Vehicle inspection (Raleigh: costs, dangerous, shop)

[JackNC]

My car failed inspection today, but I am suspicious whether it should have. I think it is fine and they were just trying to sell me service. I paid $23.75 for the failure notice and plan to take it somewhere else.

My questions -

1 - will it be flagged in a computer system as failing? (Might lead to the second station also trying to upsell me.)

2 - is it legit to charge me for the failure notice to begin with?

Thanks

[carolinadawg2]

Originally Posted by JackNC

My car failed inspection today, but I am suspicious whether it should have. I think it is fine and they were just trying to sell me service. I paid $23.75 for the failure notice and plan to take it somewhere else.

My questions -

1 - will it be flagged in a computer system as failing? (Might lead to the second station also trying to upsell me.)

2 - is it legit to charge me for the failure notice to begin with?

Thanks

1. Yes
2. Yes

[underPSI]

What caused it to fail?

And don't take it elsewhere. Fix the failure at a place of your chosing and take it back to have it reinspected. They won't charge to reinspect.

[JackNC]

"Air in the brake lines," though the brakes work fine.

[underPSI]

They may "work fine" to you but that doesn't mean the problem, albeit a dangerous one, doesn't exist. I recommend taking it somewhere to have the problem fixed. Brakes are pretty important, ya know?

[JackNC]

Thanks for your input but not what I asked.

[wheelsup]

Bleed the brakes yourself with some new fluid to find out. Costs about $5 in fluid. You'd be able to see if there were bubbles right away.

Do the brakes squish much when applied?

[wake74]

If you are concerned about the conflict of interest with a shop doing the inspection, take it one of the many inspection-only places located around Raleigh. The only thing they do is inspect cars, they don't do repairs, no benefit to them in the "up-sell". Last time I went, I was in-and-out in less than 10 minutes.

[BoBromhal]

Originally Posted by carolinadawg2

1. Yes
2. Yes

Yes.

There is indeed now a computer registry/database of inspection results. You pay them to inspect your car, not to pass it.

[poppydog]

I had a car fail inspection and they charged me $36 for the privilege and for replacing the license plate light bulb. We stopped going to that place.