The annual inspection fee went from 160 to 345? 380 million car owners' blood and tears books: is this money being spent
"last year's examination was like going to hell!" the $345 test fee is double the last year's rate, and he's collapsed - just after he paid, the inspector broke his mirror with a hammer: "the screw didn't snap, button 200!"
This is not an individual case. In 2026, the national motor vehicle holdings exceeded 430 million, but the new rules of the dmv made it the last straw to crush the owner. We're here today to pick up the truth behind this year's storm, and see what's hidden behind the price increase
I. The mystery of rising annual inspection fees: where did 345 go
1. The detection project "darkness curtain"
The new rules say 34 charges are cancelled, but the testing station has a face change:
Obd testing: 50 yuan/minus to read the failure code (previously free of charge)
Tyre balance: original plant testing free of charge and $80 for rechecking
Light calibration: $120 to adjust the light angle
"where's the test? It's clearly a robbery! "the encounter with ms. Lee, the owner of the shanghai car, resonates. Her new year's check was told that "the great light is 2 degrees away," and after a 300-dollar adjustment, the 4s store master said, "this is how the car goes out, this is where the testing station goes."
2. The detection of violence as an industry sub-rule
The video that mr. Guangzhou's owner had made the whole world look good: the inspectors hit the exhaust pipe with an iron bar to pass the tail gas test! " the data show that there are more than 2,000 annual claims for vehicle damage resulting from violence tests throughout the country。
3. Bleeding madly by the cow chain
"backed with $200!" outside of a station in hangzhou, the cows were brazenly engaged in business. They colluded with inspectors, tampered with data, forged reports and formed a black chain. Mr. Chen, the owner of the car in beijing, was told, "the car was found to be eight faults, and 800 dollars was turned over."
Ii. The history of the car owner's blood and tears: annual tests = iq tax
1. Time cost: one day's pay
Based on the national average hourly wage of $50, the owner's annual inspection takes an average of four hours, equivalent to half a day of dry work. And even more so -- mr. Shenzhen's owner, mr. Lin, took leave of absence for the annual check-up, and the result was a full-time award: it's clearly a test of the boss' conscience!"
2. Economic burden: car purchasing can be difficult to sustain
In the case of the 100,000-grade car:
Annual inspection fee: from 160 to 345 (up 115%)
Maintenance costs: an average increase of $500 per year for violence detection
Time cost: 4 hours/year ≈ 2000 yen/year (based on monthly salary of $5,000)
"can afford a car, can't check a car!" became the voice of 380 million car owners。
Policy game: security and interests
1. Safety: yearly inspection is "marine guard"
The data show that 3 million problem vehicles are scheduled for annual inspections, reducing the accident rate by 17 per cent. Like master zhao, the owner of shenyang's car, the annual inspection found that the brakes were worn out, and the timely replacement avoided a tail chase。
2. Beneficiary: testing station "golden hole"
There are 16,000 testing stations nationwide with an average profit rate of 45 per cent. According to the financial statements of a listed testing group, net profits increased by 120 per cent in 2025 compared to the average for the automobile industry。
3. Civil voices: elimination of annual checks and replacement with insurance
"why can't we do this with a third-party inspection in germany, a japanese 4s inspection?" in the best sense of the word, the proposal was praised at 100,000+. The reality, however, is that the domestic insurance industry has not yet established a vehicle safety assessment system, and the elimination of annual inspections could lead to greater confusion。
Iv. Transfer: returning the year assessment
1. Technical empowerment: obd testing to replace "violent vehicle inspection"
The new regulations require the full use of the obd diagnostic instrument to determine precisely the condition of the vehicle by reading the euu data. The shenzhen pilot showed an increase in failure detection to 92 per cent and a reduction in detection time to 20 minutes。
2. Price transparency: establishing a national price platform
"transfer 12123" app's new detection fee publicity feature allows the owner to check the price of the perimeter station in real time. Guangzhou has been piloting the red and black list, which is permanently closed to fee-paying institutions。
3. Service upgrades: turnkey year trend
Vip services were introduced at selected testing stations in beijing: the owner was drinking coffee, and the staff was posted throughout. The test fee increased to $398 but the three hours saved were enough to earn another $200。
Conclusion: what is not a microcosm of social development
From workshops to smart factories, from fuel trucks to new energy vehicles, the chinese automobile industry has made rapid progress. But the system of annual inspections is like an old old, unrepaired car, neither keeping up with the times nor losing the burden of history。
When we complain about the cost of annual inspections, we should think more about how to make regulation more scientific. How to make the service more humane? Perhaps, as a friend of the internet said, "looking at the car isn't looking at the poor, it's safe to go home."
