Submitted by Il_vino_buono t3_yv35ff in RhodeIsland
Dropped my vehicle off for an inspection. Service rep said they found one issue that had to be fixed to pass. I authorized the work. Now they say they found another problem (brakes), that has to be fixed or they will have to fail the inspection.
Situation doesn’t pass the smell test. There was no mention of brakes until now. Looking for a way to deal with this without going scorched earth (AG, State Reps, etc). Thanks in advance!
More info needed on this. What kind of repairs, and what are the costs? Also, as an aside, it’s ok for it to fail, and then get repaired. I’m not saying that’s ideal, but we’ve done it with cars in the past.
2nd issue was brakes. I can afford it, but the concern is they are stacking new problems not previously found and holding the inspection hostage.
Then tell them to fail it and you’ll be back after you get the work done. Bring it to another shop and have them look at it. If they concur, have them do the work and bring it back to original shop for the sticker. If not and they will pass it, just get it inspected there.
I’m in MA. I’ve driven around with a fail sticker for a couple of years because of a cracked windshield. It’s ok to have a fail sticker for a bit.
For a bit. Not forever.
Solid advice Broadway tire in Pawtucket did this to me. I brought it to another place which said my ball joints were perfectly fine. They called Broadway tire on my behalf.
Was the first problem something like needing a new tire or anything that'd take them deeper? Inspections don't generally go beyond a light visual inspection of brakes and lines for fluid leaks but if they took a wheel off and noticed pads/rotors were worn down, this would make perfect sense.
I'm not sure if they're obligated to fail you based on that but they'd definitely need to warn you.
DMV has a process:
If you have failed inspection and feel that your vehicle does meet the requirements as set forth in the Official Manual for Vehicle Inspection, you may challenge the failure with the DMV inspection garage. A DMV Inspector will re-inspect the vehicle and override the failure if the station and inspector are found to be wrong. You may schedule an appointment by calling the DMV at (401) 462-5890.
Brakes
You are being taken for a ride. If they completed an actual inspection and found one issue… if you needed brakes they would have found that issue too, hence why it’s called an inspection. They are inspection points to inspect, brakes a wear item and a bit of a necessity are checked right up front. Then ball joints, frame rust, exhaust rust, lights etc. there is absolutely no way they “missed” the brakes. Something tells me, the boss man said, what you didn’t get them for brakes! What no ball joints! Are you crazy we have bills to pay! Tell him he needs brakes.
Why the down votes? If you get pulled over you get pulled over whatever....
take it else where....i am a67 yo woman and when my mechanic says i need work, i make him show me, and keep the parts he takes out.......but then, i was the first girl to be in the auto shop back in high school and can rebuild and old chevy bumper to bumper.....give me a 327/4brl any day... good luck with that.....PS you use a lot of break in the city and of you ride bumpers.....
I did this when Pride Hyundai failed my car for brakes... I checked the brakes beforehand and knew they were a little worn but within specification. The DMV confirmed they were OK... went back to Pride with the DMV paperwork and asked for the service manager, but they sent out the tech who failed the inspection. He apologized and said they tell them to fail brakes if they're close. It's pisses me off because most people will just say "I need my car" and pay the $1200. It's usually an easy job any shady-tree mechanic can do for less than $500.
Ball joints are the go to item for many shady inspection stations, many people don’t even know what they are, they are not terribly expensive to replace so people usually go oh, ok. But like you found, it’s always better to get a second option.
In RI, the DMV will suspend your registration for an expired inspection.
had an issue just like this in massachusetts with a sticker with the excuse/explanation "theres too much play in your wheel"
took it to my usual repair place ( had hit a large pothole at one point) but they checked it and show me that there wasnt really any wiggle outside the usual give.
took it BACK to the place with the paperwork and they INSISTED the wiggle was too much and they were going to fail it. this ended with the two dudes losing thier shit when i told them im not getting it repaired there they flipped thier shit and i left.
went to a different garage told them what the first two clowns had said and lo and behold it passed.
Because it's terrible advice that skips past real safety issues and problems when someone tries to drive a car that fails inspection.
Yeah they screwed my wife over there too. Went in for oil change and pads and rotors she came out with 2k in repairs.
Every single quicklane does this. Tasca did this to me and said they did mine and didn't even do them! I took it to my regular mechanic a week later who didn't have time to fit in the inspection (dmv had screwed up my plate - commercial- with someone else, and I got my notification late and had to get it done last minute. I looked at everything and nothing had even been replaced. I have a case going with them now. Never trust dealerships.
Just a heads up this is the second time the dmv has done this with plates. I am currently dealing with them again for the same plate. I got a mail in speeding ticket on a van I never owned on a plate I never had... before you think my story is suspect... so ive been going back and forth between them and ep police the last 2 weeks.
If it doesn’t pass the smell test as you say. Tell them to fail it and you will do it yourself. I also assume you know how to check brake pad wear and replace them.
Wrong state buddy
Rhode Island suspends your registration for no inspection. Only state to do it. Your car gets towed and impounded, plates seized.
Why would you assume that?
OP is making a statement it doesn’t pass the smell test and saying this shop is shady is a bold claim if you can’t tell wear on a brake pad or rotor. If you are making a claim as such I would hope you had something to back that up.
Have you never been to a mechanic before?
something similar happened to me last week at the Sunoco on Branch Ave in Providence. they went ahead and did the work without asking me and i felt like i was forced to pay. horrible feeling.
I think it was more the fact that the items prohibiting a pass for the inspection were piling up. If you’re coming back to a client telling them that their case won’t pass I’m assuming you’ve performed the whole inspection and found X amount of issues. Not one then another then another. That kind of shady shit is what doesn’t pass the smell test…. You don’t need to be a mechanic to know when you’re being taken for a ride. I’m assuming you have a basic understanding of human fallacy?
A while back, my reg mechanic was backed up so I went to QuikLane for an oil change and a hose replacement. Ended up being told "Well, we shouldn't even let you take this car back out ..." along with their $2k suggested list of "should be done" repairs.
2-year old mechanic-maintained car.
Yeah, you called it - shady.
I didn’t say no inspection. I said failed inspection.
It’s not bad advice to take the fail, get the work done at another garage, then go back and get the pass. I dated a guy who handed these tickets out, and he said they don’t ticket the fail inspections tickets for a couple years. And it turned out to be true for me.
Then he should get the work done before he gets his registration renewed. It’s ok for a bit. Not forever
That’s why I clarified, buddy
Did this. First shop claimed things that I knew weren’t issues to prevent me from passing. I took it to a second shop and they told me it was fine and gave me my sticker.
Bring it to the battery shop in Warwick
They wouldn’t even charge me to run the test until the told me what needed to be fixed first. They’ve never over charged me or given me surprise payments and have always been honest and respectable.
Called but it went to voicemail. Not a lot of faith that I will get a callback.
Holy crap… I had a huge issue with them two years ago as well. My car died on the highway and they said it was the alternator. They replace it and then my car started making an insane noise. I took it right back and they did more work. The noise continued and then my AC stopped working same day. Next thing you know, I have a radiator leak and I had to get a whole new radiator. I will never know for sure but have a huge gut feeling this place f’d something up and caused a whole bunch of issues. This all happened within a day or two of me bringing it in the initial time.
Yeah. They were on Groupon for years for oil change + inspection and I'm thinking they made a lot more business for themselves
It's a little off to say "you'll fail because of one thing but we can fix it, then when that's ok'd, you come back and say also now there's this thing"
At the very least, it's a weird look and seems counter intuitive. A shop should want to find as many billable items on the first go around.
NET42 t1_iwc6jmh wrote
What were the issues they found?