Authorized MTO Motor Vehicle Inspection Station – Thamesville
As a fully authorized and licensed motor vehicle inspection station we are committed to providing you with the best possible service for your vehicle. Whether you’re buying a new vehicle, selling your old one, or require a commercial vehicle safety inspection, you can trust our mechanics to make sure that your car or truck is completely 100% safe.
We provide safety standard certificates for residents primarily living in the Chatham-Kent and Lambton County regions. This includes the nearby communities of Dresden, Oil Springs, Newbury, Alvinston, Kent Bridge, West Lorne, and Morpeth.
We are required to adhere to a strict inspection regulation guidelines as described below. For more detailed information, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
Ontario Ministry of Transportation Guidelines
Passenger / Light Duty Vehicle Inspection Standards
Safety inspections include the following areas. For more detailed inspection requirements visit the MTO Inspection Standard Summary.
- Section 1 – Power train
- Section 2 – Suspension
- Section 3 – Brakes
- Section 4 – Steering
- Section 5 – Instruments and Auxiliary equipment
- Section 6 – Lamps
- Section 7 – Electrical
- Section 8 – Body
- Section 9 – Tire and Wheel
- Section 10 – Coupling Devices
- Section 11 – Road Test
Commercial Vehicle Safety
Commercial vehicle safety inspections are required for tractor-trailers weighing more than 4,500 kg, or for vehicles that seat more than 10 passengers. Compliance is mandatory.
For more detailed information, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s website page for Commercial Vehicle Safety Requirements and Regulations.
Ministry officers and police conduct inspections on commercial vehicles to make sure they are being operated safely by qualified drivers. Where a commercial motor vehicle or trailer is found to be in such an unsafe condition that it endangers other people on the highway, the vehicle may be prohibited from operating until required repairs are made. Commercial vehicle drivers and companies that fail to comply with many of these requirements may be fined up to $20,000.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Inspections cover the same sections as listed above for passenger vehicles.
Annual and Semi-Annual inspections
Trucks and tractor-trailers (alone or in combination) weighing more than 4,500 kg require an annual inspection.
Buses, school transport vehicles, and accessible vehicles require an annual inspection followed by a semi-annual inspection OR an annual inspection completed every six months.
Safety standards certificates inspection
Safety standards certificates are required for:
- registering a rebuilt motor vehicle
- transferring a used motor vehicle to a new owner as fit and safe
- registering a motor vehicle in Ontario that was previously registered in another province or country
- changing the status of a vehicle from unfit to fit
If a vehicle meets all of the requirements of a safety standards certificate inspection, the certificate is issued and the vehicle is deemed fit.
Failed Inspections
If your vehicle doesn’t pass an inspection, you will be required to repair it and have it re-inspected. You don’t need to repair the vehicle at the facility you had it inspected at.
You can request a free re-inspection within 10 days if you return the repaired vehicle to the same inspection station. Extra charges may apply if you need to have the brakes re-inspected.
