CAR INSPECTION FRAUD

[Anchor Lead]

Drivers have to realign their tires every so often for safe driving. But some tire stores and garages are demanding fees even for tires that perform properly. We take you to Daejeon for the details

[Pkg]

When a driver takes his hands off the steering wheel, the vehicle begins to move towards one side of the road. This means that the tires are not aligned properly. If left unattended, the tires could rupture, so it is safe to have a mechanic take a look. A specialist aligned the tires before the vehicle was taken to a tire store for inspection ten minute later. A store employee checks the alignment, but, to everyone's surprise, he says the tires are aligned properly. The vehicle is taken to another tire store. They also claim the tires are misaligned and demand a repair fee.

[Soundbite] (TIRE STORE EMPLOYEE(voice modified)) : "Tires are going to be misaligned after some driving. It costs KRW 30,000 to fix it."

The vehicle was taken to five different tire stores in one day, but none of them said the tires were properly aligned. Four of the stores demanded repair fees ranging from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. When the driver said the vehicle had already been checked, the stores blamed the inspection environment. Drivers have no other recourse than to trust the mechanics.

[Soundbite] PROF. LEE HO-GEUN(DAEDEOK UNIV.) : "Your car should be checked when the steering wheel shakes at a high speed, the car pulls over to one side, or the tires are worn out unevenly."

But, the truth of the matter is that some tire stores are making profit off of drivers' safety concerns.