What’s wrong with this picture? The ball joint is broken! Ouch!

What’s wrong with this picture? This is what happens when your ball joint fails, not to mention you lose total control of your vehicle and ruin your axle to boot! In this particular situation the individual was driving around a very busy two lane rotary and it’s amazing that they did not contact another car. Or worse yet a Pedestrian! Now you are probably wondering the point I am trying to get across here, yes that’s right safety inspections. The state that this vehicle with the broken ball joint came from does not require a safety inspection. But it is okay for it to drive in a state that does require a safety inspection? The state of New Hampshire of which I have worked as a mechanic for over the past 25 years requires that your vehicle annually passes emissions and safety inspections.

It gets better, I recently found out that only 17 out of our 50 states require a safety inspections! Is this why it is said that it is safer to fly in a plane than it is to drive your car on the highway? I am not trying to scare anyone out there and I mentioned this in my book “If That Car Could Talk” If you live in a State where there is no safety inspection get it done once a year on your birthday month. Do it for yourself, your family, and everyone you share the road with. Establish a good trustworthy relationship with your mechanic. Tell your mechanic that you want a complete safety inspection performed, especially if your car is an older car with higher mileage on it. The list below shows you some of the components that should be checked during a safety inspection.

* Complete four wheel brake inspection.

* Hydraulic brake lines.

* Steering system check.

* Complete suspension check to include all ball joints, springs and  shocks etc.

* Have fuel system checked for leaks.

* All lights functional.

* Windshield wipers clear windshield well.

* Check that exhaust system is tight with no leaks.

* Make sure all doors open easily from the inside and out.

* Make sure that windshield defroster is functional.

* Most importantly make sure your tires have good tread and are not dry cracked.

 

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply