Thread: Qld roadworthy

The system as a whole is flawed I think. There are still car dealers in Brisbane who sell unregistered cars and have little arrangements with roadworthy places, you buy the car, usually a dirt cheap junker with lots of issues, take it to the prearranged rwc inspector who "inspects" the car, charges $150 and, lo and behold, it passes, despite the 3 bald tyres, missing seatbelt, incorrectly wired rear lights and more oil underneath than a Chinese oil tanker parked on the great barrier reef. Yes, this is based on personal experience and within the last year they were still doing this.

Just goes to show that it does all depend on where you go.

And blackbuttdisco, regarding second inspections, there has long been a loophole now to the free second inspection rule - if you get a mobile roadworthy guy out, they can and do charge you for the second inspection. Technically they are charging for the callout, but at $130 or so for the first and $80 for a second inspection, not too many good reasons why anyone would use one, after all you can drive the car to a garage once the CTP is paid.

My advice is if you go to get a roadworthy, specify when you take the car in that you want the inspection but not the certificate unless the vehicle passes. That way you always get a clear rwc, and you avoid the issue of charges for second inspections. Also if the vehicle is registered and it fails, after the second inspection date, if it still hasn't passed, most bigger places report the data of failed vehicles to the transport authorities for follow up and you can get a show cause letter that can result in your rego being cancelled and defect notices issued.

A far cry from the country town I used to live in - as long as you are 50km or more from a certified inspection station, you can fill out a stat dec saying the car is roadworthy and that is all you need, no inspection, no certificate. At the time our local garage had no authourised officer so while they had a rwc licence, they had no second person to sign it so couldn't issue them, lets just say there was a lot of crap on the road during that 6 month period.

im in qld and have a mate that does rwc and all the things that he failed you on are only allowed to be failed if: the seat doesn't lock and or move at all, the rubbers are visibly cracked, and the oil leaks drip. a weep is not a leak.
go to the qld transport site and download all the information, highlight the areas that hes picked and show him the rules, and that he has failed where it should have passed. also after the initial inspection he can not find any other defects that are not written down. if he refuses to give you the rwc then politely inform him that he will be reported for failing to do a rwc correctly, this will get him investigated, and really really **** him off. he may also lose his rwc license.

good luck
mick