Last month I brought my '85 245 in for a sticker,the mechanic didn't even put my car on the lift! I did the lights, directionals,horn and wipers act and was out of there with a new sticker.I discovered a rusted through hole on the driver's side(near the jacking point) a week later,I personally wouldn't have passed it because of that.
Today I brought my wife's '87 240 with a leaky steering rack and a front brake caliper with a stuck piston(brake pad looks like a wedge) into another garage and "the mechanic" put it up on the lift and said everything looked good.I wasn't going to argue because she needed a new sticker.
I am going to fix the unsafe issues of my cars(have a good used 'dry' rack and rebuilt caliper)but if a person went in for an inspection and was given a clean bill of health for their car and it's unsafe is the State inspection facility liable if an accident occurs due to something they missed??
Phil
P.S. while at the garage today the mechanic asked me if I new why an '84 240 he was working on wouldn't start when cold.I then noticed his colection of Haynes manuals.No wonder why we fix our own cars.

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pstone