Trustworthy Places to Get State Car Inspection? (Manassas, Fairfax: house, living)

[mej1]

Does anyone know of a good, honest place for a female to get a state inspection for her car in the Manassas/Bristow/Gainesville area? I'm sure most of you are aware that some places are dishonest and try to cheat people about their cars. And females are more likely to be screwed over then males.

My mom needs to get her car inspected and my dad won't go with her this time. He told her to go to the dealer, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I just read a review where a person commented that they took their car in for an oil change and an employee swapped out a perfectly good battery without telling them. They didn't know until after they got home. I had something similar happen when my aunt took her computer to a repair shop. I discovered months later that someone stole a 1 GB stick of RAM out of the computer.

So, I'm not sure what to advise my mom to do here. Any suggestions? If she does take the car in without my dad, I'm taking pictures of what's under the hood before and after. I don't trust people.

[farplaner]

It's just the state inspection (doesn't take very long at all). You can just go to just about any gas station that provides the service. You can watch them! That way you know they are not doing anything they're not supposed to.

[mej1]

Originally Posted by tongyang

It's just the state inspection (doesn't take very long at all). You can just go to just about any gas station that provides the service. You can watch them! That way you know they are not doing anything they're not supposed to.

I didn't know you could watch. I don't actually own a vehicle so this hasn't been an issue for me. I thought most places usually took the vehicle into the garage and the owner was supposed to wait elsewhere. So then, how does that work? Do I need to ask to watch or should I just go on in without asking? Are there any laws about that? Thank you.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by mej1

I didn't know you could watch. I don't actually own a vehicle so this hasn't been an issue for me. I thought most places usually took the vehicle into the garage and the owner was supposed to wait elsewhere. So then, how does that work? Do I need to ask to watch or should I just go on in without asking? Are there any laws about that? Thank you.

We take our cars to a Sunoco station. They pull the car into the garage and leave the door open, you can stand just outside the door and see everything they are doing.

[Middlin]

Go the Citgo station in the Atlas Walk shopping center. Directly across from Lowe's in Gainesville. There is also and tire and auto (can't remember the name) that's next to the Japanese steak house that's good

[ffx rez]

I doubt an employee of a dealer would swipe a battery during an oil change and I highly doubt a computer tech would bother to steal $15 of ram

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by mej1

I don't trust people.

Enjoy living that life of distrust; it must cause a lot of anxiety. I once told someone who I had hired (on the referral of a friend) to paint my fence where my hide-a-key was, because he needed to get into my home, and I wasn't there. And I had never met him in person. I guess I am the EXACT opposite of you.

That being said, most inspection places are honest. But a specific one that has always fair to me (a woman) is at the Aldie Liberty gas station. (41105 John Mosby Hwy, Aldie, VA 20105)

[Carlingtonian]

Don't go to a dealer. A small gas station is fine. It's really just making sure the lights, horn, etc. all work. My independent mechanic in Fairfax City (who specializes in just this make) doesn't do them, so he takes all his cars to a local station at Fairfax Circle (Liberty Gas at Pickett and Route 50).

The only exception is if you have a car with some quirk. E.g., mine warps the brake rotors if they put the wheel back on with a torque wrench. So my mechanic asks them to hand-tighten the lug nuts.

[ChristineVA]

I have had to get my car inspection done many times. Sometimes I do it at the dealership in conjunction with another service, but most of the time I have gone to various service stations.

I don't feel like I've ever been taken advantage of.

There were two times that I was in need of major type repairs that affected safety. One was a cracked engine mount and another was brakes. Both times I left the station, had it confirmed with an independent mechanic, repaired at the mechanic, and then reinspected. So the service station didn't get a dime out of me.

The other things have been minor and are things I could have caught myself if I had been of a mind to: tag light out or something minor like that.

[Flamingo13]

I agree w/Christine - I've had current (and prior) inspected at the dealership (first when I had a couple free inspections, then if I happened to be there for something else, i.e., recall, etc.) - I've taken it and prior cars to the local gas/service station - no issues. Don't be so paranoid.