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• Is the System Working? To protect buyers of Rebuilt Vehicles.

Is the System Working?

YOU BE THE JUDGE!

Rebuilt vehicles require inspections to ensure road worthiness prior to be re-registered for use on our streets. Are the inspections working to ensure the vehicle is safe for use on our streets?

The pictures provided show the repairs to vehicles that were inspected by an ICBC licensed inspector. These vehicles all received a passing grade and were licensed and sold to unsuspecting buyers as quality rebuilt vehicles.

Not long after the Kia Rio was sold to an unsuspecting buyer, the vehicle was towed to a repair facility to determine why the right front drive axel fell off the vehicle. Although no one was injured during the event, this brake down could have cause sever injury to the women driving the vehicle, as well as the children she had as passengers. Not to mention the people traveling in the vehicle behind her.

Rebuilt Kia Rio
Poor welds to the lower radiator support causing the engine to shift allowing the drive axle to fall out of the transmission. Inspected July 2008.

Rebuilt Kia Rio
Poor welds and improper sectioning on the left front frame rail.

An EYE ON COLLISION REPAIRS INSPECTOR attended the repair facility to determine the cause of the drive axel failure. During the inspection, our inspector noticed the front lower radiator support had been sectioned along with the left front frame rail. The repairs had been done to provide the rebuilder with the lowest cost possible, ignoring proper repair procedures and the safety of the vehicle. The welds were not performed to meet standards, and the lower radiator support was sectioned contrary to proper repair procedures.

The very poor repair procedures used during repairs caused the welds to fracture allowing the engine support to shift back during acceleration. The shift caused the drive axle to dislocate from the transmission. The drive axel fell onto the road resulting in the transmission fluid draining out of the vehicle.

The cost to re-repair the Kia Rio to ensure the safety of the owner and to meet provincial roadworthiness requirements was $ 1820.34. If not for the efforts of EYE ON COLLISION REPAIRS to located the original rebuilder, and arrange the re-repairing of the vehicle, the owner of the vehicle would have been out of pocket for the repairs.

2007 Cadillac being inspected for thumping noise in the front of the vehicle. Inspected September 2008.

This 2007 Cadillac was inspected to determine the cause of the thumping noise in the front end. This vehicle was imported from the US as a rebuilt vehicle and received a passing grade from an ICBC licensed inspector for sale in Canada.

An EYE ON COLLISION REPAIRS inspection of the vehicle determined the vehicle had received extensive damage to its front section. The damage was sever enough to require the vehicle to have not only the front sheet metal replaced, but the right front suspension and suspension cross member as well. During the repairs by the re-builder, they neglected, due to the expense, to replace the left front frame rail. The frame rail was repaired to save money and increase profits to the rebuilder.

It was determined that the cause of the thumping noise was the positioning of the suspension cross member to enable the rebuilder to acquire a wheel alignment on the vehicle (a requirement to get a passing grade form an ICBC inspector). The cross member was positioned to allow an alignment with total disregard to the very poor dangerous repair to the left rear frame rail. The eventual failure of the poor repair to the frame rail will cause the front suspension and engine to shift in the vehicle, causing a very dangerous situation for its driver and other motoring public.

The owner of the vehicle was a curber buying rebuilt vehicles from the US and selling them in Canada. The cost to repair the vehicle to make it safe for our streets, was approximately $6000.00. The owner decided to find a repair facility that would adjust the suspension to eliminate the noise and sell the vehicle as is.

2007 Cadillac left rear suspension cross member mount area.

These vehicles all had ICBC LICENSED INSPECTORS CERTIFICATES certifying they were repaired properly and safe for use on our roads.

ICBC has been aware of the problems with vehicle inspections as indicated by the attached letter to their inspection facilities on May 17,2007.

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ICBC Letter to Inspection Facilities

Re: Inspection of Vehicles

This notice applies to ALL Designated Inspection Facilities, which are authorized to conduct inspections of commercial and private vehicles under the Motor Vehicle Act Regulation, Division 25.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch (CVSE) is acutely aware that some facilities are not conducting vehicle inspections in accordance with the regulatory requirements. As a result, more facilities will undergo audits conducted by inspectors of the CVSE. Swift and decisive actions will be taken against any facility responsible for not conducting vehicle inspections to established standards and regulations. Those actions will include immediate suspension of the facility inspection designation, cancellation of the facility inspection designation and/or monetary penalties assigned by way of other enforcement actions. In addition, Authorized Inspectors implicated in faulty inspection results may have their authorization suspended pending cancellation, which would result in them not being able to conduct inspections at any facility in the province. Make no mistake about it, CVSE is determined that the designated inspection facility and authorized inspector programs are going to be effective, as intended.

It is critical that the facility owner ensures that all inspections are conducted in accordance with the regulations and the inspection manual. As well, the operator of a designated inspection facility must comply with Division 25 of the Motor Vehicle Act regulation and in particular with Section 25.12 which categorically outlines the facility operator's responsibilities.

CVSE recognizes that many designated inspection facilities conduct their inspections and operate their facilities in accordance with the regulatory requirements and we appreciate their dedication to the inspection program.

It is extremely important that you understand the message imparted above. CVSE is unequivocally serious and is not going to accept vehicle inspection results indicating that a vehicle has passed an inspection at the designated inspection facility when not in compliance with the standards and regulatory requirements. Since May 14, 2007, 4 inspection facility designations have been suspended or cancelled. As well, 4 authorized inspector designations have also been suspended. CVSE will be fair, but YOU are ultimately responsible for the outcome.

Effective July 31, 2007, CVSE will no longer accept the submission of manual inspection forms. All forms will need to be completed on line through the eform process. Any inspection forms received after this date will be returned to you for electronic submission.

Please ensure that the information contained in the Notice is passed on to each of the authorized inspectors in your facility.

For further information, please contact your local Area Vehicle Inspector. To apply for on-line inspection authorization, please see our web site at: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/CVSE/e-forms_project.htm

Greg Gilks
Director

IS THE CURRENT SYSTEM WORKING TO PROTECT BUYERS OF REBUILT VEHICLES? YOU BE THE JUDGE!