I used to live in Maine (90's) and when I moved to NH I nearly got "bit" by the difference in registration/inspection. IIRC in Maine you didn't have to get either done in the same month; but in NH you do both in your birth month: and you can't inspect until you have an updated registration. I may have snuck out 13-14 months on an inspection sticker, on a regular basis, when I lived in Maine...

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: supton
Very interesting! Learn something new every day.

NH requires inspection on new vehicle also. Makes you wonder just how long and thorough that inspection is.



My WRX failed brand new. A fog light failed between delivery and a few weeks latter at registration. Of course I did not pay anything, just waited a bit longer for a "quick" inspection.

 

[SuperDave456]

Wow.
In Tx it is once a year.

But you have to provide proof of insurance when you have it inspected.

Last number I heard 1/2 the cars on the road in Tx are uninsured. Leading to one of the highest insurance rates in the nation.
That also means that 1/2 of the folks getting their car inspected are either having it done "on the side", or are good with a Xerox machine and making false "proof of insurance" forms.

I used to work in a automotive garage in High School and College. I was constantly amazed at the junk people brought us to work on.
Although I don't like the Gubberment Bureaucracy in my life, I am glad that there is some kind of safety inspection going on.
To many folks showed up with their rotors warn through to the cooling vanes and there was no sign of brake pads, or 4 bald tires, or a leaking Master Cylinder that needed to be topped off every 5 or 10 miles, or any number of crazy dumb stuff that these dare devils would figure out.

 

[lexus114]

PA used to have every six month inspections too. Thank GOD they did away with it around 1981 or so.

 

[bepperb]

We don't have any inspection. I don't think it has any bearing on the safety of the average car on the road. Plenty of people driving beaters with no registration at all regardless of whether an inspection would have been required. And I think the idiots behind the wheel are a million times more dangerous than the cars they drive.

 

[supton]

In a similar vein: pretending that state inspections went away, how many would bother having their vehicles "inspected" on a yearly basis? Or every 2 years, or whatever?

I'm really not worried about a 5 year old vehicle--too new for rust of any sort, and any "critical" system will give warnings long before going--but somewhere around there I'd start to wonder about ball joints etc. Most of which yes, I could check myself: but no, I couldn't replace myself.

I like the notion of getting unsafe vehicles off the road, but as pointed out, plenty of people skate by regardless. So, the question is, what would you do if the inspection requirement went away? Still visit the mechanic every so often for a generic safety check?

 

[fusion0389]

In GA it is once a year and I think that should be sufficient nationwide! New cars should be exempt from these types of things the first two years or so and having inspections twice a year is completely absurd!

In GA the emissions inspection takes like five minutes, i pull in and the guy hooks up to my OBD port and gas cap. Starts the car for like 30 seconds and then done. Overall very easy process, IMO the insurance verification is a good idea in areas with a prevalence of uninsured drivers.

 

[mike7139]

These state inspections are a waste. I recently just switched my Ohio drivers license to NC and found out that NC has yearly vehicle inspections. Ohio had no vehicle inspections and I was always able to renew my plates online every other year. I bought my car brand new in 2000 and still have it today and I am afraid of getting it inspected. I just know that they are going to find a ton of stuff wrong even tho the car drives and runs solid and burns no oil whatsoever. I would love to continue using my out of state license plates but don't know how well that would go having a NC drivers license?

 

[bepperb]

Originally Posted By: supton
In a similar vein: pretending that state inspections went away, how many would bother having their vehicles "inspected" on a yearly basis? Or every 2 years, or whatever?

So, the question is, what would you do if the inspection requirement went away? Still visit the mechanic every so often for a generic safety check?


I've lived my whole life and I've never heard anyone speak of taking a car just to get inspected unless there is already a problem or they are buying a used car. On the other hand when my wife used to take her car to get the oil changed there would always be a half dozen things wrong with it (even just 3 or 4 year old cars) so it seems you get the inspection at every oil change around here.

Really the sort of people who need the inspection the most would find a way out of it and the other 90% of society get to deal with a huge hassle and a conflict of interest with their mechanic/inspector/whatever.

 

[The_Jeff]

The worst vehicles I saw working at a tire shop were consistently 5 year old trucks and vans with commercial plates. Probably pile up 30k a year and the front ends were almost universally SHOT. And we have inspections!!!

 

[supton]

I drive 25kmiles/year, and often cruise at upwards of 80mph. As my car ticks over to 261kmiles I'd like to know it's still rather safe. My wife drives as much, albeit not as fast; but I'd like to know that she and the kids are just as safe, in the years when her car isn't as new. Waiting for the car to start wallowing around, clunking, etc isn't my idea of "safe".

Mike, oil burning doens't matter, as long as it doens't spew blue smoke. Oil dripping may or may not matter, however.

 

[idok]

I used to work at at a gas station in Colorado in younger years and they had 2x/year inspections and it was a pain. Where I live in Oregon there is NO inspection except over in the Portland area where I think they check exhaust emissions.

 

[sciphi]

I'm sort of glad NY has 1x/year safety and emissions inspections. They do exempt cars less than 2 model years old (IIRC, I know it's around there) from emissions inspections. And, some new cars can burn through a set of OEM tires in 10-15k miles with the right tire/driver combination. It makes sure everybody has a minimum level of functional safety equipment such as brake lights, headlights, tires, and windshield wipers. The inspections keep the worst of the junk off the roads. I'm fine with that.

When I lived in a state that didn't require inspections, the number of cars with non-functional brake lights, tires with the cords showing, or tattered windshield wipers flying in the breeze was astounding.

 

[Hootbro]

I like Delaware. Inspection are only done at tag renewal. If you buy a new car, you have your tags/inspection good for 5 years and then after that, every 2 years.

I will say there is a lot more inop brake and tail lights up here when compared to my previous residence in Texas that had annual inspections.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Originally Posted By: mike7139
These state inspections are a waste. I recently just switched my Ohio drivers license to NC and found out that NC has yearly vehicle inspections. Ohio had no vehicle inspections and I was always able to renew my plates online every other year. I bought my car brand new in 2000 and still have it today and I am afraid of getting it inspected. I just know that they are going to find a ton of stuff wrong even tho the car drives and runs solid and burns no oil whatsoever. I would love to continue using my out of state license plates but don't know how well that would go having a NC drivers license?



Mike,
have you got your inspection yet? If not, I can give you a run down on what to do to get ready. E-mail or Call my cell if you would like to chat.

704-277-8829 9am-9pm

Wayne