Yearly Inspections

criket

criket

Blue Ridge 4x4
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Location
Dobson, NC
OK, everyone knows inspections on newer cars where they plug it up to the machine costs $30 or so. Well, I heard the other day that inspections are going away from that because they can't make up the money paid on the equipment used to run the test. Is this true? Anyone have any information on this?
 
ive not heard a thing about that the station buys the equipment and they make 23.75 I think it is now of the 30.00 charged they make money on them plus the stuff they find wrong that they charge for bulbs wieprs etc they make there money
 
I love the term "e-sticker" that they use. They charge like $1.50 or something for an "e-sticker" when you get an inspection.

Last time we went my wife was giving the guy a hard time, asking him to email her her e-sticker since she was paying for it. He was all flustered, it was pretty damn funny.
 
side note, does anyone know of a CHECK GAUGES light will automatically fail you? I know CEL does, but this is different.
 
No. ONLY a check engine light will fail you. You can have every other light in the dash on and it will pass.
 
There is still some scuttlebutt, going around about dropping inspections. I think the biggest argument is, that no bordering state of NC, has inspections. In those states, the Law, is more apt to stop you for faulty equipment, & perhaps write a more expensive ticket. The emission theory, is that too few old cars,are on the road, polluting, to be of concern. I don't look for inspections to stop anytime soon, & if NC is getting profit, forget it! :shaking:
 
State inspection is simply a revenue source for the state, nothing more.

They were charging 30 bucks for the inspections when you used to get the actual sticker on the windshield. The price was broken down to include the cost of the sticker.....so if you failed, you paid the labor cost, then when you came back within 30 days and it passed, you only had to pay for the sticker.

When they dropped the stickers, they did not drop the price.
 
Charlotte Observer Sun. 10/30/11

Almost 3 pages in todays Observer about NC Inspections.
Relates to fraud, crooked stations, politicians, 50/50-for/against, good reading,,, but I don't see it going away. Too many hands in the "kitty". :poop:
 
Pacfanweb said:
State inspection is simply a revenue source for the state, nothing more.
They were charging 30 bucks for the inspections when you used to get the actual sticker on the windshield. The price was broken down to include the cost of the sticker.....so if you failed, you paid the labor cost, then when you came back within 30 days and it passed, you only had to pay for the sticker.
When they dropped the stickers, they did not drop the price.
Click to expand...

I think of that $30 the state only gets like $5 at most.
 
It's basically a big subsidy for service shops.

And judging by the number of cars I see on the road with no (or only one out of three) working tail lights, I'd say it's a pretty ineffective 'safety' measure.

Edit... a lol from the article:

Asked about the 2008 state study that determined safety inspections were ineffective, Clodfelter said the issue "is not as black and white" as the report portrayed.

Inspections "catch things that could be a danger," Clodfelter said.
Click to expand...

Apparently, that guy has never actually witnessed a safety inspection.
 
Charlotte Observer Monday Follow UP

Part 2 of report. Turns out, the Dealerships, & volume inspection stations, are the ones racking in the money, & lobby to KEEP, the inspections. Last year NC made 30Million, off their tiny bit! can U imagine how much the "High Volume" stations make. Some are listed in the article; it's their "Bread & Butter". YES, WE ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF!

NOW, before I get cursed out, I'm referring to the Program, as a whole. I realize, some smaller shops, don't care to be bothered with doing insp, but the State, really pushes it, + generally "suggest" whom to buy the Equipment from. [not that there are any kick-backs] :shaking:
 
I hate inspections, in ten years and a dozen or so vehicles, i think i've passed inspection twice on the first try. To my knowledge the state doesn't directly make any money from you when you get your car inspected. You pay the inspection station, they keep the money. The state is paid indirectly by selling and updating the equipment and selling "stickers" to individual inspectors. In other words each individual inspector must buy "stickers" via the state computer. Each sticker is basically the right to perform one inspection. If an inspector intends to perform 50 inspections, he buys 50 stickers through the dmv. If the inspector runs out he must buy more before he is allowed to perform any more inspections. That's how the state makes the money from inspections. That being said, the entire system is a huge conflict of interest, shops can easily take advantage of the system. *Edit* All that being said i do think inspections are necessary, if you think you see some scary cars on the road now just wait until there's no one checking to make sure that everyone's lights work and no ones driving around in the rain on bald tires.
 
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