Wife’s rogue failed inspection. Is this legal?

It sounds like they drove this car 4 years with the airbag light lit. That kinda makes the hive's concern over faulty structural repairs meaningless.

Thinking OP should do whatever he thinks is best and stop posting about it.
This was not meant to be a debate about defending or attacking my behavior on safety. I was asking for help whether I was being cheated by the inspector or not. Why throw this blame on me?

Besides, Some people here were actually helpful. I know the reality of my situation a little better, legally speaking of course.
 
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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.
Same as California. IMO, "totaled" can mean a lot of things. Insurance totaled this damage; they didn't want to bother paying for the repair. I didn't want to bother jumping through all the hoops to get a salvage title in order to insure and register it.

05-08-2020_resized.jpg


Hopefully, you can get this hashed out.
 
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This was not meant to be a debate about defending or attacking my behavior on safety. I was asking for help whether I was being cheated by the inspector or not. Why throw this blame on me?
Someone said everyone has different ideas about safety. Between the airbag light on and you thinking the inspector was unfair for failing the janky repair indicates you're a bit more casual than others about what you're comfortable driving. No point in people offering more opinions or options right? Seriously, hope you get it resolved in an acceptable manner.
 
You’re right I can’t know with absolute certainty. But still I should be able to make the decision or not whether my family drives this car. There are many people that drive older, unsafe cars, like cars without airbags at all because they are too old. I won’t safety shame them and tell them they are some sort of awful person for driving that older car with passengers. Do you think this rogue is more dangerous to drive than a 1920s car? Should people who own 1920s car be forbidden from driving them because of safety? What about Kei-trucks? The government is trying to ban those because they’re not safe. Let people choose what they want, especially if it is not hurting others.
Now we are getting somewhere.

If a three year old car is totaled, and the airbags went off, far more than the radiator support was damaged.

So, we agree that you can’t know how well this car was fixed until you take it apart, do a real inspection, and given the deck screws, it’s a very good bet that the rest of the repair is equally bad.

Here, then is the crux of the problem - she is not driving a 2016 Rogue. Not from a safety or structural perspective. She is driving something else - an untested frame with damage and a new airbag.

You know that now, but for years, you drove around without knowing that, and thinking that you had all of the crash protection of the 2016 Rogue.

So, yeah, you are driving something less. Is it better than a Kei? Probably. Better than a 1920s car? Sure.

But it isn’t a 2016 Rogue. And nobody thinks a 1920s car is appropriate or safe for a daily driver, which is how you use this car.

Now, when I get in a Kei, or a 1920s car, I know exactly what I have for safety systems and structure. I choose that option with complete understanding. If choose to drive a vintage car, I know what I have.

Until now, until this inspector did their job, you did not know that. You did not know that your car was compromised.

Your thread started out complaining about the inspector. Questioning the legality.

But the inspector did their job - your anger should be directed at the shop that put this back together with deck screws, the shop that put an inoperative airbag in it, and covered it up. You really think that they did a good job on the frame, when they committed fraud with that airbag?

There is a reason that many insurance companies won’t insure cars with a salvage title. They can’t know the risk, because they can’t know how well the car was rebuilt.

Dumping this car on someone else, because it is rust-free and will sell, while knowing that it may be compromised, is simply unethical. They think they’re getting a 2016 Rogue, but they are not. You must disclose what you now know.

If you chose to drive it, knowing what you now know about the bad repair, that’s up to you. You were clearly OK driving it with an airbag light on, but you were driving a car with no airbag, and bad repair, too, which was a lot worse than you knew.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...e-rebuilt-title-nasty-airbag-surprise.384681/
 
If I am not mistaken, the use of these new upper-elevation braces is specifically to mitigate the offset frontal collisions. You see them everywhere now. As it is now, the brace still holds the radiator in place, but will give with little resistance in another hit. Whether or not the primary frame members are still at OEM strength for a full frontal, the pictures don’t show, but it does seem that a hammer was used generously to get things back into approximate shape. It is not “oem safe.” It’s probably also not a death trap either. If it were me, I’d have a talk with my wife and see what she wants to do. If you can cut out and weld in factory pieces, it might be worth a go. If it’s too costly, this may be a hard financial burden to get out of. You might be able to “mask it” to pass an inspection to buy some time, try to get it inspected elsewhere, get rid of the screw, bondo and repaint… but I’d start at least making medium-term savings goals to get out of this one. Sorry @Kurtatron, This one stings a little
 
Same as California. IMO, "totaled" can mean a lot of things. Insurance totaled this damage; they didn't want to bother paying for the repair. I didn't want to bother jumping through all the hoops to get a salvage title in order to insure and register it.

View attachment 231140

Hopefully, you can get this hashed out.
Interesting. My previous car, 06 Sebring convertible, woman ran a stop sign and did a similar amount of damage. Old car no value so totaled. Her insurance cut me a check, I just kept driving it for another four years. Never any questions from my insurance or DMV.
 
If it were me, I’d have a talk with my wife and see what she wants to do. but I’d start at least making medium-term savings goals to get out of this one. Sorry @Kurtatron, This one stings a little
Concur with your reply, #1 sorry this happened to you @Kurtatron.

Concur that getting some funds together for a replacement vehicle for your Wife is a solid COA; maybe a short-term additional gig might be part of the solution if feasible.

Finally, if you keep the Rogue and fix it to standard, your Wife consciously or subconsciously may state at a later date you were/ are not protecting her. She may not say it today or tomorrow, but more likely than not it will be held against you at a later date.

Again, very sorry this happened to your Wife and you, I suspect a lot may have been learned from this experience. The learning may pay significant dividends at a later time.
 
I’m skeptical that a body shop would even touch this without tearing it down to inspect. the liability is too high for them (see John Eagle). Also the diagram is difficult to decipher relative to the car, I’m not even sure the factory joints still exist from the photos.

Only way to deal with this is to strip the front and inspect.

Only way to know how it will perform in an accident is to ensure it’s repaired per Manufacturer and I Car standards.

Also I’d say you’re looking at 1000 - 1500 to replace what we can see so far properly.
 
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I was talking to someone recently who needed to replace their kid's car (someone hit him and his was totaled). They looked at a rebuilt titled car but decided against it. I did mention that cars can be "totaled" nowadays for what is relatively minor damage but I still wouldn't risk it. I also mentioned that no reputable body shop (that I know) rebuilds totaled vehicles to put them back on the road.

The fact that this rebuilder hack had the gall to use deck screws says loud and clear that they don't care. EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF THE REPAIR HAS TO BE QUESTIONED. I don't know what those screws are securing but they could have welded things together or used nuts and bolts and at least the appearance would be 1000% better.
 
Now, when I get in a Kei, or a 1920s car, I know exactly what I have for safety systems and structure. I choose that option with complete understanding. If choose to drive a vintage car, I know what I have.

Yes, but I don’t even have the choice to drive this car. I think I should have the option to drive it.

Until now, until this inspector did their job, you did not know that. You did not know that your car was compromised.

Your thread started out complaining about the inspector. Questioning the legality.

But the inspector did their job - your anger should be directed at the shop that put this back together with deck screws, the shop that put an inoperative airbag in it, and covered it up. You really think that they did a good job on the frame, when they committed fraud with that airbag?

There is a reason that many insurance companies won’t insure cars with a salvage title. They can’t know the risk, because they can’t know how well the car was rebuilt.

Dumping this car on someone else, because it is rust-free and will sell, while knowing that it may be compromised, is simply unethical. They think they’re getting a 2016 Rogue, but they are not. You must disclose what you now know.

No it’s not unethical if I tell them what the problem is. Let the buyer make the decision themselves with all the truth told.
If you chose to drive it, knowing what you now know about the bad repair, that’s up to you.
That’s the issue. I legally cannot drive this car in Georgia.

 
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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.

the one who deserves to be villainized is whoever did the "repairs" :poop:
 
This is a very unfortunate situation and I’m sorry to hear about this issue. I do want to say that I agree with previous comments that selling this vehicle without disclosing what you know would be highly unethical and make you the same as the original seller. Please do not do that.
 
Yes, but I don’t even have the choice to drive this car. I think I should have the option to drive it.



No it’s not unethical if I tell them what the problem is. Let the buyer make the decision themselves with all the truth told.

That’s the issue. I legally cannot drive this car in Georgia.
So, let me ask a hard question.

Are you better off sinking more time and effort ($$) into this vehicle?

Or cutting your losses and getting something else?

As of this moment, the rogue isn’t worth much. I was wrong in the year, it appears it’s a 2014, so a 10-year-old rogue with a salvage title is worth what - a couple thousand?

How much will it cost to make it right? So that it does pass the inspection, and you can drive it?

I don’t have an answer for you, even though I know what I would do (and have done) but I think it’s a question you should consider.
 
I was talking to someone recently who needed to replace their kid's car (someone hit him and his was totaled). They looked at a rebuilt titled car but decided against it. I did mention that cars can be "totaled" nowadays for what is relatively minor damage but I still wouldn't risk it. I also mentioned that no reputable body shop (that I know) rebuilds totaled vehicles to put them back on the road.

The fact that this rebuilder hack had the gall to use deck screws says loud and clear that they don't care. EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF THE REPAIR HAS TO BE QUESTIONED. I don't know what those screws are securing but they could have welded things together or used nuts and bolts and at least the appearance would be 1000% better.

So, let me ask a hard question.

Are you better off sinking more time and effort ($$) into this vehicle?

Or cutting your losses and getting something else?

As of this moment, the rogue isn’t worth much. I was wrong in the year, it appears it’s a 2014, so a 10-year-old rogue with a salvage title is worth what - a couple thousand?

How much will it cost to make it right? So that it does pass the inspection, and you can drive it?

I don’t have an answer for you, even though I know what I would do (and have done) but I think it’s a question you should consider.
I’m probably going to sell it, if it doesn’t pass inspection. If I get $5k for it, I’ll consider that decent.

I’ll let the buyer know of the damage. That’s why I’ll sell it cheap.

It’ll likely be a relief to see this thing gone. Get a nice clean title replacement car.
 
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?
Man you appear to be overreacting here. A light nose hit will total a high milage car, the substantial unit frame rails should be fine. Radiator supports are not a factor. The Bumper steel beam tying the two forward boxed rails should be attached with factory fasteners and largely undistorted.

The only remaining concern would be that the airbag management and replacement bags will function when and as intended.

edit: p.s.: When a Qualified frame and body shop perform the bracket repairs, prior to starting they can check the unitframe for tweeks and cracks and crumples, along with the K member, K member fasteners and steering rack ears and fasteners and steering U joints.
Another concern Given the now leaned actual high vehicle milage, this powertrain may be but 15-30K miles out from end-of -service life.
 
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