Vehicle Inspection for VT Newcomer

Submitted by Footie57 t3_zwpfct in vermont

Hi all, I moved here in June and I am just getting around to getting my car legal on the road here. I've got my green plates, but I just failed my inspection due to some rust holes in my fenders and a TINY leak in my exhaust manifold. Is this normal? I am originally from Central New York state and I've driven cars there my whole life with giant rust holes all over the entire car. Plus some quarter or half dollar sized exhaust holes. Is this guy just upselling me? Or do I really need to buy new fenders for my $800 car?

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Plenty-Jaguar2581 t1_j1wl8kr wrote

Vermont - Where your car has to be road worthy, but the roads don’t have to be car worthy.

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somedudefromvt t1_j1w0pvy wrote

VT has some of the most stringent car inspections in the country. They take pictures of your car and plates and upload them to a website that basically restricts you from getting a second opinion. Pony up!!

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[deleted] t1_j1wwcg1 wrote

Ehh not entirely true, one mechanic failed my car for a ridiculous reason and a different shop passed the car. Had to pay for inspection twice, but you can certainly get a second opinion.

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earpain2 t1_j1x39s1 wrote

In my day that was called a “lick’em and stick’em”

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durpdurpturd t1_j1xhus3 wrote

How long ago? These are pretty recent changes.

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[deleted] t1_j1xipjx wrote

April of this year after the new inspection stickers were released

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Wolfe_BTV t1_j1wvir5 wrote

Lol, the newest vehicle I've owned here was a 2006. The laws aren't that strict or unreasonable -- having an honest mechanic can make a big difference.

The state has info about specifically what is/isn't acceptable. Good mechanics will repair things to where they're passable rather than going straight for the parts cannon.

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manofsticks t1_j1x67k4 wrote

>The laws aren't that strict or unreasonable

It comes down to what you believe the purpose of the inspection is; IMO the primary purpose of the inspection is for safety reasons, not environmental.

For example my last car had an air injection valve get stuck occasionally. All it did was make the car run a little rougher, and use more gas for a month or two until it got un-stuck. But that was enough to fail inspection, so I would postpone my inspections for a month or two until it would pass.

While dealing with environmental issues is important, IMO it's not worth it if it would cause people to postpone safety checks (like it does in Vermont). Make it a separate sticker or something so people can still get their safety check and then deal with emissions later.

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notfornswf t1_j1xbkgd wrote

Go to other states the inspection is strictly emissions, so be glad they check safety in vt

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lantonas t1_j1xxquy wrote

What percentage of car accidents are caused by faulty cars and not faulty drivers?

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Maleficent_Rope_7844 t1_j20h57f wrote

Far more are likely caused by faulty drivers, but that's just because people don't pay attention.

Just because a ton of accidents are caused by faulty drivers doesn't mean we should let safety issues slide on vehicles (especially in a state that salts their roads profusely).

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1xdqvo wrote

Yeah I mean you can have entirely missing lower control arm rear suspension bushings which on a Subaru for example can be 1.25" of play on just one tire both steering and braking are super impacted but it passes. Same Subaru has a failed intake air temp sensor which is a redundant sensor as it measures at the mass air flow sensor but trips the check engine light that fails. It's important to keep in perspective that our laws are largely made with media shock and awe tactics and law makers reactions to the emotional voting public, not based on experts in the field.

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ScrodLeader t1_j1w3tb6 wrote

Welcome to Vermont. The local govt hates the poors. I drive uninspected until I get pulled over. It’s cheaper to just pay a fine instead of spending thousands of dollars in unnecessary bodywork.

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rufustphish t1_j1w55y0 wrote

I went three years doing this, worked out to the same amount of $$$. Just make sure you have insurance.

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Vtscott t1_j1wmz43 wrote

I did that too. The fine was cheaper than getting inspected.

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cprlcuke t1_j1x3l0c wrote

What was the fine. I heard something about it only being like $6. I also heard that they can’t pull you over for no sticker on it’s own. Not sure if either is true

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somedudevt t1_j1xaj98 wrote

Neither of those is true. It was 125 or something the last time I got one. Pulled over for the sticker. I pulled the damn sticker, and called it a day

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cprlcuke t1_j1xq500 wrote

Dang. Well at least I got away with it all summer

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Formal_Coyote_5004 t1_j1xr2ct wrote

Sooo many of my friends were ridin dirty on inspection until this year when they put the inspection stickers on the left front instead of the middle

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cpujockey t1_j1z2yqp wrote

> unnecessary bodywork

So you'd rather get whacked with fines rather than spending a sunday afternoon with some bondo and sand paper? man you're basic.

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ScrodLeader t1_j1z70d8 wrote

My car is nearing 20 years old. If a few lil rust spots were my only issue I’d strap on my big boy pants and become an esteemed weekend bondo mechanic like yourself.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zihda wrote

Some of us just suck at body work. I can rebuild a motor in my sleep but bondo holy freaking disaster.

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cpujockey t1_j1zinrf wrote

yeah - i've gotten better at it since getting into wood working... takes time, patience and ambition. Rebuilding a motor is no easy feat though, props to you for getting to that level of mechanical mastery.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zjk4q wrote

It's just numbers really double triple checking everything. Now performance work like head porting and other stuff is an art kinda like bondo IMO.

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cpujockey t1_j1zjv9y wrote

Agreed. It's definitely crazy shit when you get into the nitty gritty of things.

I had a buddy that did some crazy shit to his late 90's prelude. Dropped an H22 in it, super charger, and all sorts of goodies.

We would spend hours on the highway tuning air / fuel rations with honda shop cat doing pulls on 89.

Fun fucking times.

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VTnative802 t1_j1w7ad8 wrote

This is what over regulation looks like. This law ensures that the wealthy can afford to live here care free and the working class suffers

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Smirkly t1_j1wuiij wrote

You think exhaust leak is not a serious problem? I do.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zl5pt wrote

It all in the context though. A tiny pinhole in the muffler so what a big tear in the flex pipe near the fresh air intake is another story.

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cpujockey t1_j1z31qd wrote

it's funny how ya'll turn republican when it comes to car inspections.

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mycophdstudent t1_j1wtr03 wrote

Ever consider becoming happy by being disposed of owning property and eating bugs to fight climate change?

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cpujockey t1_j1z33sz wrote

YOU WILL OWN NOTHING AND BE HAPPY!

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zibep wrote

But you will still have to pay for zee bugs.

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mycophdstudent t1_j1zrlo4 wrote

You'll pay more for zee bugs when your social credit score gets dinged for publicly complaining about it.

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jkjeeper06 t1_j1w15p3 wrote

You do not need new fenders for your car, but you do need them patched. On fenders you can do a bondo job or whatever you want but it has to be smooth. The reasoning is pedestrian safety(for fenders). If you hit someone, those sharp holes can do a lot of extra damage

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czo79 t1_j1w2pfv wrote

I thought Bondo was out now and it has to be metal?

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jkjeeper06 t1_j1w2y3x wrote

You are right. Once you fail, bondo is out. If you bondo before and hit it with a mediocre paint job, it will pass.

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Otto-Korrect t1_j1wefia wrote

I passed once with duct tape and spray paint. Ahh, the good old days.

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_j1w852e wrote

Really? That sucks. I’ve always used fiberglass and had good luck. Didn’t realize bondo was not acceptable anymore.

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jkjeeper06 t1_j1w8k0z wrote

Just fix it with bondo before you fail. Sand it smooth and hit it with some paint and you shouldnt have an issue passing

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cpujockey t1_j1z373e wrote

less than $50 dollar sunday afternoon activity. You can even drink while you do it.

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zkentvt t1_j1z4g4i wrote

I have kids. An entire afternoon dedicated to any, one task sounds like a Vacation.

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cpujockey t1_j1z5y6t wrote

As do I. I still do stuff. I got 4 kiddos in our household.

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jkjeeper06 t1_j1zou95 wrote

Unfortunately, the cost of not doing it is so high now with inspection failures. rust repair is never cheap and most of the time you only want to buy another year or 2 on the vehicle, not restore it so it lasts 15 more years

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zkentvt t1_j1zs6ih wrote

I miss the days of driving a car into the ground.

I personally don't think the government should be telling me what I can drive. If they want us to maintain our cars better, they should use more carrots and less sticks.

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jkjeeper06 t1_j1zt89l wrote

I think there is a happy medium. One trip to michigan would show you what it could be like to allow people to do this in a state that has roadsalt. You'll see truck bedsides flapping in the wind as you go down the road. Cracked frames on vehicles, broken windshields, non-functional lights, etc.

For me the happy medium is allowing more budget friendly fixes on non-structutal/safety related components. Rusted cab corners on a truck is not a big deal, just let the owner bondo it and it will hold for a few years.

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vtinpgh t1_j1wjx68 wrote

Could it be that tin tape with some paint over it?

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Karness_Muur t1_j1y2hur wrote

I hit mine with bondo after and it went by no problem

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Plenty-Jaguar2581 t1_j1wlpqg wrote

But there is only 600,000 people i the whole state.. where exactly are these pedestrian obstacle courses? Lol

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jkjeeper06 t1_j1wmvsl wrote

Few and far between. I didn't say the regulation made sense given the rural nature, but thats the end goal of it

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bond___vagabond t1_j1z6fhc wrote

It's for the cows. The city folk that make the rules don't realize yer average cow will just about push over a barbwire fence, just to scratch those hard to reach places, so they are worried about fender holes cheese grating some poor cow in an automobile accident/s

All joking aside, I've been a mechanic in rural Oregon and Vermont for over 20 years. I'm not into hotrods, rolling coal, or any of that idiocy, I believe in climate change, I've built street legal electric vehicles from scratch, owned approximately 20 geo metros, lol, and bike commuted 14 miles to an auto repair job for years. Rural poor people need cars, in our current society. x100 in a "cool" rural place like vermont. They gotta be way over here where they randomly found some janky old house they can afford to rent. They gotta drive way over there to the job where the boss is slightly less exploitative of their desperation. We need to punch up, as a society, not down. Several recent studies show our "carbon footprint" is directly tied to how much we spend, it's like Elon musk being all "we need everyone to use electric cars", then bopping all over in his private jet. We are all out of time on climate change, we need our climate change mitigation to be numbers driven, not just make us feel good, because of classist propaganda we vaguely remember from our childhoods. If you are mad about climate change, punch up, not down.

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Footie57 OP t1_j1w4n3j wrote

Holy shit. Thanks for the info guys. I was sure it couldn't be worse than NY. I stand corrected. Frustrating is an understatement. Thankfully I have enough mechanical aptitude to change this out myself, but still over $200 in parts alone

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Nutmegdog1959 t1_j1w6wls wrote

Or you can do what most people do now. Say fuck it! I'm not spending $800 for mindless repairs on an $800 car. Spend your money on brakes, tires, windshield wipers and oil changes.

My Subaru's have patches on the dog legs (over rear wheel wells) made from stainless steel serving trays I got at Goodwill. I riveted them on and patched with JB Weld. Cost $10 took me 20 minutes.

Patched the muffler with JB Weld and aluminum flashing held in place with a giant hose clamp.

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RibbonForYourHair t1_j1wwy6g wrote

I failed inspection for rust holes in the same spot on my Subaru when I was in college. Patched it up with Bondo and PBR cans.

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somedudevt t1_j1xab3x wrote

Cheap sheet metal and some rivet. Call it a day. Exhaust leak is a different story. No easy way around that.

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zkentvt t1_j1z4knz wrote

Think of it as an opportunity to stimulate the local economy. It's the Vermont way.

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1wm92s wrote

This stems from major local lawsuits regarding cars that have been inspected where someone died and people that inspected the cars in question get railroaded with giant fines and jail time. Mechanics do not want to fail your piece of shit that's already trying to kill you with carbon monoxide from a manifold leak. To be totally honest if I followed the law to the letter, no car over two years old would actually pass, and some new cars also would not pass. That being said a leaking exhaust manifold is super dangerous and you could all of a sudden lose consciousness in a moving vehicle as CO builds up in your bloodstream over time, so maybe 3-4 longer drives around an hour in a month could be all that takes to end your life. You might have gotten lucky up to now driving jalopies but when you let people drive cars that are unsafe for everyone no matter where you are, you can potentially be the one in a car that kills a bus full of kids.

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MapleMechanic t1_j1wwrmd wrote

Thanks for an accurate response. Fixing an exhaust leak that far forward should be a no-brainer. Even without the risk of CO poisoning, no quality mechanic is going to pass something that noticeable, just begging for the DMV to pay you a visit.

OP, it's a very imbalanced system, as most of the inspection manual is open to interpretation. Not all shops log failures with the tablet, you could ask another shop to look it over and ask them if it was registered a failure in the system. I don't believe there's any problem with Bondo on fenders if they're not structural. That is more for rocker panels on a unibody car, which ARE structural and spray foam/Bondo won't do well in a crash. Exhaust, just gotta fix that one.

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lantonas t1_j1xy6tp wrote

So make the state do the inspections.

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1yk7j8 wrote

I can't believe you didn't include a /s with that, it'd have been a fantastic sarcastic joke.

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Footie57 OP t1_j1wmlpa wrote

Holy crap dude. It's a tiny little pinhole in a flex pipe, not a direct route to my air vents. There is literally nothing wrong with the car mechanically. It's only a shitbox cosmetically.

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1wn2oz wrote

A 17 year old kid died in Hinesburg from a cracked flex pipe under a Honda civic like 6-7 years ago for one, and for two, if the rot you can see is bad enough to fail you, how are the structural components that hold major components like the front and rear sub frame and safety components like the bumper rebar, and frame rails?

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Footie57 OP t1_j1wnggi wrote

I guarantee his leak was way worse than mine. And I'm not an idiot when it comes to cars. I just had it up on a lift at a friends place checking it all over. It's all fine

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1wnobr wrote

I mean if you're good enough at being a mechanic, get a job at a shop and get an inspection license so you can just slap your own sticker on whatever you think is safe and have it be your liability.

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Footie57 OP t1_j1woovz wrote

You know, if I hadn't just found a job, I'd seriously consider it

−8

8Dyl8 t1_j1zd8cv wrote

No inspection tech will pass that in fear of being sued. If the state didn’t crack down so hard on us we’d certainly pass a lot more. But losing my inspection license or risk a manslaughter charge is not worth it.

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DragBunt t1_j1x62ql wrote

It should be like almost all other states where you are responsible for your own car. For example, Minnesota where I grew up has worse winters and rust issues and fewer auto deaths per capita. Unless the contention is Vermonters need to be babied more than Minnesotans for some reason, I don't get the point of these inspections.

"There are existing laws that allow police officers to issue citations for unsafe vehicles. There are statutes covering lighting, mirrors, mufflers, brakes, horns and tires. Comparison of insurance rates between those states that require annual inspections and those that do not show no significant difference in premiums. When fatality rates are compared, there is no correlation between inspections and fatalities. In short, the annual vehicle safety inspection has not been proven to benefit drivers in any way."

I would be happy to be proven wrong. The one study I've seen for inspections was being produced with ASA backing and I was less than impressed.

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siltanator t1_j1xo590 wrote

It’s all fine until someone else’s muffler falls off into you car. I’ve seen this happen in a few states but not VT.

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1zgqnz wrote

Minnesota is flat by comparison. Literally that's enough to make it matter.

−1

DragBunt t1_j1zl7as wrote

Well how about Washington state? Surely you can't say it is flat compared to Vermont with the major mountain passes and multiple ski resorts. They don't have inspections either and have lower road deaths per capita.

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1zllwh wrote

No snow in the valleys, no ice in your daily commute, no road salt. When you can still buy a Toyota from 1971 there, there is nothing trying to actively eat your car into nothing. It's almost like the high desert.

−1

Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zm4s7 wrote

Wow how stupid. No snow in valleys no salt use lol they use a fuck ton of salt. Not as much as here to be sure but come on this just blows all your credibility. No snow no ice GTFO

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1zmoi2 wrote

You sound like you have never been there, I have, and I asked friends parents there and such as I considered the move there 20 years ago. They literally said 3-5 " of snow total per year, none of the ice of the north east. Explain how they have salt use and cars from the 40's just sitting in people's lawns.

−1

Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zn2c2 wrote

Beat it. I lived there for years idiot. Plenty of snow and ice also needed chains quite a few times. They use chloride pre treat just like here as well.

https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/operations-services/snow-and-ice-plan

https://infogram.com/road-salt-use-by-state-1h8n6m1971nm6xo

Edit: Cute you get called out for lying and downvote the truth and delete your post. What a clown. Oh not deleted just blocked me. Even more stupid.

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somedudevt t1_j1xb1cx wrote

Be smart about it:

  1. Install the rear plate.
  2. Take the other plate, put it in the car under the seat.
  3. Drive the car.

Inspection is only needed if they realize you are from vermont. If your driving down the road with no front plate, and no sticker, they don’t know you are a Vermonter till you pass. There isn’t a cop in this state who is looking at the front plate then the window THEN the back plate to notice you should have had a sticker.

Keep your lights in working order, and don’t crash, and stay within 12 of the speed limit and you can go years with no sticker.

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_j23gfp0 wrote

I actually got pulled over for exactly this. I had been living in Colorado and drove back east to visit my father. We were headed to the store one day and I drove by a cop. He immediately turned on his lights, pulled a u turn and pulled me over.

He came up to the window like a cop, “do you know why I pulled you over”.

I said yeah I do, you saw I didnt have a sticker, looked in your rear view and saw a green plate, thought it was a VT plate and pulled me over.

He admitted it, asked for my license and registration which I showed him and sent me on my way. Now that I think about it. Fuck that cop.

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somedudevt t1_j272g2h wrote

Unless it was at a light and you were directly opposite then for a time, cops looking at the windshield then the rear plate on every car without a front plate would be outrageously difficult while driving, and dangerous frankly as they would be taking focus off the road.

But the method isn’t 100% it’s just better than having a bad sticker, and works majority of the time. It’s all about it working often enough to pay for the ticket. My truck needs ~400 in cosmetic parts that are classified safety (cracked lights that still work) add in $60 for the inspection, I could get 3 tickets and still be under the cost to fix. I’ve gone 2 years without a ticket on my 2019 inspection, so I’ve saved $120 for the inspection and 400 on the fix. If I got the $160 or whatever ticket tomorrow I’m still net 360 positive. I can keep that trend of being positive going till it’s time to trade in, and get a car with a new sticker from the dealer.

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Vtscott t1_j1wms0q wrote

It’s a ducking money grabbing racket. I’ve been here over 25 years. Been through the inspection process many times. Bought a brand new truck in 2019. It needs about “$800” to make it roadworthy? Fuckk you! I grew up out west, the only inspection was emissions.

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mwants t1_j1wn42u wrote

"Brand new" vehicles come with stickers.

0

Vtscott t1_j1yrpic wrote

You need to get one every year. It was last year the truck has almost 50,000

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mwants t1_j1zavin wrote

So it wasn't brand new?

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Vtscott t1_j20gzhe wrote

First new truck I ever purchased, thought it would make it more than two winters.

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zombienutz1 t1_j1wq1ky wrote

Drive it till you get pulled over but there's such a shortage of cops that may not happen. I'm 2 years deep in my winter beater and I haven't had an issue. If you do get pulled over, you can tell the cop you're waiting on a part to come in to get inspected. They'll most likely give you a warning (it's worked for me twice).

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mycophdstudent t1_j1wunzn wrote

There's a statutory exemption from inspections for farm vehicles. My neighbor has a hatchback beater for farm use with an orange reflective triangle attached to the back that he uses to run errands in town for farm supplies and travel between crop sites (wink wink)

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1xc1f9 wrote

Have to have an active farm to do that, I too want to exploit the loophole

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zhmmc wrote

Throw a hay bale in the back. The law says nothing about an "active farm" just need to be doing farm related stuff like moving hay or picking up stuff at the store for the farm.

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smokeythemechanic t1_j1zhpkw wrote

Try that with a cop, I'll wait.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zivl7 wrote

Lol Been pulled over a few times in my plow truck. No problems at all. You do have to have insurance though. I did not know that and thankfully he told me to show up at the barracks with proof and he would pull the ticked. He did. That was years ago been running that shitbox ever since then and not been pulled over. Probably because I was new in the area.

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mycophdstudent t1_j2bzh8m wrote

Put a small chicken coop in the bed of an F-150 and WAM, your vehicle is a mobile coop farm vehicle that makes beer and grocery runs in between Agway and Tractor Supply.

1

bonanzapineapple t1_j1xhq16 wrote

Is just getting a warning really that likely? I know there's a shortage of cops generally but my commute includes this spot on 91 where I see a state trooper like every other morning, which makes me currently nervous about having expired temporary plates

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lantonas t1_j1xye7g wrote

It's super easy to read the expiration date on a paper plate on the back of a car traveling 65mph.

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bonanzapineapple t1_j206w5z wrote

Haha. Good point. Ive also seen cops parked on the side of Route 5, so it would probably be more readable there

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FourteenthCylon t1_j1zdsue wrote

Put the temporary plate inside the rear window. Don’t ever scrape the dust or frost off the rear window.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zlf30 wrote

One problem there at least in my county the freaking sheriffs pull over every car with a temp tag they see. Assholes.

1

Walruzuma t1_j1wmdkj wrote

Sounds like a car that won't pass at all under the new standards.

EDIT: Cars with that much rust showing have places you'd never think to look, but under the 2022 new standard the inspection shop has to photograph and upload to the DMV...

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8Dyl8 t1_j1zckpn wrote

Metal tape may be used to repair torn metal or perforation smaller than two inches in diameter located on any nonstructural area of the vehicle.

This is a recent update but it is verbatim from the inspection manual given to technicians.

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mycophdstudent t1_j1wtfu8 wrote

Vermont roads aren't car-worthy yet your car must be roadworthy of their car-unworthy roads.

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random_vermonter t1_j1wql70 wrote

I don't think the mechanic is being unreasonable here. Some will enforce the standards, no matter how stringent and others might pass where some wouldn't. I wish I had checked around at garages before getting my car inspected.

A large amount of underneath rust will also fail a car. I've tried to look into undercoating but I've heard it's worth getting done if just to be able to pass. I had a truck that failed nearly 10 years ago for too much rust.

5

DragBunt t1_j1x6k19 wrote

That's the reason why the stuff is pointless. Shitty cars are being passed anyways.

"In one study, researchers in Pennsylvania intentionally created 13 defects in a brand new car prior to inspection. Among the many garages they visited, the detection rate of real defects varied widely, from 25% to 54%. Interestingly, while mechanics on average only found five of the 13 defects, they also “found” an average of two non-existent defects."

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Karness_Muur t1_j1y23fj wrote

I had these same issues. Dealership wanted $3500 for all my issues (I had a few others).

I don't care how my car looks, so I got some bondo, automotive spray paint, and sealer and fixed the holes myself (after sanding the rust away in the first place).

They also got me for a small rust hole in my muffler. I ended buying a new one from Oriellys and installed it myself.

Saved tons of money doing the work, and a bunch of other things myself.

Also, anyone who said the dime sized hole in the runner board under my rear passenger door is a safety hazard GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU TWIT.

5

CancelCultAntifaLol t1_j1xi3zy wrote

2 things I’ve learned since moving here from CNY:

  1. Shop around for inspections. No 2 mechanics are alike.

  2. 500 dollars in Harbor Freight tools, RockAuto.com, YouTube, and a close attention to detail can save you literally thousands.

It’s a given a shop will fail one of my cars annually for brakes and rotors and quote up 800 dollars in repairs. This is, max, 80 dollars in parts online and a few hours of work.

A different shop failed my Subaru for ball joints and wrote up a 4K dollar quote. Well, guess what? After-market control arms are 100 dollars a piece online. So, with some breaker bars and torque specs, I fixed it myself, and bought some fresh wheel bearings to boot. This literally saved me thousands of dollars, and investing in your own DIY repair skills is priceless.

This may not apply to you currently, but it’ll pay off in the future. Just follow the golden rule: if you repair it, are you comfortable with your family driving in it? If not, learn more and fix it better.

4

Bamboochowda t1_j20zusd wrote

As far as shopping around for inspections, what's the best way to find someone who might be more willing to overlook a not-so-great homemade rust repair job, and maybe some hazy headlights (hazy on the interior, unfortunately)?

It's an 09 Honda that I believe is still mechanically sound and safe, and has brand new tires (Xmas gift from a parent).

I'm already pretty darn overdue for an inspection and I've already gotten a couple of warnings for past due inpections years ago, so I feel like I'm running on borrowed time at this point.

I'm not great with my hands, have no garage to do car work in this winter, and can't afford to pay someone to do body work because I am already living just barely in the black mostly because of high rent rates around the Upper Valley. So I'll do some sort of homemade rust repair as I'm able, but it probably won't come out pretty.

How do I go about finding a certified inspection place who might be a little less on the strict side as far as passing a vehicle?

1

pv_punisher t1_j1zvgez wrote

Keep looking for a reasonable mechanic, in the mean time... just run it. The inspection requirements in VT are an absolute joke. I haven't had a current inspection on one of my daily drivers in 13 years. I'm already enough of a revenue source for those greedy fuckers.

3

FyuckerFjord t1_j1zxn0x wrote

The worst part is Vermont made me pay $900 sales tax on a truck I first leased in 2016 and then bought out at lease end in 2019 in North Carolina (had a ton of equity).

That means I've now paid sales tax three times on one truck. In addition to property taxes on it. That's borderline fucking criminal.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j20nlpt wrote

Had this happen to my wife. She bought a new car in NH while she lived there some ten years later we come to VT and they wanted thousands in taxes as she bought it new that's the value they used. Well we found a loophole she just sold it to me for nothing and I paid no tax as family transfers are exempt. There is a form for it as well.

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FyuckerFjord t1_j20nxya wrote

Nice! Wish I'd have known this a few days ago lol

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j20oc1m wrote

Ugh sorry it was actually the lady at the DMV who told me about it go figure. But at least in the future it's something to consider especially if you give a car to your kid or whatever. Immediate family and that includes parents as well. Edit there is also a form you can still use to get some of it back if you can prove you paid tax in another state. That didn't work for us as NH has no tax but of course to make up for it a new car reg is insanely expensive for the first few years. They get ya anyway they can. Bloodsucking bastards really.

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FyuckerFjord t1_j20t351 wrote

Yeah, the $900 was based on what was left of the 6% in tax that VT charges - essentially it's after they subtracted what I paid in NC. But that was based on my current estimated value, not new price or even my end of lease buyout price. Strange.

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Jerry_Williams69 t1_j1xc93j wrote

This is normal. I'm originally from Michigan and have had some gloriously shitty shitboxes that would probably have immolated when they crossed the VT border. Vehicle inspections are new to me too. What you are describing seems par for the course.

I don't think scarf cutting a beer can with two hose clamps is an acceptable exhaust repair in Vermont btw.

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zkentvt t1_j1z40kg wrote

I've never understood the reasoning. I had a jeep I couldn't sell because it wouldn't pass inspection due to a few minor things. I ended up selling it for parts.

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-_Stove_- t1_j1zb320 wrote

As others have mentioned, you do not need to replace the fender...but you do need to patch the holes. The issue, from the state's POV, is that rusty holes are dangerous and can hurt someone. Tape is not allowed, but I've definitely riveted some sheetmetal over my pinch welds to get past inspection.

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ABAdawg32 t1_j1zbps8 wrote

Good God I hate this state, sorry bud.

So you don't need new fenders, but you required them to be welded up. They are not upselling you on the exhaust. You need a new gasket and will need any holes repaired or the pipe replaced. 800 is a bit high, but if you do the fenders yourself with a welder or bondo and good paint it will get you two years, just let them do what they need with the exhaust.

And yes, this is very normal.

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QualityRescue t1_j20773z wrote

All the trashy comments are why VT isn't the place it used to be. It's not the newcomers, it's the new generations of 'good enough' Vermonters who don't have the pride their five in the ground had. Cars falling apart, homes half painted, outbuildings in ruin but not demolished, broken rusty equipment beyond the point of repair littering the property, and complaining when someone wants them to do something about it.

Downvote away, fellow woodchucks, but it's your fault the state has declined. You owe your parents' and grandparents' legacies better than this.

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BothCourage9285 t1_j207xtr wrote

For a very long time, an expired inspection sticker was not a "primary" offense, meaning police couldn't pull you over for it. There had to be another reason for a stop. Somewhere in the 2010s, they made it a primary offense and it was used to initiate stops which obviously could be abused by law enforcement.

I suspect after the increased scrutiny of law enforcement in 2020, police departments pulled back from using the sticker as a means to initiate a stop, but I don't believe the primary offense ever went away.

Once the scrutiny subsides, they will start cracking down on stickers again. Only hope is to contact your representatives about it.

Let them know this should not a primary offense and no penalty to your license.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j20n5ox wrote

Reminds me of the "click it or ticket" patrols my corrupt sheriffs dept. does. I even asked the sheriff directly how he can do such when it's a secondary offense he gave me some bs line basically he can do what he wants when federal grant money is on the table. Wrong but you get the picture.

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Internal-Fudge8578 t1_j1x68ox wrote

I know a lot of people that go multiple years without inspecting. Unfortunately they changed where the stickers go but you used to be able to just keep a boat on top of your car and the cops would never be able to tell what number was on your sticker unless you got pulled over.

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mikey_hawk t1_j1x6ku1 wrote

Ask around who does sketchy inspections. Expect to go out of town

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PeacefulWay t1_j1yrnfq wrote

My sketchy inspections guy got shut down with the new rules a couple years ago. My newer sketchy inspections guy told me to go else where with my rusty dump truck as he was only one enforcement away from losing his certification.

To be clear, the truck is fine. Just a three inch crack in the upper left corner of the windshield that I’m not inclined to replace.

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_JunkyardDog t1_j1yim9z wrote

Honestly, the shit-boxes that come to VT from NY are hazardous at best. Giant gaping rust holes all over the body, so much so that you can see through the car. Imagine how close the suspension is to failure.

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Original_Krom t1_j20j4ae wrote

Welcome to the Grn Mtn Police State! Your tribute is appreciated and will be wasted on some nonsense dept or program. Enjoy your stay!

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MarkVII88 t1_j1z23ac wrote

Vehicle inspections in VT have gotten pretty crazy in the last few years. Certainly makes it harder to keep an older, cheaper car on the road. And I'm sure it's by design. But my big question is, if you're driving an $800 car that failed VT inspection, what the hell are you doing moving to Vermont in the first place? This state is not kind to those who don't have means. And to come from Central NY? I am originally from CNY and I know that it costs much less to live there, in general. You're fighting an uphill battle. Unless you're intentionally living below your means, driving this POS, I'm going to assume that you're probably going to take more $$$ in services from the state than you pay in taxes. Maybe that's the point.

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8Dyl8 t1_j1zf1aa wrote

Believe it or not they have actually relaxed a lot of the rules. For example, no front plate in 2016, fail. Tinted windows, fail. No registration sticker, fail. They have gotten rid of all those useless rules, even relaxed some of the brake requirements. Don’t get me wrong, some more work needs to be done. But public outcry has helped.

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MarkVII88 t1_j1zh2jy wrote

My recollection of past inspection rules was that tint on the front driver/passenger windows had to be very minimal in order to pass inspection. For example, I had dark limo tint applied to the back 7 windows of my van back in 2012, but my front driver and passenger windows could not be tinted. If I wanted any tint at all on the front windows, it was essentially nothing, and all my other windows had to be tinted to the same minimal level.

Another change with vehicle inspections has to do with dummy lights on the dashboard. For example, if your vehicle came with TPMS tire sensors, and you were running aftermarket wheels that didn't have TPMS sensors, the dummy light on the dash would be illuminated. This was grounds for failing inspection, because it was essentially a factory safety feature that had been disabled. Now though, the TPMS dummy light can be on and your car won't automatically fail inspection. This is helpful because, when I run snow tires on separate rims, I don't have TPMS sensors installed. I used to have to get my vehicles inspected every year before I swapped out my summer rims/tires for winter rims/tires. But in January 2021, I bought a car, which had just been inspected prior to sale, so inspection wasn't due until February 2022. Of course I put new steel rims with snow tires on the car, and the TPMS light is on during winter. My mechanic said this was no longer a problem.

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8Dyl8 t1_j1zhils wrote

Correct. TPMS lights can now be on and still pass. That wasn’t the case a few years ago. A change I was very happy about. They did get rid of the tint rule. It used to be any tiny applied to front windows was a failure. The inspection tech must notify you that you can be pulled over and ticketed for it though. It’s an advisory item now. Not a rejection item.

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brymandog t1_j1z9a8i wrote

The reason we have inspections is because of people like you who who cause accidents to yourself and others. Vermont is the most expensive place to live. Thanks bud

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zhx6z wrote

Ya cause those would cause an accident. FFS

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brymandog t1_j1zii1j wrote

Clearly you have never drove behind someone whose exhaust has fallen off on the highway bud. It’s not easy to dodge in the snow! Maybe one day you too will have the blessing ! Have a great day!

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zkbpp wrote

You think this never happens in VT?? Please guy

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brymandog t1_j1zlbnl wrote

So you are agreeing with my first statement and retract your statement, “ya cause those (rusty manifolds) would cause an accident. (Annoyingly sarcastic) for fucks sake. Because you realized you were wrong? Thanks guy!

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1zlnag wrote

What rusty manifolds like every car in vt? You make no sense. I didn't retract shit pal.

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[deleted] t1_j1wt237 wrote

I suggest people leave. The roads can't handle the giant influx hence the traffic issues and long lines. If everyone that moved here in the last 3yrs left, everything would be fine.

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Mu5tBTru3Redd1t t1_j1wxhj7 wrote

I’m sure you can also find your way out

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[deleted] t1_j1wy0en wrote

Except I don't have a problem with the inspections. Just the people the transplants that don't understand.

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Mu5tBTru3Redd1t t1_j1wyge9 wrote

You have a problem with the “traffic” and “long lines” … there’s the border. I hear Canada has a lot of open space , and they will probably be much more welcoming then you.

Many states do inspections differently. Some don’t do them at all. It’s a legitimate question for someone to ask who is new to the area.

You being a total twat about it is unnecessary.

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[deleted] t1_j1wzhm7 wrote

Why should I have to leave? I was here first and it was fine. All the newbies brought their shit with them. Look at violent crimes before covid vs now. Point stands. As does inspections, taxes, housing costs, etc. If people left, it would be fine, once again. The land to admire, full of ice cream and maple syrup.

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Mu5tBTru3Redd1t t1_j1x0whs wrote

Let’s be real here…

  1. Unless you belong to a native tribe from this area….you were not here first, and have no rights to any of the stolen “land to admire”
  2. Being “here first” does not give you the authority to tell people to leave a place they just moved too. You do not own the state.
  3. Your statement that “violent crime rate is up in VT” is just false. I am assuming you live in Burlington, which in that case, you are correct , but only in Burlington and it has risen only slightly and honestly in line with the violent crime cyclical data. (1960 was a violent year in B)
  4. Looking at Burlington VT numbers, what was your stance on the number of Rapes doubling yearly in VT from 2017-2019? Did “outsiders” do that too?

Again, You can be proud of your state, advocate for your state, your culture and your passions … WITHOUT shitting on everyone else.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j1z3j9i wrote

> and have no rights to any of the stolen “land to admire”

People like you can fuck right off. Do you own land use the roads or do anything here in VT? If so according to your retarded logic you must leave as it's "stolen land". Anyone who pushes this shit is a moron.

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Mu5tBTru3Redd1t t1_j1zqhmo wrote

You are missing the point regarding the now deleted posters stance on “why should I leave I was here first” in reference to the same deleted poster telling OP to leave VT if they don’t like car inspections.

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Real-Pierre-Delecto2 t1_j20nxp9 wrote

No I could care less about that fight with you two. It's the stolen land crap. Pretty clear about that.

1