It’s a classic of summer vacation times: the long queues to enter the workshops where the Technical Vehicle Verification (VTV) is carried out.a mandatory procedure for vehicles that are located in the federal capital and in the province of Buenos Aires and are two or more years old.

In the procedure, which is carried out annually, various points are examined which can affect the safety offered by vehicles for their occupants as well as for the environment in which they move. Therefore, beyond the obligation to respect it to avoid sanctions, It is a necessary diagnosis to avoid mechanical damage.

To carry out the VTV it is necessary to have a previous shift which is obtained online on the platforms enabled by both the Municipality and the Province. The data of the license plate and of the vehicle owner are required. The review can be done at any time of the year, but there is an official expiration calendar according to the last digit of the patent that works like a computer.

In the City of Buenos Airesare exempt from doing the VTV “zero kilometer vehicles, up to the completion of three years of their patenting or before 60,000 kilometers traveled” and “zero kilometer motorcycles before the year of antiquity without exception”, according to the official website of the government of Buenos Aires.

In the ProvinceOn the other hand, all zero-kilometre motorcycles with a maximum age of one year are exempt. And in the case of private vehicles, including the driver, those less than two years old are excluded from carrying out the VTV.

The values ​​that are managed in the VTV

The mandatory nature of the procedure translates into the payment of fines in the event of lack of the relevant documentation in the event of a request at a road or motorway control. And the values ​​to pay for this infraction are high, with values ​​defined through the so-called fixed units (UF), each calculated from the price of a liter of gasoline in the Automóvil Club Argentino (ACA).

In the city of Buenos Aires, each UF has a value of 75.71 pesos. According to the law on crimes n. 451, not carrying the certificate or Wafer is equivalent to a 150 UF infraction ($11,356). If the vehicle has never audited or if it has expired, the fine will amount to 600 UF ($45,426).

In the province of Buenos Aires, on the other hand, the owner of a vehicle that circulates without having carried out the mandatory periodic technical inspection will be sanctioned with a fine from 300 UF to 1,000 UF, as provided for by Decree 532/09. Each UF in the Buenos Aires territory reaches $181.80; So, the fine can range from $54,540 to $181,800.

In the Municipality, the cost for the construction of the VTV is divided into two categories: $4,024 for vehicles and $1,513 for motorcycles. In 2023, a 131% increase will be applied in two lots: in the case of cars, it will rise to $7,242 in February and $9,296 in April.

In the province, the last adjustment was arranged in August 2022, in the order of 46.5%. The Grid of Value: Motorcycles, $950; vehicles up to 2,500 pounds, $3,150; vehicles exceeding 2,500 pounds, $5,670; trailers, semis, and trailers up to 2,500 pounds, $1,575; and trailers, semis, and trailers that exceed 2,500 pounds, $2,835.

Five keys to approve the VTV

• A visual check. The first test is a plant personnel check around the vehicle. It is important to note that the regulation lights must be complete and functioning properly. Before going to the inspection, it is convenient to check the low, position, high, stop and patent lights, because they will be checked. They will also check the operation of the horn and windshield wipers.
• Brakes and alignment. It is one of the most important tests of the VTV and is usually a filter for vehicle approval. The braking force is applied to the front axle, rear axle with service brake and rear axle with parking brake. The inspectors pay particular attention to stopping the wheels as evenly as possible, thus achieving balanced braking.
• The condition of the tyres. The wheels must not have structural defects and the tread of the tires must have the necessary depth. The recommended one is at least 1.6 mm.
• Chassis review. The inspectors will check the structural elements and frame, as well as the electrical system of the transmission and under the frame. Its number must match the data on the vehicle’s green card. It is advisable to carry out a preventive washing of the frame in order not to run into a possible refusal of the MOT.
• Exhaust gas. In the test facility they will check for visible fumes and, depending on how the car is, measure the emission of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, if it is petrol. In case it’s diesel, they’ll check the opacity. Using the color of the smoke and the amount the car is emitting, technicians can determine the type of problem. For this reason, it is always advisable to solve the technical defects of the vehicle before turning up for the shift.

When the car completes the full course of the VTV, the test facility manager informs whether the tests have been passed and hands over the road test. If the vehicle is eligible, it will have one year to move freely.

If it is conditional, you will have 60 days to resolve the discomfort(s) encountered and during this period you will be able to continue travelling. But it may be that the technical problems are serious and the drive is classified as rejected. In this case, circulation will be disabled.