What are common reasons for failing a vehicle inspection?

Problems with brakes, tires, lights, and emissions are significant safety and environmental concerns prioritized during vehicle inspections. Brakes must function effectively to ensure safe stopping; tire condition affects traction and handling; lights are essential for visibility and communication with other drivers, while emissions control is crucial for reducing the vehicle's environmental impact. If any of these systems are found to be deficient during an inspection, it can lead to an automatic failure because they directly affect the vehicle's operational safety and compliance with state regulations.

The other factors, while relevant to overall vehicle ownership and operation, don't have the same immediate impact on safety and are less likely to result in failing the inspection itself. For example, issues with body and paint might be aesthetic and do not typically compromise the vehicle's safety directly. Missing registration or insurance and vehicle color discrepancies are administrative issues rather than mechanical or safety-related failures. Hence, the focus in inspection failure criteria predominantly rests on the vehicle's operational systems rather than administrative aspects or cosmetic issues.