Ontario Safety Certificate requirements - failed safety inspection

Ferrari

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Location
Mississauga, ON
TDI
2005 Golf GLS TDI
A VW dealership failed my 2005 Golf TDI’s safety inspection for the most asinine of reasons: the high-mounted 3rd brake light, at the top of the rear window, lights up only partially due to some burned out LEDs. Is a fully illuminating 3rd brake light even a prerequisite for a safety certificate?

Where can I find a copy of the Ontario Safety Inspection requirements?
 

auto_tech

Vendor
Joined
Jul 13, 2004
Location
Bethany, Ontario
TDI
SOLD - 2001 Jetta blue; 2016 Jetta 1.4TSI 5spd
the brake lights originally equipped on the vehicle have to work properly. Cops know this too, so a burned out bulb is an EXCELLENT reason to pull a car over.
 

streeker02

Veteran Member
Joined
May 12, 2008
Location
Halton Hills
TDI
2003 Golf TDI
Yes, it is a legal requirement....only a real hardass will fail you if that is the only deficiency. It's just a light bulb.
 

craig01b

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Location
Guelph, Ontario.
TDI
None
Yup, but, its the letter of the law, and very visible. The guys holding the licence are on the hook, and will get *dinged* by Transport if someone complained...don't blame the techs, blame the government.

Just get it fixed...

Craig
 

Uberhare

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Location
Ontario, Canada
TDI
Too many.
Ha. Right. I have a good friend who's customer phoned the MTO after he inspected a car that was recently purchased from a used car lot. He found about 10 items why the car would have failed a safety. The MTO came out had a quick look, and responded - basically they couldn't prove the items were faulty at the time of the original inspection. It was obvious most of it had been like that for awhile as well. I've lost faith in our MTO system.....
 

yatzee

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Location
Montreal, Qc
TDI
see sig
we don't have mandatory inspections here, but the local garage who does inspections (there are only a few of them in Montreal) passed my old Benz and my Ranger, no questions asked..... It really comes down to who is doing the job, not really the system.
 

Wingnut

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Location
Toronto & Whitby
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta Wagon
I am not 100% sure about this, but from what I can remember, you have a certain amount of days to repair the item that is wrong and go back to get the safety certificate at no extra charge if the repair was done. So simply fix the broken tail light and go back & get your cert.
 

mo_focus

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2002
Location
stouffville, Ontario, canada
TDI
84 944
just go to antoher place and have them do it. Vw dealer was being a prick about it. I guess they are looking for a way to make money. The 34$ is not enought anymore :)

How much would it cost for you to get a new 3rd brake light?
 

redlinedave

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Location
whitby ont cnd
TDI
03 jetta wagon
Wingnut said:
I am not 100% sure about this, but from what I can remember, you have a certain amount of days to repair the item that is wrong and go back to get the safety certificate at no extra charge if the repair was done. So simply fix the broken tail light and go back & get your cert.
I belive its 30 days,I know one shop in Whitby I will never goto again.
He wanted to re saftey the whole car and charge me for it.
So I just went to another shop.
 

redlinedave

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Location
whitby ont cnd
TDI
03 jetta wagon
Uberhare said:
Ha. Right. I have a good friend who's customer phoned the MTO after he inspected a car that was recently purchased from a used car lot. He found about 10 items why the car would have failed a safety. The MTO came out had a quick look, and responded - basically they couldn't prove the items were faulty at the time of the original inspection. It was obvious most of it had been like that for awhile as well. I've lost faith in our MTO system.....
MTO does nothing,I called them about the above mentioned deal
The shop said I needed new rear shoes,the thinest part was 5mm
and well above the rivets,no cracks or oil on the linning.I talked to the MTO guy and was told they can do nothing.So a shop has you by the short and curlys and can do what they want.Im glad I can fix the car by myself (cost was about $40 for parts),but imagine it was your mom.
The shop owner just made $400 because he also sold you drums that you didnt need on you 5 year old car with 75000 km on it.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
Being a licensed tech, and a MVIS (safety) inspection station, I can say that there are hardasses out there, lenient shops out there, honest shops, and crooks.

If you come to me for a safety inspection, and I don't know you, I will quote the MVIS book, chapter and verse. You needed a Safety inspection, but you didn't say why. Are you selling the car? If so, I'm the nicest tech on the planet (at least I think so) but I would have hit you up for the 3rd brake light just as the VW dealership did.

The reason being, is if you sell the car to someone, and they complain about the 3rd brake light only being partially functional, then the MTO comes down on me, not you.

If, however, I know you, and your a regular in my shop, I can excercise some discretion on how rigidly I adhere to the MVIS inspection book. Sadly, very few people value a good relationship with their mechanic these days - they're looking for the cheapest price and not much more.

And yes, unfortunately there are some unscrupulous shops out there who will sell you repairs that were not essential at the time.
 

streeker02

Veteran Member
Joined
May 12, 2008
Location
Halton Hills
TDI
2003 Golf TDI
Windex said:
Being a licensed tech, and a MVIS (safety) inspection station, I can say that there are hardasses out there, lenient shops out there, honest shops, and crooks.

If you come to me for a safety inspection, and I don't know you, I will quote the MVIS book, chapter and verse. You needed a Safety inspection, but you didn't say why. Are you selling the car? If so, I'm the nicest tech on the planet (at least I think so) but I would have hit you up for the 3rd brake light just as the VW dealership did.

The reason being, is if you sell the car to someone, and they complain about the 3rd brake light only being partially functional, then the MTO comes down on me, not you.

If, however, I know you, and your a regular in my shop, I can excercise some discretion on how rigidly I adhere to the MVIS inspection book. Sadly, very few people value a good relationship with their mechanic these days - they're looking for the cheapest price and not much more.

And yes, unfortunately there are some unscrupulous shops out there who will sell you repairs that were not essential at the time.
From another MVIS operator and class A tech.......

Ever had the MTO come down on you for a light bulb? I haven't. A bulb is not going to cost you your license. "It was working when I wrote the safety".....it's a light bulb. They burn out.

YMMV but I would never deny someone their cert for a bulb out. The letter of the law says you can, but c'mon....
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
streeker02 said:
From another MVIS operator and class A tech.......

Ever had the MTO come down on you for a light bulb? I haven't. A bulb is not going to cost you your license. "It was working when I wrote the safety".....it's a light bulb. They burn out.

YMMV but I would never deny someone their cert for a bulb out. The letter of the law says you can, but c'mon....
For a bulb - No, because if one was out, I would replace it. A taillight bulb isn't going to make my local MTO officer bother to get out of his chair, but an irate vehicle purchaser screaming just might. Usually the screaming was catalysed by another failure shortly after purchase.

In my case, it was a windshield chip which was filled, and was in the lower corner on the driver's side. It was noticable, but did not impair vision, and thusly, the MTO officer sided with me, however, if a car is being safetied in order to be sold, I will quote the book, as you never know who might be yelling loud enough to make the MTO take notice.
 

Ferrari

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Location
Mississauga, ON
TDI
2005 Golf GLS TDI
Thanks for the comments and advice!

2 things:

1. The car is leased and I am buying it at the end of the lease. I'm not selling the car.

2. The LED strip at the top of the rear window has burned out LEDs. It's not as easy to fix as swapping out a bulb, and it costs more than $2. The stealership wanted $103 JUST to remove the trunk lining and to find out what the issue might be, not to fix the issue...
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
See, this is a different story. If you are buying the lease, then I would be more inclined to be lenient.

As for the burned out LED's it's usually a bad contact or solder joint inside the light. A simple fix if you are able to remove the light and know how to solder. The headliner is a bit of a bear to remove though.

I would call the source and find out how much he wants for them.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
Depends whether it's still within warranty. If the car is out of warranty, then it is up to the lease-holder to bring the car up to safety specifications when transferring the ownership (buying out the lease).

The third brake light would have been covered 3/60 - if the car was bought in 04 or 05, then the three years has likely elapsed.
 
Top