Investigators Believe Millions of TX Cars Were Not Checked for Safety &Emissions

[ZLoth]

From NBC DFW:

Investigators Believe Millions of Texas Cars Were Never Checked for Safety & Emissions
NBC 5 Investigates reveals the state's vehicle inspection computer system does not immediately flag or stop inspection stations suspected of fraud

A group of Texas law enforcement fraud investigators believes millions of cars on Texas roads never passed state-required safety or emissions tests. Yet, those cars were able to get temporary paper license plates, or even regular metal plates, by paying an inspection station to fraudulently pass the car.

Compounding the problem, state records and undercover videos shot by NBC 5 Investigates reveal that the state's inspection computer system is not set up to immediately flag stations conducting fake inspections.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Texas Lawmakers Push for Action After NBC 5 Investigation Details Claims of Widespread Vehicle Inspection Fraud

After an NBC 5 Investigation raised questions about whether millions of Texas cars were able to get real license plates with fake safety and emissions inspections, some Texas lawmakers are calling for action.

Two prominent North Texas legislators said they want answers from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about why the state's inspection computer system doesn't immediately block stations suspected of fraud from continuing to pass cars.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Sounds like the program works, but forgot sanith checking for number of transactions per hour. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Doesn't the emissions inspection only apply to certain-mostly urban counties?  What does the safety inspection consist of?

[ZLoth]

Doesn't the emissions inspection only apply to certain-mostly urban counties?  What does the safety inspection consist of?

Going from the Vehicle Inspection Overview page, the safety inspection criteria for passenger vehicles[/li][/list] consists of:

• Horn
• Windshield Wipers
• Mirror
• Steering
• Seat Belts
• Brakes (system) (Parking - beginning with 1960 models)
• Tires
• Wheel Assembly
• Exhaust System
• Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models)
• Beam Indicator (beginning with 1948 models)
• Tail Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
• Stop Lamps (3) 1986 and newer; (2) if 1960-1985; (1) if 1959 model or earlier
• License Plate Lamp (1)
• Rear Red Reflectors (2)
• Turn Signal Lamps (beginning with 1960 models)
• Head Lamps (2)
• Motor, Serial, or Vehicle Identification Number
• Gas caps on vehicles 2-24 model years old
• Window Tint.

Also, the Emissions Testing criteria which applies to Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson counties.

The cost of the safety/emission inspection is just $25.50 in the DFW/Houston areas, and a no-pass means you can't get registered. Plus, proof of financial responsibility (insurance) is required.

[SectorZ]

Massachusetts had similar stuff like this happen in the past. Having a relative who runs a shop that does inspections, he confirmed it's functionally impossible to pass emissions on a car that won't actually pass emissions on its own.

In the olden days (like 25 years ago), you could just plug '0' in for the number of cylinders the engine had and you got a passed test every time.

Safety stuff is actually video recorded, so if something is passed and authorities question it, they have instant replay to check.

[hbelkins]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

[hotdogPi]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

I know of one in Massachusetts (it's changed brands, but I don't know if it's changed owners) that would typically fail you so that they could get extra money for doing repairs.

[Takumi]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

I know of one in Massachusetts (it's changed brands, but I don't know if it's changed owners) that would typically fail you so that they could get extra money for doing repairs.

Oh, that's a very common thing with shops. Most auto techs work on flat rate, which is similar to commission, so more work is more money in their pockets and many of them will try to squeeze out every dollar they possibly can.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

The one that will really get you is that California doesn't have a safety inspection.  That's especially apparent locally with all the jalopies that somehow are still running and somehow passed emissions. 

All the same, I was surprised to hear about a safety inspection in Texas.  I guess very few of the items on ZL's cited list couldn't be easily cheesed, but that's the whole point of this thread.

[J N Winkler]

The one that will really get you is that California doesn't have a safety inspection.  That's especially apparent locally with all the jalopies that somehow are still running and somehow passed emissions.

One trick that has been tried and found to work for first-generation OBD I Saturn S-Series cars (and possibly other GM models that use a similar strategy for sensing airflow) is simply to swap out the manifold absolute pressure sensor.  There is enough variation in calibration between different sensors that the swap yields about a 70% chance of pushing the car past the California smog test due to reduced "hunting" (adjustments to the short-term fuel trim table) for a stoichiometric mixture.

[kphoger]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

The one that will really get you is that California doesn't have a safety inspection.  That's especially apparent locally with all the jalopies that somehow are still running and somehow passed emissions. 

All the same, I was surprised to hear about a safety inspection in Texas.  I guess very few of the items on ZL's cited list couldn't be easily cheesed, but that's the whole point of this thread.

And Washington hasn't had testing for three years now.  Air quality has improved enough since the 1980s, that they basically decided emissions testing wasn't necessary anymore.

[Molandfreak]

Safety testing is really a double-edged sword. I'm glad motorists here don't have to worry about whether innocuous things like installing an air vent in the back of a van will violate standards in a safety inspection, but there are some vehicles on the road that have jerryrigged fuel systems that endanger everyone else on the road. Maybe there's a happy medium somewhere.

[Roadgeekteen]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

Being safe shouldn't be political.

[kphoger]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

Being safe shouldn't be political.

No, but government involvement is inherently political.  At any rate, I assumed he was talking about emissions testing, not safety inspections.

[CtrlAltDel]

Also, in my experience, the safety inspection in Texas is largely perfunctory. They are only legally allowed to charge seven dollars for it, and so, they get done pretty quick. Now, while most of it isn't exactly labor intensive, looking at the chart ZLoth posted, I still don't think they've never opened the door to the gas tank to check for the gas cap, for example.

[kphoger]

Also, in my experience, the safety inspection in Texas is largely perfunctory. They are only legally allowed to charge seven dollars for it, and so, they get done pretty quick. Now, while most of it isn't exactly labor intensive, looking at the chart ZLoth posted, I still don't think they've never opened the door to the gas tank to check for the gas cap, for example.

I think I had to get a safety inspection when I registered a car from out of state in Wichita.  As I recall, the agent walked out to the car, poked her head inside, had me pop the hood, then went back inside and called it good.  It didn't exactly instill confidence in the system...

[hbelkins]

I'm honestly surprised that Texas has this. I'd expect it in California, New York, or Massachusetts. But not Texas.

Being safe shouldn't be political.

No, but government involvement is inherently political.  At any rate, I assumed he was talking about emissions testing, not safety inspections.

I actually was talking about both.

[ZLoth]

Having a relative who runs a shop that does inspections, he confirmed it's functionally impossible to pass emissions on a car that won't actually pass emissions on its own.

In the olden days (like 25 years ago), you could just plug '0' in for the number of cylinders the engine had and you got a passed test every time.

Two quotes from the first NBC article:

For an hour and 15 minutes, NBC 5 Investigates sat outside and didn't see any cars go in or come out of the garage doors of the shop. But state emissions inspection records we obtained from the TCEQ show that during that same time, Upscale Inspections inspected 23 vehicles.

(text deleted)

Investigators said fraudulent inspectors can use a simulator device similar to a flash drive that plugs into the emissions analyzer instead of the car. The device simulates a car's onboard diagnostic system and can be programmed to guarantee a passing result.

The fake result is then uploaded into the state's system and the car doesn't even have to be at the inspection station.

This implies that this is being handled in plaintext. And I suspect rolling out a more secure system would pose challenges and take years to implement.

The one that will really get you is that California doesn't have a safety inspection.  That's especially apparent locally with all the jalopies that somehow are still running and somehow passed emissions.

I've personally seen some of these wrecks that somehow continue to be driven in the Sacramento area. Safety inspection programs tend to be associated with the "snow states" in the rust belt, and most of California's population live in areas that normally don't get snow. It should be noted that the minimum insurance requirements for California is $15,000 for injury/death to one person, $30,000 for injury/death to more than one person, and $5,000 for damage to property. This was first mandated in 1974, and has not changed since, and I suspect we would hear howls of protest if it was even proposed to increase those limits. As far as I can determine, only Louisiana has the same coverage, while all of the other states have higher coverage limits. Texas mandates minimum coverage of $30,000 bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident, and $25,000 property damage liability per accident. Of course, it's not too hard to walk onto a major Texas parking lot and find a vehicle with a registration expiration date of 21 or earlier.

[Road Hog]

Doesn't the emissions inspection only apply to certain-mostly urban counties?  What does the safety inspection consist of?

Going from the Vehicle Inspection Overview page, the safety inspection criteria for passenger vehicles[/li][/list] consists of:

• Horn
• Windshield Wipers
• Mirror
• Steering
• Seat Belts
• Brakes (system) (Parking - beginning with 1960 models)
• Tires
• Wheel Assembly
• Exhaust System
• Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models)
• Beam Indicator (beginning with 1948 models)
• Tail Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
• Stop Lamps (3) 1986 and newer; (2) if 1960-1985; (1) if 1959 model or earlier
• License Plate Lamp (1)
• Rear Red Reflectors (2)
• Turn Signal Lamps (beginning with 1960 models)
• Head Lamps (2)
• Motor, Serial, or Vehicle Identification Number
• Gas caps on vehicles 2-24 model years old
• Window Tint.

Also, the Emissions Testing criteria which applies to Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson counties.

The cost of the safety/emission inspection is just $25.50 in the DFW/Houston areas, and a no-pass means you can't get registered. Plus, proof of financial responsibility (insurance) is required.

The EPA had something to do with mandating emissions tests in those counties more than 20 years ago. If I lived just 10 miles farther north, I wouldn't have to mess with the emissions test and would just need the ordinary vehicle inspection. Arkansas did away with the inspection requirement years ago as well as California.

One other thing that came from the EPA was a reduction in speed limits in the designated counties. Speed limits were capped at 65 mph on all highways, even freeways, for a while but that has since been relaxed.

[wxfree]

My inspector (I live in the DFW area) acts suspiciously.  He always seems to think that someone is after him.  I don't know of any wrongdoing, but I wonder if a stricter system would shut him down.  I've been going to him for years and my car is always properly maintained, but he still seems to think I might be on a sting.  I go to him because his shop is conveniently located and not too busy.  We have a three-month window for inspections so I can find a time when his place is not busy and get it done quickly.

I've seen someone I know go to a shop, a different one, where they coaxed a vehicle through the tailpipe test.  They pulled a vacuum line or two and it passed.  We no longer have tailpipe tests because emissions testing is required only on vehicles less than 25 years old, all of which now have on-board diagnostics.  I've also seen the same place get a non-compliant OBD II vehicle to pass.

The safety check, which is required on all vehicles in all counties, is a joke.  They're basically done for free (the amount they are allowed to charge isn't even enough to keep the place open).  Looking at the inspection item list, the system is designed to be pretty perfunctory.  If it stops and the parking brake works, then the brakes are considered good.  Everything else is just a matter of looking at things.  I've never seen an inspector check all safety belts.  The ones I've seen don't even put on the driver's belt when driving around the block.

Still, I don't quite favor scrapping the system.  Even a basic check is better than none.  Many drivers have no mechanical aptitude and need someone to tell them when there's a problem.  I do wonder if we should get rid of emissions testing.  The most polluting cars are mostly outside or nearly outside the 25 year window, and modern cars designed to run clean.  I wonder how often the system catches overtly polluting vehicles compared with how often it forces an owner to spend thousands of dollars to change a sensor reading by 4 millivolts so that the computer will turn off the check engine light even though no actual difference was made.

[formulanone]

The ones I've seen don't even put on the driver's belt when driving around the block.

This is pretty common with techs; though they should be checking it, they typically don't buckle up, even on test drives. When I first worked in a shop and helped porter vehicles, it took some getting used to not buckling up when merely trundling around one side of a parking lot to another, because that might happen 20-30 times a day.

Couple a $25 inspection barely paying for the tech's time and other operational costs, there's little reason to expect the inspection process to held to rigorous standards, even if it should be handled that way. To properly inspect all the lights, you need two techs to verify rear lighting is working properly. In days where an oil change is $50-100 on many modern cars, it's a bit of a joke and not a money-maker unless they find an issue, or you're there for other work.

But I think the "millions of vehicles" is overstating the numbers, just because a few shops were falsely-passing a few thousand vehicles.

Still, I don't quite favor scrapping the system.  Even a basic check is better than none.  Many drivers have no mechanical aptitude and need someone to tell them when there's a problem.  I do wonder if we should get rid of emissions testing.  The most polluting cars are mostly outside or nearly outside the 25 year window, and modern cars designed to run clean.  I wonder how often the system catches overtly polluting vehicles compared with how often it forces an owner to spend thousands of dollars to change a sensor reading by 4 millivolts so that the computer will turn off the check engine light even though no actual difference was made.

This is my pet peeve as well with an industry I'm tied into; on one hand, there can be domino effects with neglecting one item, but it may also be inconsequential to anything but its own tolerance limits. My own car has a TPMS light that's been on for over 6 years because I'm in no mood to replace $500 in sensors when just checking pressures (something I'd do every 2-3 weeks anyhow) can solve that problem, along with a little strip of electrical tape. The problem is that the light doesn't tell you what the issue is until you scan it, and most shops handle a light on with mostly the same financial regard as if it had an actual drivability concern, for the rare occasions a check engine light might point to multiple issues, or that Code A + Code B ≠ replace both items, but a problem with Item C.

[ZLoth]

From NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth:

DPS Steps Up Fake Vehicle Inspection Crackdown Following NBC 5 Investigation
One day after NBC 5 Investigates questioned DPS Director Steve McCraw about gaps in enforcement, the agency announced plans to target hundreds of state-licensed inspectors suspected of fraud

The Texas Department of Public Safety announced Thursday it is ramping up efforts to crack down on state-licensed vehicle inspection stations that are conducting fake inspections.

That announcement comes in the wake of an NBC5 Investigation revealing some law enforcement investigators believe as many as 5 million cars on Texas roads are "clean scanned" every year. That's when someone pays a state-licensed inspection station to fake emissions and safety checks.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[J N Winkler]

Still, I don't quite favor scrapping the system.  Even a basic check is better than none.  Many drivers have no mechanical aptitude and need someone to tell them when there's a problem.

I would scrap the system regardless.  With a regulated fee of just seven dollars per check, it is already a compliance exercise anyway, and plenty of states (like Kansas) do just fine without it.  (The perfunctory safety check Kphoger talks about upthread is typically required only when a vehicle is being registered in-state for the first time or if it is being transferred to a different title category.  I had to go through it in 2012 when the insurer totaled out my current daily driver following a hailstorm, meaning I had to have it retitled as "rebuilt salvage," with an orange badge of shame on the driver's door sill, in order to continue driving it legally.)

This is my pet peeve as well with an industry I'm tied into; on one hand, there can be domino effects with neglecting one item, but it may also be inconsequential to anything but its own tolerance limits. My own car has a TPMS light that's been on for over 6 years because I'm in no mood to replace $500 in sensors when just checking pressures (something I'd do every 2-3 weeks anyhow) can solve that problem, along with a little strip of electrical tape. The problem is that the light doesn't tell you what the issue is until you scan it, and most shops handle a light on with mostly the same financial regard as if it had an actual drivability concern, for the rare occasions a check engine light might point to multiple issues, or that Code A + Code B ≠ replace both items, but a problem with Item C.

The problems of false positives, as well as diagnostic codes that are very difficult or very expensive to clear, is one reason I feel nervous about buying a newer vehicle.  I suspect my current daily driver has a bunch of issues (since about 2021, for example, it has been hesitating lightly when cruising steadily at about 35 to 45 MPH), but the operating limits for OBD I are so generous it has yet to set a CEL.  In fact, the last time it did so was over 20 years ago, when the EGR went bad.

While the newer vehicles do have OBD II and have never set a CEL in their lives, the 2009 Honda Fit has a history of false positives due to TPMS sensors gone bad.

[kphoger]

Half the cars at a used car lot have TPMS lights that don't go away.  It just means a sensor is bad.  Both our current car and the previous one have had them on since we test-drove them.  Whenever I go to the mechanic, most times they don't even bother mentioning that it's on, because it's so common.

I suspect my current daily driver has a bunch of issues (since about 2021, for example, it has been hesitating lightly when cruising steadily at about 35 to 45 MPH), but the operating limits for OBD I are so generous it has yet to set a CEL.

Might just be an occasional misfire.  Have you had the fuel injectors cleaned?

[J N Winkler]

I suspect my current daily driver has a bunch of issues (since about 2021, for example, it has been hesitating lightly when cruising steadily at about 35 to 45 MPH), but the operating limits for OBD I are so generous it has yet to set a CEL.

Might just be an occasional misfire.  Have you had the fuel injectors cleaned?

Not yet.  Now that the weather is getting warmer, I want to catch up on some deferred maintenance, which includes tune-up items like a new air filter and new spark plugs.  Those may solve the problem by themselves; if they do not, I'll likely move on to replacing the fuel filter, which is kind of a messy operation since it involves taking off the left front wheel.

When this specific set of symptoms cropped up in a SaturnFans thread, the OP ended up having to take the car to a repair shop, where a fuel pressure test (costing about $100) revealed that the fuel pump was on its way out.  I hope I don't have to go this far--besides fuel pump replacements being painful even under the best of conditions, OEM parts are probably long gone and there are no known good aftermarket options for a model this old.

[hbelkins]

My wife had the issue described above with her 97 Saturn SL2. New plugs and plug wires solved the problem.