Are Car Inspections Worth It? A Guide to Proper Vehicle Care

Getting your car inspected on a regular basis is one of the most important parts of vehicle ownership. Not only is it the law to keep up your vehicle, but your safety and the safety of others depend on it. Not to mention, neglecting the health of your car can be expensive as well.

If you are looking for a car inspection near you or would like more information on where to go to get your car looked at in order to prepare it for an emissions test or state inspection, this guide will help you out. We are going to cover everything from how to properly maintain your vehicle to where you can find the best car inspection services in Arizona.

By properly addressing the needs of your car and making sure that it is running smoothly, not only will you have no trouble passing important inspections, but you will also be saving money in the long run.

Maintaining Your Vehicle: What to Know as a Car Owner

Owning a vehicle is actually a huge responsibility. Often, we have to learn as we go when it comes to things like car care. Even if you are lucky to have had good teachers when it comes to car maintenance, you still need to know where to take your car in order to get it repaired and serviced in preparation for inspections.

You might be wondering whether or not car inspections are even worth it. As long as you haven’t been in an accident, is it even worth having your vehicle looked at by professionals?

This is where many car owners mess up. They assume that because nothing is outwardly amiss with their vehicle and because they haven’t had any dings or accidents, that all is well and that they will breeze through an inspection.

The thing with cars is that you always want to practice preventive maintenance. The best car care tackles problems before they arise, not after.

Think about it: when is the best time to tackle a problem with your vehicle? Before, or after, an inspection? You don’t want to have to go through the process of failing an emissions test or inspection just to discover that there is something wrong with your car. This is time-consuming and wasteful, not to mention potentially more stressful.

Rather than wait until your car is already incurring problems, you need to take responsibility and keep up with your car’s regular maintenance. This means taking it into the proper automotive repair shop in order to get any small issues fixed as they arrive, as well as keeping an eye on the way your vehicle performs as you drive it. Even if you are not “car savvy,” it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basics so that you can better understand what your car needs and where to take it if something goes wrong.

Of course, there’s no substitute for professional service. You don’t want to rely on your own ingenuity or “car smarts” in order to pass an inspection. Despite any skills you may have when it comes to taking care of your car, a team of automotive specialists is used to catching small things and taking care of minor issues before they become bigger problems.

Staying Safe on the Road

Beyond saving money and passing inspections, there’s one key reason why getting your car looked at by professionals is worth it.

Road safety is massively important, and your ability to remain safe on the road is due in large part to how well your car is running. Obviously, if your brakes are shot, your safety on the road and the safety of others are going to be compromised.

The thing about driving is that we are always dealing with hundreds of random factors. It’s chaos out there, in the sense that at any time, you might have to react to unforeseen circumstances. Maybe an animal darts out in front of your car, or perhaps a motorist in front of you begins to swerve erratically. These random acts of happenstance require quick thinking and perhaps more importantly, a reliable vehicle that has been properly maintained.

A vehicle that doesn’t receive the proper care and attention may not perform well when you need it to. It’s not just about gas mileage, although that’s important to consider as well.

On the road, it’s vital that you can depend on your car to be responsive and that everything is running smoothly and efficiently. Improperly cared for components can easily lead to malfunctions on the road. Such issues can burgeon into accidents, or at the very least become a massive inconvenience.

Car care is also cumulative, in the sense that the better you take care of your car now, the better it will perform in the future as a rule. You can always tell if a car was mishandled in its early years if it is less than 10 years old and runs as though it is on its last legs. If treated properly with regular maintenance by skilled automotive professionals, not only will your car pass inspections, you will get many more years out of it than you would otherwise. You will also be greatly improving your safety factor when you are on the road, which is more important than anything else.

Routine Maintenance vs. State Inspections

If you are on the hunt for a car inspection near you, you may be unsure as to the difference between a routine inspection and an actual state inspection.

It’s important to note that at most automotive repair shops, you won’t be receiving an actual state-sanctioned inspection. Rather, these are maintenance services designed to help prepare you for an inspection.

In general, you will want to find a reliable automotive repair technician near you that performs comprehensive inspection services. This means that they handle most aspects of car care, enabling you to prep your vehicle before taking it in for an emissions inspection or other kind of state inspection.

What are some of the services that the auto repair shop in question should be able to offer you?

• Routine oil changes
• Tire rotation
• Fuel system services
• System flushes
• Air filter changes
• Emission repair
• Brake repair
• Battery replacement
• Axle repair
• Electrical system repair / digital inspections
• Heating and cooling repair
• Exhaust system repair
• Transmission repair

This covers most of the basic issues that crop up with cars. At the very least, you need to make sure your oil is changed on a regular basis, that your brakes are functioning properly, that nothing is amiss with your transmission, and that your tires are in working order. Also, you do want to be mindful of your digital components because if they malfunction, it can often cause you to fail an inspection outright even if nothing else is wrong with your vehicle.

If this seems like a lot of things to keep track of, that’s because it is! Car care is no joke and making sure all of the different parts of your car are working and that everything is as it should is not a task for one person to handle alone. This is why when you are searching for a car inspection near you, you select a reputable auto repair shop that can take care of your vehicle properly. This is not something that should be left to an amateur, even if you know your way around cars and have been working on them for years.

Here we will revisit the idea of preventive maintenance because it is so important to the overall idea of taking care of your vehicle properly. Many of these systems that we have listed above inevitably wear out over time. That’s just the reality of mechanical parts. Even luxury vehicles with the best components require diligent maintenance, otherwise, they will quickly run down.

What does this mean for you as a car owner?

If you want to take your car in for inspection and have it pass without any hassle, you don’t want to wait until the zero-hour to take it into an automotive repair shop. This is something that you should be doing from the moment you purchase your vehicle. Regular maintenance is key to ensuring the longevity of your car and that everything inside your vehicle is in top shape.

Think about components such as your brakes, for instance. Letting these wear out until you absolutely have to replace them is not the smart move. Not only are you putting yourself in danger, but you are also making things hard on yourself if you are right up against the timeframe in which you must get your car inspected.

Get in the habit of scheduling regular maintenance checkups for your car. This “routine maintenance” is a key aspect of smoothly passing through inspections. If you already know your car is in great shape, you’re not going to be stressed out about passing any kind of inspection. Professional automotive technicians can help you spot problems before they arise and replace parts the second they begin to wear out. This is how you maintain the integrity of your vehicle and help to ensure that it breezes past state inspections without so much as a second thought.

How to Find a Car Inspection Service Near You

You shouldn’t have to go far out of your way to find a reliable car inspection service or automotive repair location. In fact, it’s always better to go local for these kinds of services because they will have a better idea of state regulations and other issues related to the specific inspections that you might end up facing as a car owner.

If you are located around Phoenix, Tucson, or Mesa, AZ, we have you covered right here at Borst Automotive. Our team of car experts knows how crucial it is for car owners to receive reliable and prompt service that will allow them to easily pass state inspections and get back on the road accordingly.

What makes us different from other car repair shops? Not only do we offer a wide range of important car maintenance services and bumper-to-bumper services as well, but we also have a dedicated staff of professionals on hand that are not only knowledgeable about car care, but they are also passionate about customer service as well.

Borst Automotive is known for providing superior service for car owners in Arizona. We have built our reputation on comprehensive maintenance services that car owners need in order to easily get through important inspections, including oil changes, brake service, air conditioning issues, alignments, emissions repair, and so much more. Here at Borst Automotive, we can help to uncover problems with your vehicle that you might not even be aware of, which is critical if you intend on passing inspections and staying safe on the road.

We understand that dealing with these kinds of car issues can be intimidating and complicated. This is why we pride ourselves on providing customer service that truly helps alleviate fears, as our experts can guide you through the process of getting your vehicle repaired without any complications or red tape.

No matter what your car needs are, you should be able to get them easily addressed, especially if you are facing an inspection and need to make sure your car is absolutely safe and road-worthy. Here at Borst Automotive, we take great care in maintaining your vehicle. Our thoroughness and attention to detail are what helps to set us apart from other auto repair locations in the area.

With attentive service and experts on hand to make sure your vehicle is in great condition, you won’t need to go anywhere else for your car care needs. Whether it’s a transmission issue, a problem with your exhaust, or the dreaded engine warning light, you can be sure that our team of professionals will take care of it for you. Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with us by calling 520-428-2222. You can also reach out to us right here.