the thing about the ball joint that gets me is their inspection process doesn’t really allow them to accurately diagnose a ball joint.
they get in, and drive it from the waiting line into a bay where they remove 1 tire to check pads and do the rest of the inspection on things you can see without moving the car. Put the tire back on and pull it out of the bay.
So in the space of 60 feet he’s managed to diagnose a ball joint? Ball joints are the bane of my car maintenance existence and I’ve never been able to diagnose one in 60 feet or by staring at it. I am certain the inspector didn’t pull it out and check for wear.
A friend of mine took her car in for inspection and the guy failed it for worn belts. specifically a belt that I personally had replaced 3 months and 1000 miles previously. She’s small and cute and knows nothing about cars; I honestly believe he was taking advantage of that.
all I’m saying is that dishonest inspectors happens.
They can have a clue that something is bad if the vehicle hit a bump in the concrete and clunked, but there are many things that can clunk going over a bump. The shop I worked at had a 1" bar on the floor that we drove over and was enough to hear small clunks. This was put in for that very reason, but we still had to shake the front end and check all items individually and confirm visually that the ball joint was in fact bad.
Bad mechanics happen, lazy mechanics happen, and most often, dishonest ones happen.
I know I’m swimming against the tide, but Virginia inspection is generally a JOKE compared to many other states. Try getting your car inspected in Massachusetts or New York. They’d run out of paper trying to write up all the issues they’d likely find on your truck.
There are also good and important safety reasons for not having broken/moisture-filled lights and loose ball joints which orionz already addressed. Brake pads should be obvious. There are enough ways I can get killed or maimed already, I don’t need poorly maintained vehicles upping the odds out there when I’m driving.
On the more cynical side, leaving a case of beer or a box of donuts in the driver’s seat when you drop it off can distract mechanics from minor things like cracks in the windshield or a hold in a light cover.
Also, look at the positive to this. Extended driving with a loose front end component will cause uneven tire wear, and tires arent cheap. Also neglecting one front end component will accelerate the wear on the others. Once there is movement with a joint or tie rod end, the other connecting components are subject to conditions they are not designed for and will wear more quickly.
This is one more thing that I love about living in Florida…we got rid of our inspection system in the very early 80s. Guess what, there hasn’t been any increase in death, destruction, and derangement due to vehicles needing repair being on the road.
That’s because all of your accidents are caused by snowbirds driving vehicles that don’t have enough mileage (or abuse, at a constant 15mph) to wear out or break.
I hear you! When I relocated from western SD to Indiana and had to go thru emissions testing I had to register my 1986 Suburban with 11,000lb plates to avoid the test. Still her the old girl too! I would hate to see the bill for getting her up to the standards Littlelebowski is dealing with! Heck, my 1996 Suburban is in need of ball joints according to the tire shop. They estimated just over $600 for replacing both of them! They will wait at least until bonus time.
