There’s nothing like the freedom and excitement of having your own car. Take a drive to your favourite coffee shop, visit a friend for no reason, or just get behind the wheel for the sake of it. With that being said, having a car comes with a lot of responsibility that generally cannot be overlooked. If you’re a car owner and you’re asking yourself, “how do car inspections work?” or “how often should I get my car inspected?”, you’re in the right place – we have the answers to your burning questions here.
How often should I get my car inspected?
When you own a car, you commit to an investment. If you rely on your car to get you to and from places, you need to ensure that you get it inspected on a regular basis. Putting money aside to service your car will save you in the long run. If you avoid getting car inspections done, you can expect to pay a large sum of money to fix something that could have been avoided. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that anything has to be wrong to get a service done – it simply prevents a small problem from growing into an even bigger one, allowing your car to remain a reliable form of transport until the next service.
As the car owner, the make and model of your car will be the deciding factor on how often you should do a car inspection. If your car is a newer model, the inspections won’t be too frequent, and you can look at getting it done once a year. If your car is older, you can expect frequent services to ensure your car remains roadworthy.
How do car inspections work?
Whether you take your car to get a service at the manufacturer-approved dealership or at your local mechanic, the same inspections take place. Mechanics are required to follow a roadworthiness checklist so that they can verify if there are problems with the car. This list allows them to accurately examine every aspect of the car and tackle the problem after the inspection.
The mechanic will look at the windshield for cracks, and check if all of the lights are still working and if no light bulbs need to be replaced. They will also check both the front and rear brakes, sparkplugs, and check your oil to determine if you need to filter it and the engine. Car inspections can take about an hour to two hours to complete, it all depends on how detailed the inspection is.
How does car roadworthiness work?
A lot of behind-the-scenes work happens before you sign for your car at the dealership. In order for any new or used car to be considered a roadworthy vehicle, it has to pass the test. In most cases, the dealership will sort out the roadworthiness test for you and won’t give you the car unless it has passed. You can imagine that if a car has a rusted body or broken lights, it’s very likely that it will fail the test.
If your car ticks all the boxes on the roadworthiness checklist, your car is officially safe to drive on the roads and you are issued a roadworthiness certificate. This certificate is valid for up to two months and must be renewed before a new motor vehicle license is issued.
Tips on Car Inspections & Roadworthiness
Your car must be roadworthy in order to drive. It’s illegal and dangerous to drive a car that has many problems, such as failing brakes, broken lights or a shattered windshield; it’s a recipe for disaster. So, the primary tip on car inspection and roadworthiness we have for you is making sure you get your car serviced regularly. For example, if it’s been a while since you’ve last replaced your brake pads or changed your oil, you should probably get that sorted before the roadworthiness test.
Do a small inspection of your own and if you come across something you’re unsure of, take it for an official inspection at your mechanic.
How to keep your car in good shape?
Maintaining your car can be quite costly, but it is absolutely necessary to get it done. Do regular inspections on your car to keep it running. Check to see if your tyres are still in good condition, test all the lights to see if anything is broken and show your car some love. Wash your car at least twice a month to keep it clean and fresh or take it to the auto-valet for a deep clean. Your car is your pride and joy, your mode of transport and it needs your attention too.
Speaking of which, when you drive with Subaru, you don’t just get a world-class vehicle; you get services and maintenance plans too. If you didn’t know that here at Subaru, we offer excellent Service & Parts assistance to all of our drivers, now you do. Discover everything you need to know about our maintenance plans, how much a service costs and where to take your beloved Subaru vehicle. No one’s got you quite like Subaru.
