Wife’s rogue failed inspection. Is this legal?

[AdmiralYoda]

Probably should have started with "Getting a Salvaged Vehicle Inspected" first.

No, the typical safety inspection will not catch this. In MA they don't even open your hood. They scan OBD-II for emissions codes and jack up your tires to check for suspension issues. In NH they will put your car on a lift and check your brakes and drivetrain for abnormal wear/issues.

A rebuild inspection is entirely different. It has to go to a shop, usually a specially certified body shop to inspect the car thoroughly for structural issues. Insurance companies require auto body shops to repair them in a certain way, to OEM standards.

If this were a normally titled vehicle nobody would be the wiser and it could probably drive another 100,000 miles without anyone knowing. But this type of work will never pass the rebuild inspection.

I suspect this process is probably similar in many if not most states. If I EVER buy a salvaged vehicle, I'll be doing all of the repair work...for this reason.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I highly doubt something called a radiator support tie bar is overly critical to safety. The unibody is what crumples, not support brackets.

Just get new brackets and have them replaced properly. Not a big job. You are far enough in - just finish getting the vehicle road worthy, You do not want to sell a vehicle flagged as unsafe. Not a crumple issue - that would be the bumper beam and the large boxed left and right forward unibody rails.
Inspector saw it and can't un-see it. Don't want the radiator becoming disloged and to drop.

 

[Kurtatron]

Just get new brackets and have them replaced properly. Not a big job. You are far enough in - just finish getting the vehicle road worthy, You do not want to sell a vehicle flagged as unsafe. Not a crumple issue - that would be the bumper beam and the large boxed left and right forward unibody rails.
Inspector saw it and can't un-see it. Don't want the radiator becoming disloged and to drop.

I fear though that this damage will also prevent this car from ever passing an inspection. Look at this, hiding beneath the radiator. I don’t think the prior inspector caught this. This underneath the tie bar.

 

[Astro14]

Just get new brackets and have them replaced properly. Not a big job. You are far enough in - just finish getting the vehicle road worthy, You do not want to sell a vehicle flagged as unsafe. Not a crumple issue - that would be the bumper beam and the large boxed left and right forward unibody rails.
Inspector saw it and can't un-see it. Don't want the radiator becoming disloged and to drop.

With all the other garbage on this thing, how do you know the frame rails and bumper beam are any good?

Because, with the corners they cut here, I wouldn’t be surprised if that stuff was just hammered out to close enough, instead of being properly repaired.

It’s very clear from the workmanship on this part that shoddy workmanship was their standard.

There is a reason that insurance companies total cars. It’s because properly fixing things like frame rails, bumper, beams, and all the bracketry that surrounds them, is difficult and expensive.

Pretty clear that the “body guys” on this were looking to save money on the repair.

If they boogered up the parts you can see, pretty good bet that they boogered up the parts you can’t.

 

[Astro14]

I fear though that this damage will also prevent this car from ever passing an inspection. Look at this, hiding beneath the radiator. I don’t think the prior inspector caught this. This underneath the tie bar.

View attachment 231011

Exactly my point.

 

[OVERKILL]

I fear though that this damage will also prevent this car from ever passing an inspection. Look at this, hiding beneath the radiator. I don’t think the prior inspector caught this. This underneath the tie bar.

View attachment 231011

This thing is a write-off.

It's like one of those "the longer you look, the worse it gets" pictures.

Jerry Rig and his buddy Mickey Mouse, master of the booger weld, teamed up with Red Green and they all got really drunk and decided to fix this car.

 

[demarpaint]

Shoddy work and an unsafe car is what it looks like to me. Kudos to the inspector for flagging it.

 

[97prizm]

The DMV employee told me for a “rebuilt” title out of state car, I am required to get an inspection before I can get it registered.

Is the state patrol an option? In Colorado salvage/ some rebuilt vehicles are given a new vin and have to be inspected by the State Patrol.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I fear though that this damage will also prevent this car from ever passing an inspection. Look at this, hiding beneath the radiator. I don’t think the prior inspector caught this. This underneath the tie bar.

View attachment 231011

A bit of mild stamped steel that crushes easily with light impact. A good body and frame shoppe can make short work of it. Hopefully aftermarket body and frame parts are still available to save on cost. Also hope this inspector caught everything so you can make it right.

How is front tire wear and steering currently? Even with net build, unibody cars can be all over the place from the factory. I had a rebuilt hard nose hit 1998 Ford Contour - the thing drove and steered fantastic where many "new" did not.

 

[Hall]

This thread just reminded me to check on the Honda Odyssey we had that was totaled .... and on the road ~6 months later. It was totaled due to A and B pillar damage as well as passenger doorsill frame damage.

2 years ago, at 251k miles, it had some work done, then 5 months later, it went to a Honda dealer for "Services" and they noted the mileage at 25,505. I suspect that is a typo actually and should be 255k miles instead. Nothing after this though, including vehicle registration so maybe it's done.

 

[The Critic]

How long can you get away with driving on FL plates?

 

[dishdude]

This is pathetic. Someone at Florida the DMV entered into the wrong odometer mileage! Carvana says my mileage is wrong. They reported 178k miles in May, when in January it was 83,000 4 Months ago! What heck!

It doesn't matter, any dealer or buying service is going to offer $500 for this. If you're buying a replacement, make the dealer take it on trade for $500 otherwise sell it to a scrap yard or donate it.

 

[slo town]

I'm curious, what does this vehicle look like from the outside?

Scott

 

[Astro14]

Do the right thing and take this heap off the road, or get it fixed properly.

Passing it off on another buyer is unethical. It was not properly repaired. It is compromised.

Yes, doing the right thing will cost you money.

Case in point - in 1995, I discovered a crack in the frame of my 1970 Ford Fairlane wagon. A safety issue. It was near the front control arm.

It could have been welded, and repaired properly, but the Fairlane had a couple of other issues as well, no AC (never had it, it was sold new with only the AM radio and V-8 options, nothing else), a tailgate that was falling off because rust ate the hinges, and a broken spring in the front seat that poked through the vinyl and had ruined several pairs of uniform pants as a result.

I was taking the new Michelins off of it (back when I was allowed to operate the tire machine at the hobby shop on base) for a buddy’s Toyota pickup (and putting the worn out tires on the Fairlane which was heading for the junkyard) when a sailor and I struck up a conversation.

He was looking for an engine for his F-150.

The Fairlane had a good running 302 with a C4 that worked perfectly.

On the condition that he take the car off the road, and pull the engine and trans for his truck, I sold it to him, then and there, for $100.

Yep, I took a loss on it. It drove well and I could have sold it for several times that $100, even back then, but I could not, in good conscience, sell it to someone knowing that frame was compromised.

I made sure that no one else would be put at risk driving it.

You really need to do the same. Fix it right, or junk it.

 

[D60]

After finally getting the airbag system fixed on my rogue, i see that my rogue failed for a different reason.

I’m suspicious. Can a car fail an inspection item for a non-safety issue? I’m suspicious because it’s an auto body repair shop that told me this:

“Radiator support has been improperly sectioned and installed. Must replace at factory seams and plug weld per factory OEM specs”

This is extremely aggravating. He’s referring to this part. This part was welded by the prior body shop obviously not to OEM spec. But a thin 0.5mm thick panel like this can’t possibly be a safety issue.

I want this car to be registered darn it. I’ll post a picture of the weld when it’s not raining outside.

View attachment 230892

Yeah actually Arco's got a good point above -- can you source new bracketry and install properly?

I replaced the entire core support on an Aveo -- it was just a LOT of spot weld cutting. This type of work isn't particularly difficult. It's more about patience and figuring out where they put it together so you can take it apart. That said, it's easier with ONLY factory spot welds and the Cletus repair will add difficulty.

Post in thread 'What are you working on today?' https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/what-are-you-working-on-today.331303/post-6272401

 

[slo town]

Do the right thing and take this heap off the road, or get it fixed properly.

Passing it off on another buyer is unethical. It was not properly repaired. It is compromised.

Yes, doing the right thing will cost you money.

Case in point - in 1995, I discovered a crack in the frame of my 1970 Ford Fairlane wagon. A safety issue. It was near the front control arm.

It could have been welded, and repaired properly, but the Fairlane had a couple of other issues as well, no AC (never had it, it was sold new with only the AM radio and V-8 options, nothing else), a tailgate that was falling off because rust ate the hinges, and a broken spring in the front seat that poked through the vinyl and had ruined several pairs of uniform pants as a result.

I was taking the new Michelins off of it (back when I was allowed to operate the tire machine at the hobby shop on base) for a buddy’s Toyota pickup (and putting the worn out tires on the Fairlane which was heading for the junkyard) when a sailor and I struck up a conversation.

He was looking for an engine for his F-150.

The Fairlane had a good running 302 with a C4 that worked perfectly.

On the condition that he take the car off the road, and pull the engine and trans for his truck, I sold it to him, then and there, for $100.

Yep, I took a loss on it. It drove well and I could have sold it for several times that $100, even back then, but I could not, in good conscience, sell it to someone knowing that frame was compromised.

I made sure that no one else would be put at risk driving it.

You really need to do the same. Fix it right, or junk it.

Also too, bad karma seems to have a way of coming back.

Scott

 

[Astro14]

Yeah actually Arco's got a good point above -- can you source new bracketry and install properly?

I replaced the entire core support on an Aveo -- it was just a LOT of spot weld cutting. This type of work isn't particularly difficult. It's more about patience and figuring out where they put it together so you can take it apart. That said, it's easier with ONLY factory spot welds and the Cletus repair will add difficulty.

Post in thread 'What are you working on today?' https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/what-are-you-working-on-today.331303/post-6272401

How do we know that it is just the bracketry that was done badly?

This thing was totaled by the insurance company.

Totaled.

So, the fix was likely more than “bracketry”.

Replacing the obviously boogered brackets, without a teardown to ensure that the rest of it is structurally sound, is lipstick on a pig.

 

[Kurtatron]

I'm curious, what does this vehicle look like from the outside?

Scott

Looks fine. We’ve been driving this car for 4 years and 30k mile no problems with it. Which is why I’m trying to save it.

 

[Astro14]

Let’s say your wife gets in a head on collision next week. Not her fault, unavoidable, someone took a left turn right in front of her.

Happened to my brother last year.

He was fine because his truck was solid.

But the Rogue is not known to be solid. In fact, you have reason to believe it is not solid from the crap job done on the brackets.

If she was hurt, could you live with knowing that you let her drive a car that was potentially unsound?

 

[Kurtatron]

There is no way to prove how unsafe this thing is without actually crashing it and comparing it to an OEM crash result. I don’t like these sort of guilt shaming tactics. If it is 0.5% less safe, than why should I be villainized? People have their own tolerances for safety.