Bring it to your mechanic first. Don't have the inspection station do them. They could just be trying to make a buck...

your regular mechanic may not have noticed brakes if they weren’t specifically looking. They get overlooked a lot when other stuff is being done. It’s one of the reasons it’s what inspection stations look at close (that and the safety part), it could also be a case of the station trying to cash grab you which is also a sad possibility

Edit-go to your mechanic or basically any other shop to get them checked

dont trust anybody who says those words during an inspection 'we can take care of that for you' they are trying to upsell you to do more work.

>Surely the guys at the shop I always take my car to would have said something, right? I also got an oil change at the beginning of September—isn’t that something inspected during oil changes?

Uh, why the hell would you ever assume that? If you bring your vehicle in for a specific problem, they're going to fix it and move on. They're not going to spend the whole day doing a 1,000-point inspection on the rest of your car... for free. That's insanity. If you break your arm and go to the hospital, they're not going to do a friggin' colonoscopy to make sure your ass is good just in case. They're going to cast your arm and send you home. But while you're there, if you say, "Hey, my ass is on fire," then they'll take a look.

And, frankly, if a mechanic came to me saying he found "other problems" besides the ones I asked to be fixed, I would immediately be suspicious. "Oh yeah, we noticed you need new pads... and you definitely need a new framus to connect with the ramistan. We can do that for you!"

It wasn’t a specific issue, there was more than one. They had to run a diagnostic, and they always test drive it for a few miles to make sure everything is running smoothly. I trust my guys completely. I’ve taken it in for a specific issue before, and they’ve told me to hold off on fixing it because something more important needed to be fixed.

Take it to a Micah if and if nothing wrong w breaks, report them to the RMV division that certified shops for in sections. This guy’s may be committing fraud.

Then diag picked up what was wrong, it wouldn’t pick up brakes.

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Normally I go with a guy friend but this year I went by myself. I don’t want to jump to conclusions and say they thought I would go with whatever they said because I’m a woman, but I definitely have had it happen in the South.

Brakes don’t have a dash indicator, and it can be hard to tell before they get really loud. I’m sitting here asking my Toyota master tech (for 15 years) husband these questions trying to help you. Next time, it can’t hurt to ask, “check the brakes too if you don’t mind.” But they won’t be doing a 100 point inspection or w/e if they aren’t getting paid for it.

And ask your regular mechanic or dealership this, not Moes Garage or whatever gas station inspection center it was

I appreciate it. It’s an ‘08 Jeep Patriot. Of course it’s just shy of the 15-year mark for inspection specifics. I’m tempted to just sell it, honestly. I’ve been going to Long Life Auto in Waltham for the last few years, and they’ve never done me dirty!

Yeah so they probably didn’t check for brakes because those wouldn’t trigger check engine. We traded in my 08 highlander a couple months ago and got what we paid for it 6 years ago…might be worth it!!

That’s what I thought!! Used car market is still relatively hot. Plus, I can easily commute via commuter rail and get my steps in. And no longer risking parking tickets sounds pretty damn good to me!

Take it back to your mechanic and have them check the brakes. If the mechanic agrees then have your mechanic fix them and then finish your inspection. If your mechanic says they are fine ask them to note that on the receipt along with any measurements that took of the pads (most will just eyeball the pads and say "you are probably good for another year" but in this case, I would ask them for measurements if they think they are ok. Then take that back to the inspection place. If they still don't let you pass for the breaks, you can initiate a challenge inspection with the state.

Listen if your mechanic shop doubles up as a convenient store I said abort . It’s routine check if you get it done at any dealer it’s called a multi point inspection checking tire thread also. The small mechanic shops are only useful for quick repairs that you have knowledge of before hand and just need the services. But for diagnosing a car see what’s wrong with it . I said yes he tried to scam so you can come back and your stuck in the loop your in.

bring your car to someone you trust, not someone who is doing the inspection. even if its the windshield wipers take it somewhere else to get things fixed its a huge conflict of interest.

It's good to trust your people, but I still get a copy of the diagnostic print out. That way I know what is going on with my car so that there aren't any surprises. You can google codes.

A code will not show up on the diagnostic if the system (transmission, engine, exhaust, etc) doesn't send codes to the electronic control unit (ECU). Outside of the ABS, bad brake shoes/pads are not going to be on the diagnostic.