Failed State Vehicle Inspection

jimkelly · **Posted:** Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:13 pm

Well I knew I need tires soon but thought I would squeak past the vehicle inspection.... Wrong Answer.

Pepboys was doing my inspection & emissions testing. So I went for something they had in stock. I don't go trailing much (3 times a year) but we do get a good amount of snow so I wanted an all terrain tire.

So I had them take off my B F Goodrich 225/75/16 and had them put on these:

Definity Dakota AT2 245/75/16. Bought three got the forth for $1.00.

Vehicle Inspection, Tires, wheel balance & alignment, & road hazard for $665.00.

My KJ does not have any lift and no rubbing on full lock either side.

I forgot to replace my spare. Guess I'll be making another trip.

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:44 am

at least it was a good excuse to get bigger meats :lol:

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 5:04 pm

The key to owning a Jeep and passing state inspections is to "have a guy".

-Paladin- · **Posted:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 10:35 am

JL Rockies wrote:

The key to owning a Jeep and passing state inspections is to "have a guy".

Or live somewhere where there is no state inspection...

kskj · **Posted:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 10:56 am

We had state inspections here for about a year back in the 80's. To many people were getting ripped off so the law was changed. Now the only inspections you get are if you buy a out of state car and the highway patrol does it. That way they are not trying to sell you something you do not need.

JustinP · **Posted:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 2:06 pm

Pennsylvania inspection is a joke, and should be considered a crime. An independent shop holds a "license" to do conduct inspections and issue stickers. So if you go to a shop that might be hurting for business, youre probably gonna end up buying things that are still within spec. I bet Pepboys didnt even actually measure the tread depth on the OP's tires. Just eyeballed it. I believe the minimum is 3/32" (if my memory serves me right), thats not alot of tread, but somehow, shops always seem to find something wrong with the parts/services they specialize in. IMO, inspections should be conducted by someone who doesnt benefit from people failing inspection. I used to live in FL, and never appreciated not having to have inspection on your vehicles. Just my :2cents:

. Sorry for the rant.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:35 pm

I agree with Justin, shops fails you for a part, most people will not question it and say fix it, a huge WIN for the inspection team and the salesmen

jimkelly · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:26 am

JustinP wrote:

Pennsylvania inspection is a joke, and should be considered a crime. An independent shop holds a "license" to do conduct inspections and issue stickers.

Yes but remember in certain areas of the state there is also a separate Emissions testing requirement that if you fail the "smog" test you also fail the State Inspection.

I agree 100%, I don't believe there should be an annual inspection program, however the State of Pennsylvania doesn't seem to think so in a published report from DMV about Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Effectiveness Study
(070609) and I quote:

"Based on the analysis presented in the preceding sections, it is confirmed that Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Safety Inspection Program is an effective program that reduces fatal crashes and saves lives in Pennsylvania."
link to full report here: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/in ... 0Study.pdf

Lets face it, there is a certain small percentage of Independant State Inspections that: a.) that don't inspect and you can just buy the "valid stickers"; and b.) Fail vehicles during the inspection process for the sole purpose to make extra $$$.

JustinP wrote:

So if you go to a shop that might be hurting for business, youre probably gonna end up buying things that are still within spec.

Again I agree 100% percent, if you do not know about vehicles and it's systems your at a great risk for paying for something you didn't need. Quick story to prove Justin's point: As I was waiting at my local stealership for my oil change and a body molding to be replaced, I'm listening to the "Service Managers" tell several other customers that their vehicle failed inspection because of windshield wipers and it would be $40.00 to replace them. They must of had a contest on who could sell the most wipers that day or something. It's was kind of funny.

At another time the "Service Manager" started to tell me my rotors were rusty and bad and brakes were bad and that the rotors had to be cut and new brake pads installed at a cost of $850.00. So I had the Service Manager walk me out to the vehicle and we spoke to the tech when I started asking questions like "What is the specific tolerances for the rotors and how did you measure them?" The tech quickly changed his story. However when we go back to the office area another "Service Manager" was telling another customer on the phone the same thing about their vehicle and guess what, it was the same price $850.00. Must have been the brake and rotor contest that week.

Needless to say, since my vehicle is out of warranty now, I do all the work on my vehicle unless it's something I can't do and have to pay for it like the tires.

JustinP wrote:

I bet Pepboys didnt even actually measure the tread depth on the OP's tires. Just eyeballed it. I believe the minimum is 3/32" (if my memory serves me right), thats not alot of tread, but somehow, shops always seem to find something wrong with the parts/services they specialize in.

PA minimum is 2/32" which is almost a racing slick. At least the Pepboys I go to is pretty decent. I have dealt with them for about 7 years now. Believe it or not they did actually measure it and took the time to show me. I knew I needed fronts and thought I would squeak past the inspection, but opted to change all four so I could go up 2 sizes.

I will admit my first time there 7 years ago for the annual inspection on my previous vehicle they tried to fail me for 2 broken wheel studs. (I forget maybe an additional $22.00) I spoke with the manager, showed him my pics of the vehicle at the drop off and said if they broke you broke them during inspection. Without hesitation he took them off the bill. When I got home did a good inspection of all the studs and I be damned if I could find the ones they replaced.

Sorry for the long pointless post but I'm just bored as hell!

Blue KJ in PA · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:26 am

I am torn on the annual inspection process as I can see the good and the bad. I go to a great local shop that is staffed by a bunch of experienced guys who left dealerships because they were tired of being forced to screw customers. If they tell me something is wrong that I did not know of or that I had a question about, I know it is bad. Conversely, I fully understand how some shops can easily convince people that they need to buy new parts simply to fill the reguisters.

On the other hand, I have seen vehicles that pass the DE "drive thru" inspection which I believe is every other or every 3 years that should have not been on the road at all. My wife's grandmother lives in "slower lower" and she had a Buick that was passed in the drive thru a days before we were there for a visit. I noticed a squeak in the rear and upon checking the brakes notice there were no pads and the cylinders were frozen open...car was stopping on front brakes only. PA requirements to pull a front and a rear wheel would have caught that...providing it was a good shop that actually checks things.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 21, 2010 1:23 am

I agree that PA inspection is sometimes a rip off and shops do try to rip you off often. The places that do that are not the good ones and are often the ones that put out coupons for cheap inspections to lure potental suckers in. I don't think I would trust most chain places. My dealings with my local pep boys for a set of struts on a car years ago didn't go well. they wanted to sell me new front wheel berings, when I had a mechanic replace them less than a year before that. they still claimed they were worn out even when I had shown the service manager the shop order for them. He claimed that driving on city streets could trear them up in that time. I declined to have it done. the car was fine until the engine went up 2 years later.
I had my old maxima in for a cooling system flush at midas once and was told after the free brake inspection the wheel cylinders were leaking. I bought them at the parts store and was going to install them with my Dad because the amount they wanted was way too much and found they were fine. I am always distrusting of free inspections of systems you didn't take the vehicle in to have serviced. I know they are fishing for more work, often un-needed repairs are recomended but it makes some customers feel warm and fuzzy inside because they think the shop is checking something to be sure their car is safe for free.

so yeah shops are out to do things to make money that you don't need....rip you off by saying you need it to pass when you dont that is a huge issuse. its dishonest and basicly all but stealing the customer's cash.

on the other hand so many drivers don't take proper care of their cars or even know when to tell there is an issue that could impact the safe operation of their car so for that I am thankful there is inspection. I would not want cars driving around with next to no brakes everywhere and totally bald tires in the rain and snow crashing in to me. if it forces that type of driver to fix the car or not drive I'm ok with it.

personally I always take mine in early. the inspection law allows you to go as much as 2 months early. even going a month or a few weeks early allows you some time to fix what ever may not pass and the same shop will recheck it free with in usually 30 days if they did the repair work or not. My last inspection was $23 and I only needed a rear plate bulb to pass. Diesels are emmissions exempt in PA so that cuts my cost down some not needing that every year.

bewestro · **Posted:** Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:10 pm

Here in MI we don't have inspections of any kind. You can put a plate on just about anything. By and large this is fine, but every once in a while, you see something pretty unique. Mostly due to rust. Holes through doors, remnants of quarter panels flapping in the wind. The rear axle of one of our city utility pole trucks fell off in an intersection once. As for emissions, well, as long as your contrail doesn't impair the visibility of other drivers too much, you're ok.

Like I say, though, those things are rare enough that it doesn't really cause problems.

SabaII · **Joined:** Wed Sep 08, 2010 12:48 am **Posts:** 62

Here in MN we do not have state inspections and some time I wish we would. Dodging rusted parts on the freeway because people can not wash their car in the winter time and it rusts out is down right dangerous. I do see where shops can rip people off and its too bad there are places out there like that. I believe they should train outside people on how to properly inspect vehicles so it would help prevent people from getting ripped off and to save us honest mechanics from getting a bad name. I work at a Freightliner dealership (stealership as some of you like to call them) and I do state and federal DOT's on trucks. Much like a state inspection for your cars. I do my best to do as honest as a job as possible and will even help a guy out on some of the smaller things. Like light bulbs for example, I have a whole stockpile in my tool box and will gladly throw one in and not let the service office know. But if I were to pass a truck and it went down the road and the brakes failed and it cause an accident I would be held liable and could face fines/prison time depending on the severity of the crash. Or even if the guy got pulled over after I inspected it and the DOT found something wrong its my butt. Plus I have an angry truck driver wondering why I didn't find everything wrong and that he would have got it fixed. On the other hand if I did write a bunch of stuff up on his truck he would turn around and be mad and think I was ripping him off. Its frustrating. Sorry for the rant there.

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:05 pm

I'm too lazy to read all this but I am going to put in my :2cents:

cause that's how I roll..... I lived on the border of NY and PA for all my life until this last year when I moved to michigan. In the last year I have seen more cars and trucks with bald racing slicks in the ditchs (both winter and rainy days) Than in the last 30 years. Also the number of vehicals on the side of the road with broken suspention componants is CRAZY!!! I vote for mandated inspections.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 28, 2010 1:21 am

stumpjumper_09 wrote:

I'm too lazy to read all this but I am going to put in my :2cents:

cause that's how I roll..... I lived on the border of NY and PA for all my life until this last year when I moved to michigan. In the last year I have seen more cars and trucks with bald racing slicks in the ditchs (both winter and rainy days) Than in the last 30 years. Also the number of vehicals on the side of the road with broken suspention componants is CRAZY!!! I vote for mandated inspections.

See you piont is very valid. The inspections do stink when you fail and don't have the bread to bring it up to passing, but the other side of that is you want to drive something thats safe and you want others on the road to be in vehicles that are safe to drive so there aren't parts falling off and they are not sliding off the road or into your path.

If you own a vehicle you should be a responsible adult, when it nears the time for inspection and you think it won't pass go in early get you mechanic to see what it needs and then come up with a plan to fix before you sticker runs out.

as far as states not requiring safety inspection I think its not fully smart, not everyone is going to do the right thing unless you force them. folks that aren't smart enough to take there own safety serious and get themself killed... well thats on them and their fault.... I don't have much pitty for them. others that are killed or injured by folks not taking vehicle safety serious and keeping their car in safe working order is just not acceptable.

cv32 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:46 pm

You guys are so lucky you do not live in the UK. Here we have an annual inspection that is compulsory after the vehicles third birthday. Without it you cannot get the road fund license or Insure the vehicle.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Ow ... DG_4022109

I am amazed that some states do not have any checks.

67Customs · **Posted:** Sun Nov 28, 2010 1:08 pm

jimkelly wrote:

Well I knew I need tires soon but thought I would squeak past the vehicle inspection.... Wrong Answer.

Pepboys was doing my inspection & emissions testing. So I went for something they had in stock.

Dude, anytime you get your vehicle inspected by a place that sales tires, they WILL check your tread depth. Why? They want to tell you that you need new tires. "Oh, BTW, we sale tires here. Want us to put some one for you?"

Glad you have some legal tires on there now.

Failed State Vehicle Inspection

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