-Codfish_Joe t1_ixxd7hj wrote on November 27, 2022 at 2:57 AM

Reply to comment by Bill2k in If you register a vehicle and then get it inspected and it doesn't pass can you get a refund for the registration or? by lip420

>So they obviously have extra time throughout the day.

That "extra time" is for doing work that they find on inspections in the first place, or fixing problems like the one you mentioned. Shops that just say "bring it on in" all the time are more concerned with getting you in for anything at all to get some money than they are with taking care of the car properly.

Bill2k t1_ixxkzhj wrote on November 27, 2022 at 4:04 AM

Needing an inspection is a racket and only around for the state to extract more money out of it's citizens without calling it a tax. There are plenty of states that don't require inspections. If the shop you go to always finds something that needs to be repaired in order to pass inspection, you're probably getting screwed.

Why stop at one inspection a year? If your car fails inspection, then you've been driving an unsafe vehicle for possibly 11 months. Why not inspect cars quarterly or monthly so you can't drive an unsafe car for so long?

Maldonian t1_ixz7hqr wrote on November 27, 2022 at 3:25 PM

You're mostly correct. It's a racket for the state in MA, but in NH, the mechanic only pays a few dollars per sticker to the state.

Even at $50, the mechanic isn't making a lot of profit, compared to their normal labor rate. As you said, some dishonest mechanics use the inspection to sell unnecessary repairs. On the other hand, honest mechanics do make money off inspections when they recommend repairs that are truly needed, and only when they are needed.

On the one hand, I'm amazed and saddened at how many people take such poor care of their vehicles, and it's disturbing to see people driving with bald tires, burned-out lights, etc.

On the other hand, the actual data show that most crashes are caused by driver error, and very, very few crashes are caused by vehicle defects. You're definitely correct in your stance that vehicle inspections help very little, and should probably be abolished.