Will your Failed Vehicle Inspection test affect Car Insurance in UAE?

If your car has failed an inspection test then you should identify the consequences of failure and get the problems corrected. Identify the defects during the inspection and get the repairs done so that your car is perfect and gets approval quickly. Failure to have these changes will result in penalties. 

Inspection of damages

A physical inspection is done to find out the damages of the car. The inspection team will see the physical condition of the car and accessories. Physical verification and photo inspection will be done by the team. This is required because the insurance companies will verify and want to have security features for the car to qualify for comprehensive coverage and collision coverage. 

The most common checkpoints for car inspection are as follows.

• Tires
• Lights
• Windshield
• Chassis
• Horn
• Mirrors
• Fuel tank
• Seat belts
• Suspension 
• Steering
• Brakes & other parts

The most frequently seen reasons for inspection test failures are related to wheels, tyres, steering linkage, chassis attachment, axles, arms, shafts and other components. 

What should you do when a car inspection fails?

Identify the failures and make necessary repairs to your car. After you address the issues you need to pass a second inspection within the given period of time. If you fail to do this then you will be penalized by the authorities. If there are any physical defects or damages then it will be handled separately. 

The car owner should get the repairs done within 30 days after the vehicle fails the test during this period one re-test is allowed. 

Within 30 days if the test is not cleared then the car will not be registered and the car owner will be levied a penalty for each day until the clearance is done. The car owner should not drive the car until they get a valid inspection and registration done.

Tips for successful vehicle inspection test

The following are the tips for vehicle inspection.

1. Book an appointment

2. Prepare your car

3. Know what is tested

4. Documentation

5. When to get the test

1. Book an appointment

Always book an appointment before you go for a car inspection because it is time-consuming work. Based on your time and location of service work the car owners have to wait in a long queue to get the test performed. The average time for getting the inspection done is 40 minutes and it depends on the number of customers at the site.

The RTA has facilitated a booking option where the vehicle test can be performed. The user can book an appointment where they can call the RTA call center at 8009090 for vehicle testing. The appointment can be booked by directly contacting the service centers which are listed on the RTA website. 

2. Prepare your car

Have your car prepared for the test with a number plate and chassis number. The car and number plate must be clean. If there is an underside cover then it should be removed. Safety triangle, spare wheels and fire extinguisher as per the requirement must be in the car. 

3. Know what is tested

For light vehicles, the test will include brake inspection, steering, wheels, lights, visibility, chassis, seat belts, tyres, safety belts, suspensions, chassis attachments, noise pollution and others.

The same will be followed for heavy vehicles but they will also look into lamps, reflectors, electrical equipment, barriers protecting the flanks of vehicles which will stop small vehicles from going under heavy vehicles. 

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4. Documentation

To have the vehicle test done you should have the car insurance card, emirates Id and previous registration if any. If the vehicle is for commercial use then a commercial license copy is required. 

5. When to get the test

When the car is newly purchased or purchased as a used car or bought from an authorized dealer outside the country then it must be registered and go for testing. When a vehicle is damaged it should be tested. If the vehicle is going to be exported then it should go for a vehicle inspection test. Once the first test is done, a vehicle inspection should be done every year. This test can be done up to 6 months before the expiry of car registration. If the car inspection is not done before the expiry date then it should be done within one month after the expiry date. This will help the car owner to reduce penalties. 

Take away

If the car fails in the inspection test then the car owner should rectify the mistakes. Arrange for the repairs or parts installation to the car and make the car ready for the next inspection and clear the inspection test. Insurance companies always want the cars to be safe because they do not want the car to get involved in an accident and pay claims. If the car is not safe then it will have an impact on the driving and result in a collision. Always ensure that your car is safe, inspected and your car is ready to get claims in an unforeseen event.