Failed Safety Inspection

[my4thjeep]

So I need to renew my tags for my jeep and I failed the inspection.

I made a mistake of taking it to a national chain...(it was close to where i had errands to do while waiting)

I failed for 2 things

Windshield Wipers
ok easy fix even though they work fine. The shop tried to sell them to me for $11 a piece. Um no thanks.
&
Mudflaps

The tech was less than helpful and wouldn't elaborate as to what was needed for mudflaps or why I failed. Googling didn't find much I checked with another shop and they said that they wouldn't have failed me but because I had already failed they wouldn't inspect me.

My questions...
Can I reinspect elsewhere with no penalty other than paying again? In other words does Utah track inspection failures? I don't really want to keep paying for inspections and failing.
Mudflaps: what is the requirement to pass?
How permanent do they have to be? The second shop suggested using vicegrips to attach mudflaps.
What other options do I have?

My jeep is an 02 TJ that the dealer had installed lift rims and tires before I bought it. 3 inch lift and 32 1150 15 tires

 

[Cory]

Looks like your lucky the National chain guy didn't fail you for your tires extending beyond your fender flairs .

If a vehicle is lifted beyond stock then mudflaps are required. They don't have to be anything fancy, but they have to cover the width of the tire and be half way down the height of the tire.

If the dealer did the lift before you bought it, take it back to him and tell him to put flaps on for you. They can't sell you a vehicle that doesn't pass inspection.

I've heard from an inspector that they do track failures from one shop being passed at other shops.

 

[Hickey]

Looks like your lucky the National chain guy didn't fail you for your tires extending beyond your fender flairs .

Yup, sounds like you got off easy. Put some flaps on and make it legal.

 

[James K]

I've heard from an inspector that they do track failures from one shop being passed at other shops.

yep, computerized they all tie into a center database.

 

[Brad J]

yep, computerized they all tie into a center database.

Great, Now when my Scout fails safety I can't go down the street and take my pick as to which shop requires the least amount of effort/money to get it to pass. Oh the good ol' days before all of these computers where tied into everything.

-Brad J.

 

[Erik d_lux]

I dont know if they will still pass it but when I used to live there every year I used to make cardboard mudflaps and they would pass it.

 

[Hickey]

I dont know if they will still pass it but when I used to live there every year I used to make cardboard mudflaps and they would pass it.

I'm gonna try that with fender flares and duct tape... maybe paint them black for the bling factor...

 

[tv_larsen]

I just got my RC inspected. Tacked on some rear mudfaps right before I went down to my local, passed me last year, inspector. This time he went straight to his rule book. He said he'd fail me for no doors, and since I had no inner fenders and had trimmed the fenders I need mud flaps on the FRONT too. I politely disagreed, and pointed to the section that says mud flaps in the rear only.

I asked why he was going to fail me when it passed the exact same way last year. He told me that in the last year, the state has made it a FELONY for him to pass a rig that shouldn't pass. How is that possible?

Fortunately, he called for rule clarification and was told the (no) doors were fine, the missing inner fenders were fine, and the cut fenders were fine as long as the tires didn't stick out wider than the fenders (didn't need for fender flares). And yes, flaps on the rear (I had) were needed. He passed me.

 

[Hickey]

Fortunately, he called for rule clarification and was told the (no) doors were fine, the missing inner fenders were fine, and the cut fenders were fine as long as the tires didn't stick out wider than the fenders (didn't need for fender flares). And yes, flaps on the rear (I had) were needed. He passed me.

That's really cool that he actually called and got it straight.

 

[SUPERFLY]

He said he'd fail me for no doors,

Fortunately, he called for rule clarification and was told the (no) doors were fine,

you dont have to have doors? SWEET! bye bye doors!

 

[Shawn]

I politely disagreed,

That would have been hard.

Good Job!

 

[tv_larsen]

you dont have to have doors? SWEET! bye bye doors!

Apparently not, this came from whoever he talked to. I watched him dial the number right from his safety inspection regulation binder. But this does contradict "official" information I got from a UHP officer that called some Utah state saftey head-guy person for me. *shrug* Must be kind of a gray area. All that the safety inspection manual says is to inspect the doors for missing or malfunctioning parts I believe.

 

[JeeperG]

Apparently not, this came from whoever he talked to. I watched him dial the number right from his safety inspection regulation binder. But this does contradict "official" information I got from a UHP officer that called some Utah state saftey head-guy person for me. *shrug* Must be kind of a gray area. All that the safety inspection manual says is to inspect the doors for missing or malfunctioning parts I believe.

I don't see the Problem with NO DOORS.. Jeeps come with Removable doors and we have no Problem with Inspection, As long as you have at least 2 mirrors... What about Motorcycles? they don't have Jack..

 

[utahxjer]

DUDE, take it back to the dealer, usually when you buy a car from the dealer they inspect and license it!!!! In fact I think they are suppose to??

 

[my4thjeep]

The dealer has been great and if i pushed the issue they would probably help me. I haven't really tried. I take responsibility for the lift and tires. It was my choice. I just thought that it was a little nit picky on the inspection (windshield wipers WTF?) since I have had 4 jeeps all lifted all with 32's or larger and have passed just fine. I am happy they didn't make me add fender flares so yes i was "lucky"

I was hoping for a little wiggle room to avoid confrontation with this inspector.
The image does make it look like my tires stick way out. they don't I measured and they stick out 2.5 inches at the sidewall bulge.

I have rigged up a temporary solution for the mudflaps.

 

[utahxjer]

PM'ing you.

 

[cowmilker]

A few years ago, my Blazer failed inspection, and I fixed what I could agree with and left the rest. I then took it to a different shop, told them it had failed at thier competitors but I felt like they were trying to get more money out of me so I wanted them to do an inspection and see what they thought. They passed it, except for the emissions (that I could understand, their machines are suposed to be calibrated the same). I think when I went in and told them that I WOULD FIX the problems, they decided not to try to sell me things I didn't need. I was greatful for the first inspection though, they failed me because my exhaust exited before the rear tires, since on a Blazer the whole body is the passenger compartment you have to get the tailpipe out to the rear.

I realy get upset at garages who judge a customer thinking they are stupid enough to say "ok just fix it so it will pass", I worked at Checker for 5yrs and it was acomon occurance to see someone (most of the time female) come in and tell us some shop was trying to screw them over, you would think these shops would learn about honesty bringing back customers.

 

[tv_larsen]

I don't see the Problem with NO DOORS.. Jeeps come with Removable doors and we have no Problem with Inspection, As long as you have at least 2 mirrors... What about Motorcycles? they don't have Jack..

The difference is, doors were optional on CJ's, so they cannot legally make the lack of doors illegal on them. A couple years ago, I asked a UHP officer, and he called the guy in charge of the states safety inspections to find out the answer. His response, according the UHP officer, was that only "Jeeps" could legally run w/o doors. I believe it boils down to how the manufacturer originally sold the vehicle to pass the safety and structural requirments of the year.

Even this logic has holes, weren't doors standard on Wranglers? That means they shouldn't be able to pass without doors, but many inspectors don't know the difference.

 

[Jeeptj98]

The difference is, doors were optional on CJ's, so they cannot legally make the lack of doors illegal on them. A couple years ago, I asked a UHP officer, and he called the guy in charge of the states safety inspections to find out the answer. His response, according the UHP officer, was that only "Jeeps" could legally run w/o doors. I believe it boils down to how the manufacturer originally sold the vehicle to pass the safety and structural requirments of the year.

Even this logic has holes, weren't doors standard on Wranglers? That means they shouldn't be able to pass without doors, but many inspectors don't know the difference.

I think the reason why only Jeeps are okay without doors is because of the 4 inch lip that is at the bottom of the door. Nothing can roll out of the jeep.

 

[tv_larsen]

I think the reason why only Jeeps are okay without doors is because of the 4 inch lip that is at the bottom of the door. Nothing can roll out of the jeep.

I think that's a myth. Maybe I'm wrong, but junk rolling out the door opening hardly seems like much of a safety issue. Maybe the lip is required, but IMHO it would be for another, more serious, reason like structural integrity or passenger crash protection. But if this was so, I doubt the lip itself would be explicitly required, it's functions might be.