Mandatory vehicle inspections - non political

[swalve]

I thought the conversation about mandatory inspections was a good one, but I understand that it got too political. Thought I'd start a new topic about it, without the political derail.

1- Do you live in a state with mandatory inspections? How do they do it, does it work well?

2- If a mandatory inspection law were passed, how would you implement it? What would be on the list of inspection points? Must-fixes?

Here in Illinois, we have emmissions, but no inspections. Many of the cars on the road are horrifying. I've visited VA, where they have inspections, and the cars seem a lot more sturdy looking.

I'd say that a good solution would be:

1- Eyeball the vehicle alignment. Is steering wheel straight, are wheels straight?

2- Eyeball the brakes, check for loose parts, damaged parts, dangerous scoring.

3- Drop a tread checker into the tire. If it's below the threshold, fail.

4- Exhaust test- plug the exhaust with a pressure type of gauge. When the exhaust reaches a certain (non damaging) pressure, the tester pops off. If it doesn't reach that pressure and the car continues idling, there is a leak.

5- Lights, signals, horns, etc.

6- Grab all four wheels and shake them.

7- (somehow) measure freeplay in steering.

8- Plug in a odb-II tester and look for Bad Codes.

It seems to me this kind of test would last 5 minutes, and is easily done by people without much experience. They could set up a deal where you have to go get it done before you try to buy your sticker, perhaps with a network of service stations that can give you a "Pass" certificate, but cannot "fail" you. (This would eliminate the issue where a bad service station can bend you over and fail you unless you pay for unneeded repairs.)

The price of the sticker includes the cost of one inspection from the DMV people, if you fail, a subsequent inspection would be $10 or something. Or, if you needed tires installed, the tire dealer could "pass" you on the tires and you can renew.

Can't sell a car unless it is up to date on inspections. If a car fails with non-life threatening problems, you can get a waiver for one renewal. The next time, you have to pass.

My belief is that this doesn't infringe on anyone, a car owner who is even moderately concerned about maintenance would pass with flying colors. But it would keep the dangerous cars off the road.

 

[StevieC]

I think mandatory inspection is a great idea but I don't like the bodies that usually run it and turn it into a way to tax the people or into a way for shops to extort money in unnecessary repairs from its customers. Assuming this wouldn't happen, I would say $40/ 2 yrs. Doesn't need to be highly profitable for shops because they would most likely get recommended work anyways.

They would check all safety systems like signals, brake lights, headlights and that they are aimed correctly

, air bags & seat-belts, brakes, suspension & steering, excessive unsafe amounts of rust, leaks that could be potentially hazardous, sound levels from a cars exhaust to limit those irritatingly loud exhausts, emissions based on tail pipe readings and not fail it because a CEL is on.

 

[xxch4osxx]

I am surprised we dont have mandatory inspections here in Ontario, there is alot of vehicles that are on the road that should not be. I agree, yearly inspections would be a good idea, as long as it is not expensive.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I don't know how 10% of the cars on the Cross Bronx Expressway have passed?

 

[Mustang2008Z]

Texas has mandatory inspections. In Travis and Williamson Counties we have emissions tests as well, which costs more money, as usual, for annual inspections. However, Austin's "problems" are not related to automobile exhaust, it is more of a transnational problem that may not be easily solvable. Whenever Mexico, and the rest of Central/South America burn their crop fields for the next planting to take place is when Austin has it's problems. The winds bring it to us all the time. We have been in noncompliance only 1-3 days in 2008, not enough for the need for such drastic measures, like emissions tests and 10% ethanol in gasoline.

It was all done by political subdivisions of the State of Texas, to show that they are doing something, when in reality it is, out of their hands completely.

For the Moderator of this forum political subdivision does not mean a political statement, the words political subdivision relates to state, and local governments that have legal authority to implement rules and regulations upon residents under the state/local government which controls the jurisdiction.

In simple terms, it is not a political statement rather it is a statement of fact.

 

[Boomer]

PA has mandatory yearly inspections. Brake lining on two diagonal wheels is checked, all lights must be operable (lots of bulbs are replaced that folks did not know were burned out), window glass has to be non-cracked, tires have to have a certain amount of tread, wipers need to work (non-streaking) the horn has to operate and there cannot be gross failures of parts (ie the steering mechanism cannot have broken parts). There used to be a requirement on rust and holes in the body but that has basically disappeared. In certain more highly populated areas of the state there is an emissions inspection. A computer is hooked up to the car and sends the VIN and the info to the DMV in Harrisburg, PA. Usually, if the check engine light is off, you will pass this. Since the charge for this can run about $40, this really ticks folks off as it is just a tax but it does allow the state to verify emissions.

Overall, the system is reasonable. Cars are safer and don't suffer from as many critical system issues, I would thin. I lived in both Illinois and Indiana and found the systems there to be useless, if they existed at all.

 

[labman]

One of the nice things about our federal system is that states are free to try things and see what works. In 5 posts, nobody brought up the subject of fewer accidents in states with inspection. Are there? If not, trash the expensive boondoggle.

It is like the tornado warning sirens. In all the discussion of them and justification for them, I have never seen a single statistic comparing areas struck by tornadoes with and without them.

 

[Bluestream]

In Ontario a car needs to be inspected when it changes onwners. Even when the change is between husband and wife a saftey inspection is needed. Most cars are not held by the same owner for 15 years, so the saftey defects are caught and fixed when a car is sold. I would hate to see yearly inspections, as we already are ripped of on the emission inspections. I have a BMW that I only use a few months in the summer, and there is no need to have it inspected each year. I was in Buffalo a few weeks back and noticed a lot of "State vehicle inspection center" or similar type signs. I wonder how often and how much these inspections cost?

 

[SrDriver]

Require new vehicle manufactures to install signal lights in their vehicles and check them.

Seems many vehicles don't have them anymore?

 

[Kruse]

I currently live in Kansas where there is no vehicle inspection. Are there some vehicles on the road that shouldn't be? A few, maybe.
I've also lived in Texas in a county that had emission and safety inspection. At that time, there was a lot of abuse. I took my car in to be inspected on a Saturday and I was about fourth in line. Some 16 year old kid was driving the cars in, scraping the stickers off and installing new ones. It took about 5 minutes per car. I guess it didn't bother me because I knew my car would pass, but it really was a money grab.
Also, I remember that the federal government was fining the city of El Paso for bad air, but they appealed (and won) because they said all their bad air was coming from Mexico.
It's like everything else. It was meant well and it works, but there is abuse in some areas.

 

[eljefino]

Maine has them as does the whole northeast (except maybe CT?)

Like another poster above we only have emissions testing in Cumberland County, and it's to resolve "bad air days" from the 80s and 90s. IE to demonstrate a plan to the EPA. But the law is still on the books. Presumably the dealers LOVE the $$$ OBDII fixes. One gets an OBDII scan and a gas cap check, but I've never seen a gas cap actually get checked. One's allowed 2-3 I/M monitors to be non-completed.

Inspections are done by just about anyone. One only needs ~500 sq ft of space, a lift, a big enough garage door, and a few hundred $$$ worth of equipment to do inspections.

Unlike many states the mechanic doesn't directly look at the brakes. If they "feel funny" on the 10 MPH trip into the bay they can take a wheel off at the hourly labor rate and take a look, with customer approval.

At only $18.50 (state gets $2.50), they're a great bargain compared to neighboring states.

The most important feature is brake line looking over. Have had a 9 year old car with a nice looking body need brake lines. Have also blown two brake lines in my lifetime, both times in driveways.

I like PA's plan of wheel removal and brake inspection. Whatever brakes were done last are checked off on the back of the sticker! It should keep drums from rusting on completely solidly, getting hammered off every two years.

New Jersey gives new cars 4 free years. Good deal. Dealers probably like this because people might trade in to avoid the "hassle."

I don't look at the money people are spending every year as a hardship; cars are expensive to maintain and if you don't like it take the bus! Out of vanity folks buy more car than they can maintain; I have no pity for those with fancy (european) junk that get nicked for lit dash lights.

Some places are more picky than others. Recently they came up with a plan where if you fail they take a corner off your sticker and give you a list, presumably to reduce "mechanic shopping". But if the car owner scrapes the old sticker off entirely, who's to know?

The state police just clarified that you can fail for airbag, ABS lights statewide in addition to a CEL in my county.

In closing the cars are in better shape. A $1000 car without inspections would be 20 years old with gaping holes in the floors. With inspections it's more like 12 years old. A private party can sell a car as-is uninspected but a new sticker helps make the deal.

 

[JOD]

We don't have state inspections here in WA.

Here's the result*:

Yes, you're seeing correctly. Some dude took a chainsaw to his 240. Hmmm...

*note--I couldn't find a pic of the actual car. This is a picture of some other clown. As far as the ACTUAL car (which was parked a few blocks from me for a while), the wife of the owner called 'Car Talk' to ask Tom and Ray if the car was safe... Funny to hear that on the radio!

I've been on both sides of the inspection thing. In PA it was well-known that certain garages 'sold' inspection passes, while others required 'ball joints' for every car over 3 years old. The system seemed rife with corruption, in both directions (people being extorted, people being passed who had no business passing).

I think the intent of state inspections is good, but it's obviously difficult to manage. I will say that 2 or 3 times a year I see a car slumped to the side of the road with a broken axle,typically with the wheel laying a few feet from the car. I never saw this when I lived in Northern VA.

 

[wapacz]

Originally Posted By: eljefino


The most important feature is brake line looking over. Have had a 9 year old car with a nice looking body need brake lines. Have also blown two brake lines in my lifetime, both times in driveways.



You know the only time I have blown brake line is in the driveway also. Maybe it has to do with fully depressing the brake when shifting out of park.

 

[BigCahuna]

New jersey does vehicle inspections every two years.Most of the time spent in the inspector typing in the vehicle info.You will fail if the check engine light is on. They plug into the cars computer, shake the front end with a automatic shaker, check the gas cap if it seals or leaks.make sure the lights work and theres meat on the tires, as well as a quick brake test. Now with motorcycles its just a paperwork check and a light test.You could probably push in a bike with no motor on it as long as the lights work, here's your sticker.One other thing, they failed my '02 Explorer because the odometer was not displaying the mileage. I went round and round about this is supposed to be a "Safety" inspection and whats mileage have to do with safety?They couldn't give a real reason except , we need the milage.

 

[Bluestream]

In Ontario the inspection process is very comprehensive and takes about 45 mins to one hour. Wheels are removed to check brake pads, shoes, dics, and drums. Brake system must have no leaks anywhere. Tires must have good rubber above the wear bars. Front end is checked for ball joints, tie rod ends and steering linkages. Wheels must be in alignment. All lights, turn signals, wipers, and speedo must work. Wiper blades cannot be worn. Washers and back up lights must work. Gas tank must have no leaks. Exhaust must have no holes or leaks. Frames must have no cracks, and body must have no rust holes. Headlight aligment is also checked. If anything fails, you can take the car home and you have 36 days to do the work yourself or pay the garage to do it. The safety certificate has to be signed by a Class A mechanic and also the owner of the business. Anything that is passed that should not be could result in the mechanic losing their license. Cost is from $60-$75. SHops like these as they usually get the work if there is a defect. They pretty much have you by the balls, as most people won't do the work themselfs. Check engine light has no bearing on the inspection. But then this is only needed when the vehicle changes hands...

 

[Duffman77]

In Saskatchewan and Alberta there are mandatory inspections when you move a vehicle into the province. I had to do one on my 2 year old truck with 30,000 km and it was somewhere around $120 bucks, I was not happy, how can a vehicle that new and still under warranty be unsafe.

I have the inspection sheet for Alberta in front of me and there are way to many irrelevant items on the list.

Stuff like a rusty muffler, condition of wiring, belts & hoses, some body panels, windshield, heater system, interior lighting have no relevance to public safety.

Tires, wheels, brakes, suspension, steering, structural components of the body & frame, and exterior lights are all critical to public safety and the exhaust system UP TO THE CAT is a good idea as well.

 

[Bluestream]

Actually, having a working heater (defrost) system is kinda important to keep your windshield clear in the winter..

 

[BimmerMan]

California doesn't have vehicle inspections, just smog checks.


I guess they think car exhaust has more chance of killing you than bald tires.

 

[Duffman77]

What if the vehicle is never drove in the winter or poor conditions, I believe a long long long time ago you could get vehicles with heater deletes. Its simple ticket those vehicles that are driving with covered windshields, its already an offence under the traffic act.

 

[01rangerxl]

NC has mandatory safety inspections and individual counties can decide whether or not to do emissions testing. Emissions testing only applies for 1996+ vehicles.

I don't like the inspection. I take care of my vehicle, so for me it's just a yearly hassle that costs me $30. Plus, it's going to keep me from being able to put a 5.0 in my truck.

I suppose it probably does keep some unsafe vehicles off the roads, but there are still tons of vehicles in bad shape driving around here. It can take way less than a year for a vehicle to become unsafe to drive.

One thing I did notice more of in AL (a no inspection state) was wrecked vehicles on the roads. You won't usually see a wrecked vehicle with blown air bags being driven here, but I have seen it a couple times in AL.