Pass Inspection With Cracked Windshield
Valarie Booker
The short answer is no; a windshield crack or chip will not cause you to fail your NC car inspection. Contrary to popular belief, a cracked windshield is not a safety hazard nor prone to shattering/inward collapse. Rather, your windshield works more like an industrial-grade plexiglass designed to protect passengers even under impact. Unless your windshield is so cracked that it impacts your visibility, it will not cause inspection failure.
What if you happen to be traveling across state lines when you realize your registration has expired? In these cases, getting your car inspected as quickly as possible is essential so you can renew your registration, pay your taxes, and avoid a traffic ticket for expired tags. Even without the physical sticker on your license plate, you should be safe from a ticket once you renew your registration online.
Our local mechanics also serve nearby communities, including Knightdale, Pittsboro, Wake Forest, Hillsborough, and Morrisville. We invite you to make an appointment, browse our promotions, or give us a call to get started today!
If you are due for your annual vehicle inspection, you may be thinking about your car and trying to decide if it has any issues that will prevent it from passing. Put your mind at ease with this comprehensive vehicle inspection checklist from the local mechanics at Chapel Hill Tire.
Properly functioning headlights are necessary for maintaining visibility at night and during inclement weather, as well as helping other drivers see you. Both of your headlights must be functioning and effective to help you stay safe and pass your inspection. Common issues include:
Over time, tire tread becomes worn and loses its ability to provide necessary traction on the road. Worn tire tread can result in handling and braking troubles, which worsen during inclement weather. Tire health is necessary for passing both safety and emissions inspections. Keep an eye on your wear indicator bars or manually inspect your tire tread to ensure that it is at least 2/32 of an inch tall.
Beyond just the tread depth, you can fail your inspection if your tires have any structural tire issues, including cuts that expose the cords, visible bumps, knots, or bulges. These can be caused by old tire age, extended wear and tear, or specific wheel problems (such as bent rims). If any of these issues are present, you will need new tires to pass your inspection.
The ability to properly slow and stop your vehicle is key to staying safe on the road. Both your foot brake and your parking brake are checked during an NC inspection, and they both need to work properly for you to pass. One of the most common brake problems that can cause you to fail your inspection is worn brake pads. This issue can easily be repaired with proper brake service.
While NC emissions inspections are relatively new, exhaust system checks have been around for years as a part of the annual inspection. This car inspection step checks for removed, broken, tampered, or disconnected exhaust system parts and emissions control devices. Depending on your vehicle, this can include your catalytic converter, muffler, exhaust pipe, air pump system, EGR valve, PCV valve, and oxygen sensor, among others.
It used to be common for drivers to tamper with these devices in an attempt to improve vehicle speed and performance. This practice has become much less popular over the years, so this check will likely only cause you to fail your car inspection if an element of your exhaust system is failing. Unfortunately, it is also common for catalytic converters to be stolen and sold for the precious metals they contain. In these cases, you will need to have your catalytic converter replaced before passing your inspection.
To help with visibility during inclement weather, your windshield wipers need to be working properly. The blades also need to be intact and functional without any noticeable damage to pass your inspection. The most common issue here is broken windshield wiper blades, which can be quickly and affordably replaced.
North Carolina car inspections check both your rearview mirror and side mirrors. These mirrors must be properly in place, mounted securely, effective, easy to clean (no sharp cracks), and simple to adjust.
To ensure that you can communicate with other drivers on the road, your horn is checked during your annual car inspections. It must be able to be heard 200 feet ahead, and it cannot have any harsh or unusually loud sounds. The horn must also be securely mounted and safely wired.
If you have had your windows tinted, they may need to be inspected to ensure that they meet the NC state guidelines. This only applies to after-factory window tinting. An expert will use a photometer to ensure that the tint has a light transmittance of more than 32% and that the light reflectance is not 20% or less. They will also ensure that the tint is properly placed and colored. Any professional tinting your windows should follow state guidelines, so this is unlikely to cause you to fail your inspection.
The NC safety inspection guidelines are roughly the same for all motor vehicles, including motorcycles. However, there are some minor (and intuitive) adjustments made for motorcycle inspections. For example, instead of requiring two properly functioning headlights, motorcycle inspections, naturally, only require one.
Unfortunately, you cannot renew your NC registration with a failed inspection. Instead, the DMV will block your registration application until your vehicle passes. Thankfully, these inspections are completed by mechanics, who happen to know a thing or two about repairs. You can have any issues serviced to ensure that you pass your inspection with flying colors.
Unlike an emissions inspection, you cannot file a waiver or become exempt from passing your safety inspection. One exception does apply to NC motor vehicles: antique vehicles (35 years or older) are not required to pass an inspection for vehicle registration.
Visit your local Chapel Hill Tire location for your next vehicle inspection. Chapel Hill Tire has 10 Triangle-area locations conveniently located throughout Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, Cary, and Carrboro. Our professional mechanics also often serve nearby drivers, including those in Knightdale, Pittsboro, Wake Forest, Hillsborough, Morrisville, and beyond.
We offer annual safety inspections as well as any vehicle service you may need to successfully pass your inspection. Our mechanics also offer emissions inspections if you find that this is required for your registration. You can make an appointment here online or give us a call today to get started!
During the late 1980s, the Department proactively responded to vehicle inspection issues within the agency. During this period, legislation had been introduced to do away with the State Inspection Program. Many complaints had been brought to the attention of the agency and the Legislature on excessive charges by inspection stations for headlight aim.
By the late 80s most other states had stopped doing headlight aim testing. As a result through an administrative rule proposal that was approved on March 15, 1990, the headlight aim-testing requirement was removed from the inspection procedures chart.
The windshield is NOT an item of inspection. However, the windshield wipers are. Be sure that the crack does not cause the wipers to tear and that the crack has not caused the windshield to become concave or convex so the wipers lose contact with the windshield.
A failed inspection may also result if a damaged windshield creates a significant visibility issue for the driver.
Seatbelts are a required item of inspection on those vehicles in which front seat belt anchorages were a part of the manufacturers original equipment. When conducting a seatbelt check, front belts and anchorages are inspected.
The mirrors need to be firmly mounted, as well. We recently worked on a vehicle that had a loose side view mirror on the passenger side. We were able to move it up and down very easily. This car would have failed state inspection for that reason.
In Virginia, you must have a windshield if your vehicle was manufactured after July 1, 1970. In addition, if your vehicle was built after January 1, 1936, your windshield must be made of safety glass. Safety glass significantly reduces the risk that passengers will be ejected in the case of an accident. In turn, this reduces the likelihood that a vehicle accident-related death will occur.
Yes! A cracked windshield can be extremely unsafe. The degree of danger posed by your cracked windshield can vary, depending on specific factors, but you should always plan to replace a chipped or cracked windshield.
Remember back in high school science class when you learned about glass expanding and contracting, depending on the temperature? Keep this in mind when a crack appears on your windshield. Fluctuations in temperature can cause seemingly harmless cracks to spread into a web of related fractures. This is why, for example, you should never defrost your windshield with hot water.
Ignore the evidence in front of you and you risk the blade shattering and breaking off the wiper arm. Whether made of metal or hard plastic, the wiping action of the arm against the glass can damage the windshield.
Having cracks develop in a windshield can happen to anyone, especially for those driving through construction areas or on the highway. In fact, I just acquired my second star crack when driving on I-95 a few weeks ago.
In this article we have covered some problems that can prevent a car from passing the Virginia safety inspection. If you notice any of these issues with your vehicle, we recommend bringing it to a local auto repair shop or a mechanic near you.
HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Michelin and BFGoodrich tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.
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