Will Drivers Cut Corners on Auto Repair if Vehicle Inspections are Eliminated?

Mike Curtis, the manager at Sandone Tire in Scranton, PA, said that his shop performs between 100 and 150 vehicle inspections per month. The most frequently found problems involve worn brakes, ball joints and tires. If vehicle inspections were to be eliminated, safety advocates fear that vehicle owners may forgo necessary repairs.

Below is the article as it appeared on The Scranton Times Tribune website.

New Jersey ends car inspections; Pennsylvania safety experts say it’s bad idea

By Libby A. Nelson (Staff Writer)
Published: August 10, 2010

Vince Rinaldi, store manager at Kost Tire and Auto Service at 398 N. Ninth Ave. in Scranton, removes a brake drum to check brake pads during a state car inspection on Monday. Pennsylvania still requires annual vehicle inspections, but New Jersey this month eliminated its biennial checkups - a move that safety advocates say isn't a good idea. For drivers in Pennsylvania, the state-mandated safety inspection is a yearly ritual: Check the brakes, the lights, the wipers, pay around $20, take a new sticker and hit the road.

In New Jersey, that ritual disappeared Aug. 1, when the state no longer required passenger vehicles to pass an inspection. Only 20 states now require that vehicles undergo an annual or biennial checkup.

Pennsylvania inspection laws are unlikely to change anytime soon, officials said. New Jersey’s change alarmed lawmakers and safety advocates, who point out that Pennsylvanians frequently share roads with New Jersey drivers.

"I would not want those noninspected New Jersey cars with bad brakes driving in my area," said state Rep. Mario Scavello, who represents part of Monroe and Pike counties. "You’re going to have cars on the road that shouldn’t be on the road. It could take some lives."

State saves cash

Safety checkups in New Jersey were required every other year and performed by a state contractor. Eliminating them will save the state about $12 million annually.

In Pennsylvania, where drivers typically pay between $16 and $23 for inspection at a privately owned garage, the requirement costs the state only about $1.5 million.

To read the entire article, visit The Scranton Times Tribune website at http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/new-jersey-ends-car-inspections-pennsylvania-safety-experts-say-it-s-bad-idea-1.936784.

When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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