Vehicle Equipment, Maintenance, and Safety Inspection
Equipment questions test whether you can spot an unsafe vehicle before it fails you. Walk around the car before driving: tires, lights, fluid leaks, mirrors, and wipers.
Brakes and tires
Brakes must stop the car straight and without pulling; a soft or sinking pedal means a problem. Tires need visible tread and correct pressure, checked when cold. Worn tread causes hydroplaning in the rain - a frequent Puerto Rico road condition. Uneven wear suggests alignment or pressure problems.
Lights and vision
Headlights (low and high beams), brake lights, turn signals, parking lights, and hazard flashers all must work. Keep the windshield clean inside and out, and replace worn wiper blades; a streaked windshield at night is a genuine hazard.
Other required equipment
A working horn, rear-view and side mirrors, seat belts in every position, an exhaust system that does not leak or create excess noise, and approved child restraints. Tampering with emissions equipment is prohibited.
Registration, inspection, and insurance
Vehicles must pass the periodic inspection required under Puerto Rico law, display current registration, and carry liability insurance. Driving with a suspended registration, an expired inspection sticker, or no insurance is separately punishable and is often the hidden issue in a question about a traffic stop.
Maintenance habits
Follow the manufacturer's service schedule, fix a warning light rather than covering it, and correct small faults before they combine with weather.
Trap: a question may describe a car that "runs fine" but has a broken brake light or bald tires. It is not roadworthy - equipment violations are violations even when the car drives.
Rule of thumb: if you would not want your own family riding in it at night in the rain, it fails the inspection test.