Foo, failed vehicle inspection for this?

[Firebrick43]

Perfectly reasonable argument.

Still feels like a terribly convenient way to use ultra strict enforcement of state standards by a private company to personally benefit the same company. If the inspectors didn't benefit from this, it wouldn't bother me. But they are allowed to benefit their employer to steer rejection work to them. This system feels like it is ripe for abuse. Most people, would pay the ridiculous fee. I won't, unless I was under total duress.

This is why many states that had inspections in the 70's/early 80's did away with them. I don't particularly think that this shop "was trying to screw you". Running a shop is expensive. They don't typically make money per say on the actual maintenance, the part of the shop making money is in the sales of parts.

 

[WobblyHand]

I don't particularly think they were out to get me, but more like they are out to make enough money to keep existing. At least I was able to decline their fix and go with my own. Got my inspection sticker, so for now, it's good enough.

Honestly don't know why DOT doesn't force the manufacturers to come up with nonclouding headlights. Or at least mandate a certain lifetime. Then again, DOT used to be in the stone age for headlight technology. Probably still is.

 

[cathead]

Some years ago, I was stopped by the police for having a tail light out. They issued a fix it ticket.
I made the repairs myself and took it to them for inspection. The officer looked at the lit tail lights
and said which one was out? My reply was: "What difference does that make?" The officer didn't think it was
funny at all but I laughed about it all the way home.

 

[addertooth]

This is one of the good things about living in a small town in Arizona. Only the Major cities have vehicle inspection. Some would worry about dangerous cars on the street, but the high desert heat takes marginal cars out of the gene-pool rather quickly. You don't see very many cars with questionable tires, as the high-temperature roads fail them quickly. The same is true of other car systems.

I read the posting from the Brit earlier and chuckled. They produce cars there which cannot be imported into the USA, for not passing safety requirements when they are brand new. I have one of the cars which could no longer be imported after they reached the 5-year exemption which allowed them to come to the USA (Lotus Elise). It is incredibly nimble. But, it is one of those 1 hour at the track, 3 hours in the shop kind of cars.