What Are Vehicle Inspections in Ohio?
The Nissan service center located at Bedford Nissan is a great place for maintenance and repairs, since we cover everything from oil changes to wheel alignment.
However, we also offer another essential you cannot overlook: Ohio emissions testing, known as the Ohio E-Check program. Unsure what you need, or when? We can help with that.
What is a Vehicle Inspection?
Ohio is one of several states that requires motor vehicle inspections, but things are a bit more complicated here than elsewhere. To begin with, not all counties require emissions inspections.
Cuyahoga (where our Bedford, OH Nissan dealership is located), Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties currently participate in the Ohio E-Check program.
To complicate things further, there are exemptions for vehicles less than four years old, vehicles built before 1996, certain classes of commercial vehicles, and more. With so many variables, it helps to determine eligibility via the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency website, or to simply call your Nissan dealer and we’ll set matters straight.
What's Being Inspected, and How?
In brief, your inspection takes place using your car’s on-board diagnostic port (OBD-II). If the diagnostic returns any error codes related to emission controls are present, the vehicle typically fails inspection.
Vehicle Rejections
Your Nissan vehicle may be rejected or may fail inspection; the two are not synonymous. It may be rejected because it doesn’t meet the inspection criteria, is exempt, or is brought for inspection unnecessarily.
Regarding failures, we suggest doing your own pre-inspection before bringing your vehicle to us. You don’t even need an OBD-II meter to do this; if the check engine light on your vehicle is lit, odds are better than even that you have an emissions issue that is best addressed using Nissan parts installed by qualified technicians.
Other Inspections and Maintenance
The exhaust system is just one of many contained in new Nissan vehicles. It’s important to maintain the others, too, including your transmission, brakes, steering, and many more.
It’s also a good idea to have our techs inspect your tires, electrical, and other components so that your vehicle keeps you as safe as you should be and keeps your drive as enjoyable as possible. For all your parts and service needs, visit Bedford Nissan.