If a vehicle passes the tail-pipe test but has other issues, what is the recommended action?

• A. Repair immediately.
• B. The vehicle should be repaired, but it could be repaired in the near future.
• C. Ignore the issue.
• D. Retire the vehicle.

Answer: (B)

Passing the tail-pipe test shows the vehicle currently meets the emissions standard, but the inspection doesn’t catch every other potential problem. If there are other issues, it’s wise to address them to keep the vehicle safe, reliable, and less likely to develop more costly problems later. Since these problems aren’t what caused the emission test result, there isn’t an urgent, one-shot mandate to fix them immediately; planning and completing the repairs in the near future is reasonable. So the recommended action is to have the vehicle repaired, but you can schedule those repairs for a near-term time frame. Ignoring issues isn’t advisable, and retiring the vehicle is excessive.