NY State Inspection

My wife took my caravan to the dealer to have a recall redone. They
told her that the inspection was coming due at the end of the month,
and it was a good idea to have it done today. Twenty minutes later,
they came out and told her that the van will fail the inspection
because it needed two light replaced, but that they had it on stock
and they cost $3.50 each and $10.00 each for installation. She gave
them the ok to replaced them, she did not had them to show her the
light in question, but I checked all the light this morning before
going to work and all were working, I always like to keep my cars up
to date and good working. I got the funny felling that she was taken.
I have never trusted dealers. I use them for recalls only nothing
else. She took it there to replace the rear wiper motor part of the
recall. The recall was suppose to be free, but instead she came out
with a $41.50 bill, and still they did not do the recall, because they
did not have the part in stock. That was not, what they told me
yesterday when they made the appointment, now we have to wait until
Monday. Looks like they were money hungry today. That is the last
time I let my wife to take the van to the dealer.

 

Someone needs help with their addition. You mention $27 in parts and
labor. How did the bill get to $41.50? Are taxes really that high where
you live?

 

<snip>

Chalk up yet another reason to avoid living in New York.

DS

 

Yeah, boy....

I'll bet those dealership guys took that $41.50 and are
living it up on some exotic island somewhere in the
Carribean.

 

Did you check the blinkers and brake lights? They had to for the
inspection. Some dealers replace bulbs for free sometimes depending
on their mood. On the other hand, sometimes when you go to change the
bulb the whole fixture falls apart from moisture damage and has to
be replaced. I doubt they were ripping you off. And some one might
have brought their car in hours earlier for the recall and used up the
part. I call that "almost just in time inventory system". Everyone
keeps their parts department lean these days.

 

Hello,
On a recall it is my understanding that you pay for labor and the part is free.
What dealer did you go to ?
Anthony

 

Wrong... repair is free for official recall.

 

Last month my Chrysler dealer told me my Town and Country failed its NYS
inspection because a fog light bulb had burnt out. I made him look it up in
the inspection book to learn that only mandated lighting equipement were to
be included in the safety inspection. I wonder how many customers they had
failed over the years for items they were not even authorized to include in
the inspection? This was not intentional on their part, but I have seen a
lot worse from other dealers (failing a car for rotors not being smooth when
the inspection book only authorizes them to fail the breaks if the rotors
are too thin or cracked.) It's a jungle out there.

Richard.

 

I got failed once for the bulb that illuminates license plate not being
bright enough..........

I asked for and NEVER got the actual candlepower ratings and how did they
measure the brightness.
I demanded to see a "stuporviser", and then the power hungry inspector
decided that if I wipe off the lens covering the bulb, that would be
satisfactory. Use your imagination where I got the liquid to effect the
wipe!

h

 

I don't know how it is in other states, but in VA, if there's a problem
with a state inspection, you call the state police, and they
investigate. I've done that twice over my 35+ years of driving, and
both times the immediate problem was sternly addressed (the first time
was when I was a kid and I saw the trooper with the owner backed up in a
corner with the trooper's finger in the owner's chest - quite
exhilerating to watch). The last time, the inspection license was
pulled (they insisted on failing it for thin brake pads even though I
had made them measure them and found them to be 3/32 thicker than
required at the very thinnest place) - I'm sure they generally don't
pull the license over one incident. They will also send an undercover
car into a place that they suspect is pushing things based on
complaints. So, at least in VA, even if it's too late for your
situation, it does some good to file a complaint.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

In MD *all* lighting equipment on a car must work - ended up buying a
very expensive fog light for my then-GF's Corrado when she moved here
because the lens was cracked. No matter that they're never used, nor
are they required - they were there, so they had to work (and I couldn't
just remove them because the way they were designed they provided a
mount for the turn signal assembly...)

nate

 

"Did you check the blinkers and brake lights? They had to for the
Inspection. Some dealers replace bulbs for free sometimes depending
On their mood."


Yes I did check the brake light and blinkers, When I got home
yesterday I check the recipt, the lights in question were the 3rd
brake light. They have 3 bulb the middle one was ok but the two outer
one where bad from what they said and one of the lights on the license
plate. They did replaced them with the exception of the license place,
they did not replace it and they still charge me for the part and
labor, I will be calling them today.



"On the other hand, sometimes when you go to change the
Bulb the whole fixture falls apart from moisture damage and has to
be replaced."

This was not the case.


"I doubt they were ripping you off."


I would have agreed with you but they did not replace the license
plate bulb and still charged me for labor and part. The requirement
is to have one operating light on the rear license plate some cars
have 2 like the caravan, if one is out you can not be failed for it
but if both are out yes.

"And some one might have brought their car in hours earlier for the
recall and used up the part. I call that "almost just in time
inventory system". Everyone
Keeps their parts department lean these days"


"Hours earlier" the appointment was done just before closing, and we
were the first one there in the morning. They had it on stock and set
it aside for us.



My whole point is that they take advantage of women in general, You
can tell them that they need to change the summer air in the tires for
winter air and that you have a special, they will believe you.

The work was not done satisfactory they clearly took advantage of her
I will be talking to the manager after the do the recall just in case.


jrvwbuggin

 

Don't be so sure that is the your State's position on lighting requirements.
I made the dealer pull out the book (I have my own in my law office). It
sometimes takes a regulatory attorney and not a grease monkey to "read" the
regulatory language. This is why I said their bad interpretation was not
intentional. Check with your State's regulatory agency to see if what the
inspection guy told you is how the State interprets its own requirement.

Richard.

 

Ok you win. The dealership sucks like most of them.

 

Your runny nose? Or the water behind your ears?


Matt

 

You must not live in the "special" part of the state called the *NYMA*
(New York Metropolitan Area) Where they actually strap your car to a
dyno (not a real dyno like us car guys like), verifying the engine
displacement and sniffing the cars exhaust at operating speed. All for
the bargain price of $35 bucks. Plus whatever is found durning the
safety inspection, of course. Wipers, brake pads, lights etc...Only in
New York City, Westchester, Rockland and Long Island do they do this.
The rest of the state gets away with just a $10 safety sticker. For
now....BUT at least it's operated by regular businesses. The State
licences individual service stations to do the job, rather than the
way other states do it using their own state run centers.

Jimmy

 

x-no-archive: yes

Which states run their own testing centers in the Northaest, other than
New Jersey?

 

I wish they would do this in Oregon where I live. Out there, the State
runs the inspection stations and all they test for is emissions. And they
only dyno pre OBD-II cars. People have taken rattletraps with shit
falling off through the inspection station and gotten their tags. And they
charge more than $35 for just sticking a sniffer up the car's ass.

Ted