What Does a PA State Inspection Actually Check?

The safety inspection

Pennsylvania requires an annual safety inspection. An inspector goes through the systems that keep the car controllable and visible on the road.

• —Brakes, lines and parking brake
• —Tires and wheels, including tread depth
• —Steering, suspension and ball joints
• —Lights, signals and reflectors
• —Wipers, glass, mirrors and horn
• —Exhaust system and fuel system
• —Body condition and seat belts

The emissions test

Most vehicles registered in Lehigh County also need emissions testing. For modern cars this is largely an OBD check: the system is scanned for stored faults and readiness monitors.

That is why an illuminated check engine light is an automatic fail, even if the car drives fine.

What fails most often

In our bays the usual culprits are low tire tread, worn brakes, rusted exhaust sections, cracked windshields in the wiper path and burned-out bulbs. Most are inexpensive to correct if you catch them before the sticker is due.

Making it painless

Book a week or two before your sticker expires rather than on the last day of the month. If something fails, we show you the part, quote the repair, and re-inspect once it is done.