My car got picked by CARB

[kruang]

Yesterday, I got a letter from CARB, California Air Resource Board, to participate in Emission Study. CARB is a government agency who do pollution study and provide guideline for any pollution control. Anyway, if I choose to participate, they will take my car in for 3-4 weeks. I will get compensate, get a loaner car to drive around, free tank of gas, and fixing any emission problem that my car may have for free. Had anyone ever participated in something like this??? And if you particapted before, did you know what they did to your car?? Cheers...

[catric69]

How about asking them? Maybe get it in writing.

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

They're gonna put a GPS tracker in, and follow your every waking moment.

I wouldn't let ANYONE take my car for 3-4 weeks and do anything to it without me actually being there every step of the way. I don't even let people i KNOW drive it.... But that's just me.

[Tek-nique]

Scam?


.... if not, i wouldn't let anyone touch my car unless its family.

[stw2046]

A free tank of gas???? It better be free gas for the time the car is gone. Geeeezzz, don't do it bro. Who knows what they gonna do to your car. Sounds like a bad deal....

[Glenn8963]

Originally Posted by kruang

Yesterday, I got a letter from CARB, California Air Resource Board, to participate in Emission Study. CARB is a government agency who do pollution study and provide guideline for any pollution control. Anyway, if I choose to participate, they will take my car in for 3-4 weeks. I will get compensate, get a loaner car to drive around, free tank of gas, and fixing any emission problem that my car may have for free. Had anyone ever participated in something like this??? And if you particapted before, did you know what they did to your car?? Cheers...

well on the one side, you get free repairs if something is wrong, but if your car is still under the manufacturers emissions warranty, it gets fixed free as well. now, that tank of gas, could be for your car, which is good, but it'll be the low grade octane of say 87....it certainly will not be 92 (or higher).

they will NOT destroy your car. most times, it'll be running either at idle or at speeds on a dyno, so no one will actually be driving it.....but here -in lays a problem (or maybe not)...there WILL BE extra miles on your car.....now, unless they disconnect the speedo your car will rack up miles, this now can push up your mileage for any remainder of your warranty.....UNLESS the have documents stating the mileage from the start to finish, in which the car maker accepts as "non-driving miles for testing" by the state...

so you really NEED to contact them......we can only "surmise" what will be said or in writing.

hey, free loaner car, free tank of gasoline, free repairs (if needed).......not really a bad deal. because they will be testing, NOT REJECTING your car....!!!

[stw2046]

@glenn ..well....i do agree they will not destroy your car and kruang has a gen5 in which i have no info if he's still under warranty. Anyway, i was just trying to say is it worth having the unknown revving your car on a dyno and racking those miles for the purpose of government testing for $40 worth of gas?? I believe to most it's not, unless i got a beater. Our ca govnt is broke as usual now, but there are discontinued models to be leased from used car lots too. Makes me think they just wanna minimize cost to use a civilian owned vehicle.
Ok... Given the terms of a tank of gas for compensation is set. How about the loaner. If it's a significant upgrade from what they borrow from you, i'll take that under consideration too. Hope that sums up my thoughts.
btw glenn, who's that on your display pic?? Love it!!!!

[workerant]

Originally Posted by Glenn8963

hey, free loaner car, free tank of gasoline, free repairs (if needed).......not really a bad deal. because they will be testing, NOT REJECTING your car....!!!

could be "trashing" it too.

[MikeB 30]

I would run....not walk....away from this offer....
Seriously, it's the government and you know how good they are at making things better...lol.

[kruang]

My mileage is already pass 100k miles. All warranty is probably gone. I will try to contact them to see if they would provide in writing for this research thing of they are going to do with the car. I try googled it, but has no success in any info. Anyway, the loaner will be the same class with the Camry. However, I do agree with all of you that leaving a car to these people may not be such a good idea.

[caodan2010]

Originally Posted by Punks_Not_Dead5

They're gonna put a GPS tracker in, and follow your every waking moment.

I wouldn't let ANYONE take my car for 3-4 weeks and do anything to it without me actually being there every step of the way. I don't even let people i KNOW drive it.... But that's just me.

in what reason did they state to take ur car in?

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

^ Why did you quote me? Has nothing to do with my car.

[Asteroid]

Never trust the government on matters concerning transport. They will always shaft you in the end.

[AlmightyCamry777]

Originally Posted by MikeB 30

I would run....not walk....away from this offer....
Seriously, it's the government and you know how good they are at making things better...lol.

Amen to that,.,

Unless you think your car is marginal and may not pass smog next time, i wouldnt even bother.
Nothing the government gives you is ever free, how much is the compensation, may i guess? I'm guessing $25 or 50 bucks, $100 at the most?
Plus you have some meatball mechanics fooling around with your car and no idea what they did. Chances are good they'll screw it up and give it back to you before they fix anything. I don't trust the mechanics i pay to fix things, let alone ones working on my car for free!

Personally, i'd pass on this!

[JohnGD]

I think the Feds wants to make sure what Toyota promised them actually worked. For example, if you had a PZEV model then the evap system should work for 10 years 150K miles or something like that. And if it's 9 years and 100K now and evap won't hold pressure, then the Feds would know.