Auto Inspections

The trouble with mandated auto safety inspections is the government thinks all people are stupid about car mechanics as well as prone to drive an unsafe car. Plus, the government wants us to believe that all inspection stations have qualified mechanics who never make mistakes.

Why am I griping this morning? I am fixing the couple of minor things the inspection station says is wrong with my daughter's car. I go to take off the front passenger side wheel which I know this inspection station JUST took off to inspect the brakes and whatever. The trouble is in their haste or incompetence they managed to cross thread two of the five lug bolts holding the wheel on. So naturally those two snapped off when I was taking the wheel off. So if I can't extract these studs it's off to the machine shop for this one as well. I'll mention it to the inspection station but these mechanical joints almost always dodge responsibility when they screw up. So I won't hold my breath.

Remember though, government mandated inspections are in reality meant to force you out of perfectly good cars and into a new financed model. It has little to do with safety.