NY State Car & Vehicle Inspections

We typically perform the complete New York State Inspection service in forty-five minutes or less. In some cases, we can take your car in right away, but we do prefer that you schedule an appointment.
With few exceptions, cars registered in New York need an annual inspection by a licensed business authorized by the state to legally drive on public roads.

Automobile inspection has two major components:

FIRST, Safe Operations Related: Steering, brakes, tires and lights are inspected.

Visibility improves safety for everyone on the road. As a result:

• Headlights, horns, and turn signals must be in working order.
• Mirrors, windows, and windshield wipers are assessed.
• Window tinting is checked with approved tint meter.

Being able to stop as expected is another safety element. We check for:

• Brakes pads and rotors, emergency hand brake and any brake fluid leak.
• Tire tread and wear.
• Steering, shocks, struts, tie rod ends, etc.

SECOND, Emissions Testing: The Clear Air Act was amended in 1977 to address metropolitan areas with poor air quality. In 1982, New York State enacted its own standard, with attendant updates as the science and monitoring technology concerning emissions improved.

OBD-II – what is it?

OBD stands for “On Board Diagnostics” and OBD-II is a system used in automobiles to monitor various components of the vehicle, detect malfunctions, and store the information in the vehicle’s computer to be recovered later by a service technician.  If a check engine light is on, the car will fail the emissions test.  We also check for missing or damaged gas cap.

Exempt versus non-exempt: vehicles

• New vehicles are exempt for the first two years.
• If your vehicle weighs less than 8,500 pounds, it is non-exempt.
• If your vehicle is electric or historical, it is exempt.
• Vehicles 1996 or older are exempt from emission testing.

Warranties and Failure:

Per the NY DMV, the vehicle manufacturer is “required to warranty”:

• Emission failures for the first two years or 24,000 miles.
• Major emission components for 8 years or 80,000 miles.

Preventive Measures

Adhere to the manufacturer’s suggested intervals for maintenance service.  Have all safety items inspected by a qualified technician at least twice a year.  If you receive a check engine light indicator, have it checked right away.

Summary
Remember, to make the air that we breathe and the road that we share safer for everybody, an annual inspection is meant to ensure that automobiles are roadworthy. At Fred’s Auto Repair, we respect how valuable your time is and will get you inspected and stickered as quickly as possible if your car is in fine working condition. If there are issues that may impact drivability, we’ll advise if a repair is urgently needed or if simply monitoring for certain telltale signs could suffice for the intermediate term.