Recommendations on an Auto Shop (Hilo: insurance, DMV, inspector)

[mijax]

Hello everyone,


I'm shipping a 2010 Acura TL and a 2011 Toyota Camry to Hilo next month and I see that I will have to get the cars safety inspected in order to register them. I went online and obtained the list of approved shops to do the inspection from the Hawaii DMV website, and the list is very long. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good (Honest) shop on Hilo side to do the inspections? Any opinions would be much appreciated!!


Thanks!!

[Palanakonu]

Being the owner of a few jacked up 4WD vehicles, I much prefer the dishonest guys for my safety inspections.

In all honesty though man, so long as the vehicles are in (any definition of) good order, they will pass. The safety checks here are a joke and really just an additional tax. Lights and horn work? Stock tires/wheels? Wipers work? No warning lights on? That's about it.

You pick your vehicles up at the dock, drive them to a safety inspection place, which will fail you because of registration, then you go do the registration and take the paperwork back to the inspector and they pass you. Easy-peasy for the most part.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

We went to Midas in Hilo. They seem to be as honest as any of them.

[Arktikos]

The big shops aren't very interested in doing safety checks only, so they'll troll for more lucrative work. Front end hocus pocus is one of their favorite acts.

"Sorry man, you need new ball joints". Yeah, like hell I do.

Big Island Lube won't do that. They don't take appointments though: First come first served.

[mijax]

I not worried about passing the Safety Inspection.. Just hoping to get through the hoops easily to get the cars registered once we're here.


Thanks for the info... Much appreciated!

[hotzcatz]

Registering cars once they've passed their safety inspection is easy and doesn't even take that long. Save your papers you get from the shipping company. I think they may ask for those, but I'm not certain if it's DMV or the safety inspection folks.

You'll need proof of Hawaii insurance, usually the insurance card you keep in the car is what they want to see. Not sure exactly how Hawaii insurance is different than mainland insurance, but they make some distinction in it somehow.

So, current registration, shipping papers, proof of Hawaii insurance and go find an inspection station. They'll inspect it and give you a paper. It will say you've passed everything except it's not currently registered with Hawaii. Go to the DMV, give them the paper, pay them money, get your new Hawaii license plates, put them on the car, put the registration decal on the one on the back and go back to the inspection station. They will put the safety sticker on your bumper. *poof* all done.

[mijax]

Thanks hotzcatz..

[terracore]

Hawaii insurance cards have to be printed on special paper. You can't go to your auto policy online, hit print, and then use that. Call your insurance company and tell them you need proof of insurance IN HAWAII and they will send you insurance cards on the special card stock.

[mijax]

Originally Posted by terracore

Hawaii insurance cards have to be printed on special paper.

Thanks terracore. I've got GEICO already working on getting me covered in Hawaii. Didn't know about the special paper. I'm sure GEICO knows this, but I'll give them a call. Thanks for the heads up!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by mijax

Thanks terracore. I've got GEICO already working on getting me covered in Hawaii. Didn't know about the special paper. I'm sure GEICO knows this, but I'll give them a call. Thanks for the heads up!

It's basically like any insurance card that you get in the mail versus printing something on-line, like terracore said. But it does have to be from a company that insures in Hawaii. That's why we have one insurance company for our Hawaiian cars and one for our Colorado cars.