How many times a year should a car be inspected after 15 years?
3 Answers
After 15 years of use, a car needs to be inspected twice a year. Here are the specific regulations for vehicle annual inspections: 1. Passenger vehicles for commercial use: Inspected once a year within 5 years; after 5 years, inspected once every 6 months. 2. Trucks and large or medium-sized non-commercial passenger vehicles: Inspected once a year within 10 years; after 10 years, inspected once every 6 months. 3. Small and mini non-commercial passenger vehicles: Inspected once every 2 years within 6 years; after 6 years, inspected once a year; after 15 years, inspected once every 6 months.
I've been driving my old car for nearly 20 years. After 15 years, it requires an annual inspection, which I've gone through many times. Older cars tend to have more issues—brakes may loosen, lights often go out, and emissions might exceed standards. The annual inspection aims to catch these problems. Each time at the testing station, technicians check headlight brightness, braking distance, steering stability, and exhaust emissions, which takes a whole morning. If the pass rate is low, you’ll need to spend money on repairs—it’s troublesome but necessary. I recommend booking an appointment at an official station two weeks in advance, bringing your ID, vehicle license, and insurance documents, and performing maintenance like replacing brake pads or bulbs to improve your chances of passing. Don’t delay, or you’ll face fines of several hundred yuan plus penalty points if you miss the deadline—and it’s even worse if an accident happens. Remember, safety comes first—the annual inspection is for your own good.
My SUV is over 15 years old, and after checking, I learned it must undergo an annual inspection every 12 months. This frequency is quite annoying, as older cars tend to have numerous issues, such as suspension noises or engine vibrations, which often lead to failing the inspection. The process is straightforward: book an appointment at the testing station, hand over the keys, and they check the lights, brakes, tire wear, and exhaust emissions—taking a few hours. If it fails, repairs and a retest are required, costing around a thousand bucks. To save time, I use a mobile app to schedule appointments during less busy afternoon slots, prepare all vehicle documents in advance, and perform a pre-check to avoid minor issues causing a failure. The regulations are what they are—though inconvenient, they ensure road safety and prevent accidents. A reminder to fellow car owners: don’t skip inspections to avoid fines or towing risks.
