Failed Safety

[shoon]

So I bought my car and had it safetied in Ontario in March, then moved to BC and just got aorund to getting it inspected again so I could get BC plates and they failed it!!

They said my floorboards are rusting through, my car was already in the lot at this point so I couldn't argue. So I come home roll aorund on the driveway and find nothing serious, a couple spots of minimal surface rust but nothing like eat away layers of steel bad.

So I rip the carpet out thinking I missed something... nope. No rust underneath the carpet.

WTF?!

I think its stupid how I paid $45 for a half assed inspection. I'll admit im not a body man, but neither was the mechanic doing the inspeciton. So I'm planning on taking it somewhere else. When the other place can't find anything wrong with my car, and the car is deemed safe should I try and get my money back?


I'll try and snap some pictures and post them, see what you guys think.

 

[91Taurus]

Most mechanics are crooks (no offense intended). Last year when I took mine to get safetied here in Ontario one place said that my brake lines were leaking at the ABS pump and it'd be $1,500 to fix. When I got home I felt around every brake line at the pump and ran my hand all around/over the pump and there wasn't a drop of moisture. The car never made any drips when I looked under the car with someone pressing the brake, and the pedal was always firm, so everything was (and still is) completely fine. The only thing I saw that could cause this mechanic to make this half-ass assumption, was that the horn is located below the ABS pump and it was covered in oily rust-proofing.

Anyways, I took the car somewhere else and it passed just fine

 

[I'll sho u]

Being a lisenced mechanic, and prideing myself on being an honest one at that, I always when doing a motor vehicle inspection, explain myself to the customer very well. When I find something wrong I will actually bring the customer out and show them what is wrong and why. The best thing to do when there is a conflict is to ask to see where the problem is and why does the teck think there is a problem.

 

[SHO_Driver]

If there are no holes in the floor and you can't push a screwdriver through the rusty areas it should have passed. Shoot some rustproofing oil underneath to cover it up or even some black rubberizer undercoating. At least it will look clean for the next one.

 

[I'll sho u]

In New Brunswick, when doing a motor vehicle inspection you are not aloud to use any tools to poke at the cars rusty areas.

 

[shoon]

Just thought I'd post an update.

I booked an appointment to get it inspected somewhere else and had to wait 3 weeks. The guy that inspected it was pretty thorough.

5000 km's ago I put new pads in the front and machined the rotors at work cause I had no cash to buy new ones. After machining the rotors and putting some mileage on them they still look like new.

The mechanic doing the inspection this time used a micrometer to measure them and found them to be out of tolerance, so provided I replace my front rotors he will pass me.

Also, my front windows have 35% tint and I have to remove that as well (BC law ).. but aside from that my car will get passed! (no mention of any rust either)



only goes to show, if a mechanic condemns something but refuses to talk to you about it in person.. chances are hes full of crap. I just feel bad for the millions of people before me who have a bit less knowledge and get suckered into throwing their cars away or replacing things that aren't broken.

I thought I was safer going to a dealership too, but I guess not.

 

[hawkeye18]

I thought I was safer going to a dealership too, but I guess not.

No offense, but you should slap yourself for having thought that. Stealerships are the biggest crooks and criminals I have EVER met in my life. They will intentionally break your car in order to force you to pay 4-6 times market value for the part and take three times longer than they need to install it.

Fortunately, this didn't happen to my car (an unfortunate friend's) but i saw it, and I almost beat the owner about the head, neck and chest area over it. For shame!

Don't EVER trust a dealership. Period.