Dilemma here, State inspections

[Chip NoVaMac]

Had to get my car its yearly safety inspection and bi-annual emissions inspection. The emissions was done (by OBD, not the treadmill test). And that came out OK.

Now mind you I have a 2003 Baja with 19K on the odometer. Not sure of what they look at today, but last year I saw them test the windows, the hand-brake, take one front wheel and one rear wheel off. test the wipers, headlight alignment, and turn signals.

The dilemma for me is that the shop did not do anything for the safety inspection, except "maybe" test the hand-brake, and look at whether all of my lights were working. I just moved back in to my old neighborhood, and went to the station that I used 13 years ago. The mechanic that I used back then is still, and that is a very good thing. He was fair, and honest.

But I ended up paying $15 just to get the sticker, without them doing what is required. Yes, if I had a 10 year old car, I might count my blessings and not even make this post.

So the question is, should I file a complaint with the right people?

[saabmp3]

So the question is, should I file a complaint with the right people?

a) Are you positive that he didn't check the list of stuff and you just didn't notice it?
b) With such a new car, he might be able to check some functionality through the OBDII connector (not OBD anymore).
c) Don't you have ANYTHING better to do with your time?? Go read a book instead.

BEN

[wrxguy]

a) Are you positive that he didn't check the list of stuff and you just didn't notice it?
b) With such a new car, he might be able to check some functionality through the OBDII connector (not OBD anymore).
c) Don't you have ANYTHING better to do with your time?? Go read a book instead.

BEN

In response to the first post I would go back and ask him and get a complete list of things he checked...He may have though that by hurrying you through and not charging you that much he was doing you a favor, im sure that if you went back and asked him to check EVERYTHING throughly he would do it

[saabmp3]

In response to the first post I would go back and ask him and get a complete list of things he checked...He may have though that by hurrying you through and not charging you that much he was doing you a favor, im sure that if you went back and asked him to check EVERYTHING throughly he would do it

Anyways, some people just don't have anything else to do with their time but complain. I like to try and discourage these things as much as I can.

BEN

[ibook30]

As a courteousy- I would go to the mechanic and ask what is checked on a car your age. If you do not feel it was checked, go somewhere else! If you point it out to the guy he might be a little sore and start peeling your sticker off !
But- I'd give him the courteousy of asking first... I'd hate to see someone get in trouble (with a gove agency) if they didn't truly deserve it.

[Chip NoVaMac]

a) Are you positive that he didn't check the list of stuff and you just didn't notice it?

I drove my car in. I did some back and forth on the transmission. But that could have been due to "positioning" for the "tests".

b) With such a new car, he might be able to check some functionality through the OBDII connector (not OBD anymore).

He never looked at the tread on my tires. I could have been so out of camber that that my tires were "unsafe", even after such low mileage.

c) Don't you have ANYTHING better to do with your time?? Go read a book instead.

BEN

I have l lived in Virginia for 15+ so far. And have I have better things to do with my time. But if the State is requiring me to do safety inspections, then I expect them to do their jobs.

Add to that I am one that would been very upset if my inspections today failed. For I do take care of my car. But how should I feel abut those that don't feel the way I do. And they get "passed" by such a "shoddy" outfit" as I seem to feel?

[Chip NoVaMac]

In response to the first post I would go back and ask him and get a complete list of things he checked...He may have though that by hurrying you through and not charging you that much he was doing you a favor, im sure that if you went back and asked him to check EVERYTHING throughly he would do it

He charged me the same. It is $43 for both the safety and emissions inspection. On the safety portion, I am feeling "cheated".

[Chip NoVaMac]

As a courteousy- I would go to the mechanic and ask what is checked on a car your age. If you do not feel it was checked, go somewhere else! If you point it out to the guy he might be a little sore and start peeling your sticker off !
But- I'd give him the courteousy of asking first... I'd hate to see someone get in trouble (with a gove agency) if they didn't truly deserve it.

Thanks for the comments. This is how I feel, given that a mechanic that i have trusted in the past is still there (who did not do the inspections) is still there.

[clayj]

Didn't they give you a printout showing what all was tested? Here in NC, when you get your inspection done, they are required by law to give you a full-page printout of EVERYTHING that was tested... including emissions results. I keep all of these in my glove box.

And do they really REMOVE your wheels up there in VA? Down here, they just test your tread and maybe your alignment, but they don't remove any items from your vehicle.

[Chip NoVaMac]

Didn't they give you a printout showing what all was tested? Here in NC, when you get your inspection done, they are required by law to give you a full-page printout of EVERYTHING that was tested... including emissions results. I keep all of these in my glove box.

And do they really REMOVE your wheels up there in VA? Down here, they just test your tread and maybe your alignment, but they don't remove any items from your vehicle.

Herein Virginia, they only give a "computer" print out of the emission test. I was there by his side during the tests. And never did I se much more than maybe a test of my lights and "even: my hand-brakes".

[skubish]

Herein Virginia, they only give a "computer" print out of the emission test. I was there by his side during the tests. And never did I se much more than maybe a test of my lights and "even: my hand-brakes".

I think you should count your blessings. The more they take apart your car the more they can screw up and really make your car unsafe. They really isn't much that a tech can tell you is unsafe about a car that you shouldn't already know from driving it.

[Chip NoVaMac]

I think you should count your blessings. The more they take apart your car the more they can screw up and really make your car unsafe. They really isn't much that a tech can tell you is unsafe about a car that you shouldn't already know from driving it.

To be fair, they usually only take the wheels off(to inspect the brakes), not much than that. Most everything else is so simple a monkey can do it.