General Information

If your vehicle fails, it will need to be repaired and brought back for reinspection. Motorists are provided with information to help the repair technician diagnose the cause of the failure.

A Word About Repairs

Although motorists are free to choose any repair shop, we suggest you consider having your vehicle repaired by a qualified technician who is trained and experienced in the repair of emissions components. A recognized repair facility employs at least one technician with ASE-L1, WISETECH or other equivalent emissions training. Only repairs performed at a recognized repair facility will be applied to cost waivers (NOTE: TRANS 131.02(39) includes franchised NEW car dealerships as recognized repair facilities).

For more information on cost waivers, click here.

The repair of emissions related failures has emerged as a specialty in automotive repair. Just as all repair facilities do not work on transmissions or do front-end alignments, not all repair facilities work on emission failures. The diagnosis and repair of vehicles that fail an emissions or On-Board Diagnostic inspection can involve repair or replacement of multiple systems and components and can be very challenging to even veteran technicians. Statistics show that the average vehicle owner is unable to properly diagnose and repair emission failures because of the specialized training and experience required to repair these vehicles.

For questions regarding the Wisconsin repair/retest process, you may call the program hotline at 1-866-OBD-TEST (1-866-623-8378).

Emission-Related Recall and Voluntary Service Campaigns

To find out if your vehicle is on the EPA's Annual Summary of Emission-Related Recall and Voluntary Service Campaigns Performed on Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks, please visit www.epa.gov/recalls, or call 1-866-OBD-TEST (1-866-623-8378). The list can also be printed on request by a certified emissions inspector.