You may want to take your class again and read the Missouri manual. Struts are part of the inspection. No you should not fail for a slight vapor leak but if they have a broken mount, dry, bent, etc... then yes it should fail...
http://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/MVI/documents/MVIRegulationsManual.pdf
MacPherson Strut Suspension System has severely worn or missing thrustbearing or mounting bushings. If piston rod is bent or unit is not securelymounted to vehicle
You can get off your soapbox now.
I honestly do not care whether anyone here "believes" I am a cheap bastard or not. I could have bought a new car years ago but didn't. I could write a check for a 5 series but I am not going to. Cheap doesn't mean I have to live off of corn starch and water when I can do a little better. Or more to the point, cheap doesn't mean I have to drive a beat up corolla when I can drive a (OH, ah!) a newer "Accord" (*gasp*) or Sonata ("Oh no he did not").
So what if the items are wear and tear? The car is 12 years old and maybe worth 2.5 grand in the condition its in (i.e., it is beat to hell). Given those facts it does not make sense to continue putting money into the car. At least not to me.
Seriously WTH is up with all the flak? Why is it such a big deal that I want to buy a car instead of fixing up the old clunker I have been driving for the last 12 years? Particularly when I have more than sufficient resources for the purchase? Its not as though I am going to buy a Ferrari on a mailman's salary. Hell, I haven't even decided whether I am going to buy new or used.
Sheesh. Cut a man some slack.
As for me lying to you about my car "dying", for cripes sake I used a figure of speech. Would you have rather I said "my car is a piece of crap and needs to be repaired but I am done putting money into it?" Maybe I should have prefaced the whole OP with the lyrics to Adam Sandler's sang, POS car? Sure, any car can be repaired. The question is whether it is worth repairing to the person footing the bill. And that question is not always answered by purely economic reasoning.
But please, tell me how I can soothe your sensibilities so that we can move on with the discussion.
PS - let the record show that I have not actually purchased a car yet. So it is pretty hard to call into question my reputation for cheapness simply based on the fact that I am considering buying a new(er) car. Surely even Ebeneezer Scrooge himself fancied having nicer things. The important factor as far as "cheapness" is concerned is how much cash one is willing (or not) to part with to get the things one needs. As I have not made the all important decision, it is premature at best to call me out as far as cheapness is concerned.
We purchased a 2014 Mazda 6 Touring when it first came out last year. My wife got in an accident and totaled it. When we replaced it, it was a no-brainer (for us) to go with another Mazda 6. Although this time, we got a Grand Touring.Also test drove a Mazda 6 grand touring today and I was pleasantly surprised. That car offers quite a bit for the money, though some of the features (i.e., adaptive cruise control) I would never trust enough to use. That said it had plenty of power for me, interior was very roomy and well appointed, car was spooky quiet at highway speed (again, relative to my corolla), etc. All good things. Infotainment system was a bit wonky as others have mentioned. It really seems like it was an afterthought. Especially given the high amount of care that obviously went into engineering the rest of the car. All in all I liked the car a lot.
Holy crap. You must be having fun pulling over old ladies and illegals. Stay safe and watch your corn hole, bud.
If mileage is a concern, I'd give a hard look at the Accord Hybrid. Gas mileage is fantastic and it's considerably more engaging to drive than a Prius. Looking at the drivetrain, there's very little to go wrong. It has no conventional transmission and all accessories are electric.
Here is a question for OP, can you finance (own) the car over 3 years and not be strained by monthly payments? If the answer is no, you can't afford the car.
Not in LE anymore - nobody was hiring so I joined ATOT in IT.
Car has a huge hybrid premium. Might as well get a Camry Hybrid as they'll have the same performance and fuel economy while being a lot less expensive. The Accord Hybrid is a major disappointment and they'll certainly be reamed by the EPA for that fake 47mpg rating just like Ford and Kia/Hyundai.
Yeah I have pretty much written off hybrids because apart from the Prius and the CMAX (neither of which I like) the actual MPG numbers are all over the place. That, and the value of the hybrid doesn't kick in until almost 5.5 years, even with all the miles I drive each year.
If the vast majority of your driving is highway miles, you'll be served well with a 4 cylinder car such as a Mazda 3, Corolla Eco, Civic HF. The Corolla Eco has best fuel economy, most power of all corolla trims and premium is only $1K. Just hop in the cars and maybe test drive them or rent them. I'd rent them for a day or so if you really want to get an idea if the car is good. The Corolla Eco really surprised me with how much interior space it has, the size increase has bumped the Corolla into Midsize territory with the Mazda 3 just 2 cu. ft. below the cut off for the Midsize category (110 cu. ft.).
I know (know) that the new corollas are quite different from the one I am driving now. But having driven a corolla for almost 12 years now, I want something different.
I hear Sheriff Arpaio is always hiring....Not in LE anymore - nobody was hiring so I joined ATOT in IT.