What You Need to Do If Your Car Fails Mandatory Emissions Tests

If you have taken your car, truck, or SUV in to state-licensed inspection centers for emissions or smog tests only to have your vehicle fail, don't feel alone. In some states, as many as 20% of vehicles fail on their first pass. The more important issue becomes what you need to do to get your car to pass the test so you can keep driving it.

The problem voiced by many car owners is that many of these emissions and smog tests mandated by state law are practically impossible to understand, at least from the standpoint of knowing what is expected for a vehicle to pass the test without problems. In fact, between even neighboring states, the requirements for a successful test pass can widely differ. You can even see strangely varying standards between different test stations.

The latter happens because test stations may use different test equipment or have state rules that are then beefed up by passage of local standards that are stricter than state tests require. For example, in my home state of Vermont, I've had the same SUV fail at one test station - which here usually means an authorized repair garage - only to drive it immediately to another where it passed with flying colors. When I tried to learn why, the station owner simply winked, grinned, and told me not to question my good fortune.

The garage owner was not trying to give me a hard time, of course. It was a nice sentiment. Yet it did nothing to help me understand. I happen to be someone who knows something about what goes on under the hood and I also know about air pollution. What hope then does a less knowledgeable vehicle owner with a mite less car savvy have?

What you are about to read summarizes what I learned when I checked around between different states, different automotive maintenance experts and technicians, and various emission control programs. Use it wisely to avoid the hassles of an emissions test failure with your car, while also recognizing your need as a global citizen to cut harmful emissions.