Reasonable Inspection

The following motor vehicle inspection shall be conducted by qualified persons and shall be deemed reasonable pursuant to Subsection B of Section 57-12-6 NMSA 1978 by: A. inspecting the motor vehicle for evidence of repainting such as: (1) differences in paint color or texture; (2) mismatched sizes of metallic sparkle in the paint; (3) embedded dirt or deep scratches in the top coat of the paint; and (4) uneven paint thickness; B. inspecting the motor vehicle for evidence of any repair or alteration, with the inspection involving only minimal disassembly, for: (1) uneven gaps between sheet metal panels; (2) differences between the headlamps; (3) paint overspray on moldings and trim; (4) paint tape edges in the jams; (5) hammer damage; (6) replaced body panels due to impact; (7) holes drilled and plugged in jams or shell of the motor vehicle; (8) damage inside the trunk or under the spare tire; and (9) signs of corrosion or lack of corrosion protection; C. inspecting the motor vehicle chassis for evidence of such things as: (1) pinched weld flange underneath the motor vehicle; (2) weld sites; (3) signs of repair to unibody structural parts; (4) signs of buckles or non-original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) welding repair to unibody structural parts; (5) signs of corrosion, or lack of corrosion protection; and (6) other non-OEM alteration or repair that may have been performed to the chassis; D. inspecting the motor vehicle’s caulking and seam sealer for differences and inconsistencies; E. inspecting the motor vehicle’s identification number tags; F. inspecting the motor vehicle parts for labels that say replacement department of transportation “(R-DOT)”; G. inspecting the motor vehicle for alterations or repairs not consistent with repair industry standards; and H. performing reasonable additional inspection or inquiry into the age and condition of the motor vehicle when reasonably necessary to assure compliance with this rule.