Do power steering repair problems track state safety inspection across states?
Across U.S. states, NHTSA owner complaints about power steering repair run higher where state safety inspection is higher, after adjusting for the makes sold in each state. This is an association across states, not proof that state safety inspection causes this repair.
State reports of this repair against state safety inspection, one dot per stateEach dot is a state: how much more (or less) than expected this repair is reported there, adjusted for the makes sold in the state, against its state safety inspection (annual 2, biennial 1, none 0)
How to read it: Each dot is a state. Further right means more state safety inspection (annual 2, biennial 1, none 0); higher up means more complaints for this repair than expected (1.0 is average). If the dots climb to the right, reports of this repair rise with state safety inspection (annual 2, biennial 1, none 0).
What it shows: States with more state safety inspection (annual 2, biennial 1, none 0) tend to sit higher on the chart across 51 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
Data: State inspection programs, multi-state tables and each state agency page, joined to NHTSA owner complaints, downloaded 2026-10-06 · 51 states. Chart: CalcScrape · calcscrape.com
The 10 states with the most state safety inspection (Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Missouri): reports of this repair run 16% above what the makes sold there would predict, and 10 of 10 are above expected. The 10 with the least (Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Idaho): 13% below, and 3 of 10 are above expected.
Exceptions: Alaska (62% above expected) is among the lowest but above expected.
Split the states into thirds: the third with the least state safety inspection runs 4% above what the makes sold there would predict, the middle third 5% below, and the third with the most 7% above. Most of the state safety inspection effect sits in the third with the most.
For state safety inspection, after allowing for the 1562 comparisons we ran, luck alone would produce a pattern this strong about 1 time in 96. Take out any single state and the state safety inspection pattern still holds.
Weak spot: compare only states with similar days per year with a high of 100F or more, median station and the pattern keeps about 56% of its strength, so part of it may come from days per year with a high of 100F or more, median station instead of state safety inspection.
A state that inspects brakes, tires, lights and steering every year or two finds worn parts early.