Joe Boulay

Sharon told me that she was shopping for a used car and went to a used car lot and noticed that some of the cars on the lot for sale there had expired inspection stickers on them. Some had no inspection stickers at all She also said that some of the used cars had expired inspection stickers from other states.   I can answer that question as a mechanic in the state of N.H. As far as other safety guide lines go for other states in the the United States go I am not sure. I can tell you that New Hampshire is one of only 17 states in the United States that require an annual safety inspections and we can consider ourselves lucky. Today every state is is required to pass an emissions test , but  a lot of them are not required to perform a safety inspection. What does that mean? What it means is if your brakes are bad , or your tires are bald it may get overlooked.  However any good mechanic would not let you drive a vehicle that is deemed”unsafe.” Any reputable dealership or used car lot in New Hampshire that has vehicles for sale on their lot should have a valid state inspection sticker on the windshield. Not only is it a requirement it is the law in the state of New Hampshire. All used vehicles that are for sale in  used car lots in the state of New Hampshire should have a valid state inspection sticker on the windshield. This tells you that the vehicle has been through their shop and passed a safety inspection. It could also mean that the vehicles on the lot are to be sold AS IS AS SEEN AS SHOWN. If this is the case it should be labeled with signage somewhere on the vehicle that it is to be sold on an AS IS basis. If you are considering purchasing a used car “AS IS” I strongly recommend that you get the vehicle put on a hoist and checked over by a mechanic you know and trust. Then the vehicle can be properly evaluated for safety and any other mechanical issues it may have. Sharon tells me that before she continues her used car search she plans to pick up a copy of my book ” If That Car Could Talk” How to locate and maintain a good used car, and be methodical in her search for a quality used car.