Mandatory Annual Safety Inspections

[markopolo]

Are you require to have your vehicles pass a Mandatory Annual Safety Inspection? Here in New Brunswick we have to. The '97 I bought passed an Ontario inspection but needed a New Brunswick safety test pass . First garage here said it needed a $184 part plus labor to pass and get my sticker. I thought that was strange - basically it passed a safety in Ontario and then I drove it to New Brunswick and had it tested. It handled great during that long drive home. So I took it to another Dealer in NB for inspection and told them what the first garage in NB found. They said they'd have their front end specialist check it and of course do the rest of the safety inspection. Vehicle passed with no problem at the second garage.

We pay $25 for the annual safety inspection per vehicle. Not much money in that for the garage.

[Mike]

Ontario - only to transfer ownership, as you now know, and if you want to license it (plates) for the road.
Vehicles purchased at dealerships generally are safetied prior to sale.
However,
we do get screwed every 2 years (on new technology, the least polluting on the planet), and for 2 decades
for a $32 "Drive Clean" emissions test. I'm not sure what trucks have to get, but your gas vehicle has a limit
applied to it based on the acceptable emission level of the production year. So even if pollution/emission
standards get tougher, an older vehicle generally will pass. It's a $32 tax per vehicle every 2 years, aka a
not so hidden tax. $320 per vehicle until either the vehicle expires, or the 20 years does, then it's exempted
for further tests, and can pollute merrily on it's way ad infinitum. They should just bury the $320 in the price,
and get rid of the bureaucracy and waste of millions and billions of dollars.
Government twits!!!!

[Johnny R]

No inspections required in Alberta, except when out-of-province units are brought in.

[g1g]

Here in Ohio certain counties have a EPA check to see if it is polluting. That is done every other year.

[Mike]

I seem to recall Florida had a similar annual safety inspection law. My aunt used to live down there,
and I vaguely (almost 30 years ago) recall seeing an annual inspection sticker in her car's window.
It could have been an emissions test sticker maybe?

[Ron J. Moore]

VA has the annual inspection and I really liked the concept. When I had the our vehicles registered there, they came due at the same time, so it was no sweat. I now have them registered in FL and they do not have a mandatory inspection. I found a Chevy Dealer who I have faith in and they service the vehicles; I ask for a inspection/examination about once a year and they have found but small things. My thoughts are with mandatory state inspections the folks who drive around with no tailights or one headlight have to get it repaired - eventually, ha!! Safe travels.

[Mike]

I stand corrected, I believe. Maybe they wised up to the annual tax grab too?
I get our Roadtrek checked beginning of the driving season and just had the brakes serviced at the
recommendation of one of these annual "once overs". I noted they were a bit mushy and a bit inconsistent
in stopping on downhill grades, so I believe my local dealer to be responsible/trustworthy as well.

[renrut]

When we lived in Nova Scotia, we needed to get the annual safety check done there too. I hated it considering my trailer needed to be inspected every year too. Since my trailer has dual axles, brakes and lights, it cost almost the same as a car. Now that was a waste of time and money. I ended up putting my Ontario plate back on my trailer since it is good for the life of the trailer.

Dealers in Ontario are suppose to safety vehicles before they sell them. I just bought a truck from a dealer and it did not pass the safety. An axle bearing was gone and seized up just over a week after I got the truck. I took it in to 2 other mechanics and the rear brakes failed, the front brakes barely passed and the 2 lower ball joints failed too. So far, my "safetied" truck has cost me cost me close to $1500 to get it safe. I won't go back to the dealer I bought it from ever again.

In some ways, the annual safety is a good thing. Most people just do the oil change and never get their vehicle checked. A safety can find problems before they become a big issue. Of course, this depends on how honest the mechanics are.

In Manitoba, they don't have an annual safety program but once a vehicle is over a certain age (I thing 10 years), they send the owner a letter stating they must bring their vehicle in for a safety. They do this randomly and you only have a short time to get it done or they revoke your license plates.

[Hallibagger]

Hi Mike,

I trotted into the licence bureau (Service Ontario) and asked why I was required to have a 'smoke' test when my RT was an '89. I was told that the 20 year thing was dropped and I will now have to have 'smoke tests' for ever! Or until the Ontario government decides otherwise!

Deryck

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Hallibagger

Hi Mike,

I trotted into the licence bureau (Service Ontario) and asked why I was required to have a 'smoke' test when my RT was an '89. I was told that the 20 year thing was dropped and I will now have to have 'smoke tests' for ever! Or until the Ontario government decides otherwise!

Deryck

NO WAY!!!!????? You've got to be kidding?
I wonder what exceptions there are? I'm sure McSquinty has allowed some. Like not testing
diesel vehicles because they burn cleaner? Or giving electric cars a break because they can't
figure out where to stick the test wand?

Time for a new Ontario government methinks. Send Hudak an email and ask about it.
The more promises we can get him to commit to before the election, the better.
I've already asked (and got a we'll think about it reply) that instead of removing the HST
from electrical bills, they split the difference on the energy/HST thing between Hydro and
gasoline. A few cents off per KW hour and a few cents off per litre on the gas tax to reduce both.
October, and maybe getting that fixed, is just a few months away.