In some parts of the world, vehicle safety inspections are followed to the letter of the law, others seem to be flexible and yet others are rife with corruption. No matter where you are if you own a car, they are important, one day they could save your life.
So much of the time this is viewed as either a necessary evil or just an inconvenience, but one thing we all forget is that owning and driving a car on public roads is not a right, but a privilege. Although our cars might seem like they are in good shape, and the maintenance has been done, even seasoned mechanics are human and can overlook some key safety-related issues.
Worn Or Damaged Suspension Components
One thing that is rather easy to overlook is worn suspension components. So often a car will drop little hints that something is not quite right but if it isn’t obvious we will gladly push it to last in our list of priorities.
Shock absorbers are one of the first wear and tear items to look out for, when worn out they may not actually give any truly obvious warning signs until they are completely useless and it feels like you are bouncing around all over the road. A simple test that can help you see if your shocks are near the end of their life is to get out and compress (push down) on the front (front shocks) then the back (rear shocks) of the car and see if it settles quickly if it keeps bouncing a couple of times it is best to have a mechanic/specialist take a look and confirm you need to change them out.
Worn bushings can be a whole lot more dangerous, if they wear out or deteriorate it can be really hard to notice any visible changes. The handling of the car will change, but so gradually you will likely not notice it. Worn suspension bushings can make a car wander dangerously, and at high speed that can be deadly, this is something you should always confirm has been checked after your car has been serviced.
Unseen Rust
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- Club RSX
It is usually the outside cosmetic rust people will get worked up about and quickly have repaired, unless it is a “winter beater” in which case the rust is likely the least concerning thing.
When structural components corrode under the car, it can go unchecked easily; out of sight out of mind. If you live in an area where corrosion is common (near the coast for example) you need to regularly check the underside of your vehicle, especially if it is more than five years old. Even seasoned mechanics can overlook things like rusted out control arm mounts pictured above. In other areas, the rust protection/paint can bubble up in such a way as to conceal the true extent of the problem on the chassis or monocoque.
Summary
Mandatory safety inspections are there for a reason, no matter how inconvenient they seem they can actually save your life.
It is always best for you to check for yourself before those mandatory checks come due to save you time, money and give you peace of mind. If you are not confident that you can do these checks yourself, it is always best to take your car to people or professionals you trust because you never know what you might find.