Mr Roadworthy

⭐ 1 STAR is too many – SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS AND A COMPLETE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY I strongly urge anyone relying on a Safety Certificate issued by Mr Roadworthy to read this before purchasing a vehicle. On 31 August 2026, Mr Roadworthy issued a Queensland Safety Certificate for a Nissan Patrol that we subsequently purchased privately. The… Read more

vehicle was certified as having passed its steering and suspension inspection.

Less than four weeks later, an independent specialist workshop identified extensive suspension defects requiring $8,091.95 in repairs.

These included leaking front struts and a rear shock absorber, split and damaged suspension bushes, a worn ball joint and other suspension components requiring replacement.

These weren’t issues we discovered during a routine service months or years down the track. They were identified less than a month after the vehicle had supposedly passed its safety inspection.

We would NEVER have purchased this vehicle had these defects been identified and disclosed before the sale.

What concerns me most isn’t just the enormous unexpected repair bill. It’s the fact that we had been driving this vehicle with our four children, three of whom have disabilities and one with a life-threatening medical condition, trusting that it had recently been inspected and met Queensland’s minimum safety standards.

The potential consequences of serious suspension problems going undetected are frightening, not only for our family but for other innocent people sharing the road.

And Mr Roadworthy’s response?

After we raised our concerns, the examiner initially apologised and offered a proposed rectification arrangement valued at $2,350.95.

Unfortunately, the suggested repairs weren’t workable because they involved either externally sourced second-hand suspension components that our workshop would not fit or an aftermarket conversion that would remove the vehicle’s factory HBMC suspension system.

Rather than demanding the entire $8,091.95, we offered to absorb HALF of the repair costs ourselves and asked Mr Roadworthy to contribute the remaining 50%.

That was on 30 September. Today is 29 October.

Despite repeated emails and follow-ups to BOTH the examiner and Mr Roadworthy, we have received absolutely no response to our proposed resolution. Not even an acknowledgement.

Nearly a month of silence while our family has been left dealing with thousands of dollars in unexpected repairs, significant financial hardship and the disruption of being without our vehicle.

A Queensland Safety Certificate is not a mechanical warranty, and I understand that. But steering and suspension are specifically included in the safety inspection. When another workshop identifies this many defects in those systems less than four weeks later, I believe serious questions deserve to be asked about the thoroughness of the original inspection.

What disappoints me just as much as the defects themselves is the apparent lack of willingness from Mr Roadworthy to address our concerns or even respond to our correspondence.

We have given this business every opportunity to resolve the matter privately and amicably.

Instead, we’ve been met with silence.

A Safety Certificate is supposed to give buyers confidence that a vehicle meets minimum safety standards. Our experience has left us questioning how much confidence we can place in that certificate.

I would strongly recommend that anyone purchasing a vehicle with a Safety Certificate issued by Mr Roadworthy obtain an independent mechanical inspection before committing to the purchase.

Mr Roadworthy, if you are reading this, we are still waiting for a response to our formal complaint and proposed resolution.

I would not recommend Mr Roadworthy for a caravan roadworthy inspection. We paid $143 for the initial inspection and were failed on several items. We had no issue with replacing the bushes that were identified and did so. However, we were also failed on two clearance lights due to slight cracking, with one light having some water inside it. We… Read more

contacted the caravan manufacturer intending to purchase replacement lights. They advised us that replacement was unnecessary and recommended drilling a tiny pinpoint drainage hole to allow the water and moisture to drain. We then contacted Rivercity Roadworthy for a second opinion. They agreed the bushes needed replacing, but also advised that the clearance lights should pass once the drainage holes were made.

Despite this, Mr Roadworthy insisted the lights had to be completely replaced and told us they would not pass the caravan otherwise. At that point, we felt we had no option if we wanted the certificate, so we replaced both lights.

Then, when we went to rebook the inspection, we received a message advising there would be an additional $55 fee for them to return and complete the roadworthy.

What makes the whole situation even more frustrating is that we had actually intended to book Rivercity Roadworthy in the first place. We mistakenly booked Mr Roadworthy and only realised our mistake when they arrived at our property.

Rather than pay Mr Roadworthy another $55, we chose to book Rivercity Roadworthy instead.

And yes, obviously the caravan passed — because by then we had already rectified every issue Mr Roadworthy had identified, including replacing the bushes and replacing the clearance lights they insisted had to be replaced.

I own a small business myself and fully understand charging appropriately for your time. What I don't appreciate is being told an item must be replaced when both the caravan manufacturer and another roadworthy inspector advised us otherwise, and then being asked to pay another fee for the certificate once we'd complied.

The entire experience left a very poor impression and felt unnecessarily expensive and frustrating.

Based on our experience, I would not recommend Mr Roadworthy.

Rivercity Roadworthy were cheaper, straightforward, easy to deal with and, in hindsight, who we should have booked in the first place.

We received the best service from this company with very short notice. Justin went above and beyond to get our roadworthy done urgently. Dan was fantastic. An absolute credit to your company.

We had just moved interstate and needed an urgent roadworthy certificate and we were able to arrange same day, excellent service and support, highly recommend

Didi a great pass for my son's car and happy with the out come. Will recommend them again on my echo.

Redlands Mr Roadworthy inspector Mick was incredibly thorough , went over the car in detail so absolutely nothing was missed.

Overpriced and fastidious, they found some legitimate issues but most of the others didn't seem like they'd have any impact on safety or driving experience, for reference 4/6 issues were fixed for under $12 total. The roadworthy was also on the expensive side ($165 cash here vs $99.35 from a mechanic). On the positive side the wait was very short, the examiner arrived on time, and they did find some things that I needed to fix.

Had Mr Roadworthy come & do a safety certificate on my wife's car prior to selling it. The examiner showed up on time & proceeded to go through the car & discovered a couple of legitimate failure issues, but also failed it for an issue that I didn't believe was relevant. As an ex approved examiner myself, I decided to look into it some more &… Read more

after reading both the TMR examiner's handbook & the relevant ADRs, concluded that he was wrong - but as we already had a buyer for the car I went ahead & spent $400+ on parts to fix the non-relevant issue (as well as $700+ for the other issues). Once I'd done the repairs, I arranged for a re-inspection & the same examiner came back to do it. When he arrived, I questioned his failing the vehicle on the non-relevant issue & he responded that it was "a matter of opinion" whether it was relevant or not. I pointed out that a safety certificate inspection isn't open to interpretation or opinion - the items that are required to be checked either present a safety issue or they don't. He still wanted to argue the point (saying "oh well you've fixed the issue so what's the problem") & I could see I was wasting my time, so I said don't worry about it, let's just move on - to which he replied "do you want me to leave?". I told him that I meant I didn't want to discuss the issue further & let's just get the inspection done - which the vehicle passed.

I was pretty annoyed to be $400+ out of pocket on top of the inspection fees & the other $700+ I had to spend on parts for the legitimate issues - not to mention the additional time I had to spend "fixing" something that should never have been failed in the first place. The next time I want a safety certificate I'll take it to a local inspection station.

Professional and efficient testing of my vehicle. Both visits were attended promptly so very happy with the service and I will use them again. Services Transmission, Air and cabin filter replacement, Exhaust

“We received outstanding service from Mr Roadworthy from start to finish. Professional, reliable, and went above and beyond to ensure everything was handled efficiently and to a high standard. The experience was smooth, stress-free, and exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Mr Roadworthy to anyone looking for excellent service.”

Not impressed with service. Vehicle did not pass road worthy due to cracked tail lights. The guy who came said I would need to fix and he would call me back and sign off. I paid upfront $137 and had my own mechanic install the new lights the same day. When I called to have him return the next day I was told he couldn’t come until Thursday. This… Read more

is my only vehicle hence the urgency and running around to get it fixed. Apparently due to him not repairing the car he has decided he is not available until Thursday and today is Monday. I was also told he is the only inspector on the Gold Coast. Don’t use this company as the follow up is terrible.

My experience was different. I don’t want to say that Mr Roadworthy is a scam or a bad company. The person who came to check my car before selling was professional and did a great job. However, someone on Facebook told me that Mr Roadworthy is good to get the report. I believe that and called roadworthy After I paid for the report and sent it to… Read more

them, they said they were no longer interested in buying the car.

I’m not sure if I misunderstood something or if I was tricked. Just sharing my experience so others can be careful. Again maybe I am wrong

Absolutely incompetent company! Avoid at all costs! Reading other reviews of this company it seems this has happened to several others! I purchased a car privately with the safety certificate issued by a safety examiner employed by this company 4 days prior to purchase. For piece if mind I took the car for a service with my local mechanic (who… Read more

is also a roadworthy inspector) 3 days after purchase who identified 4 issues with the vehicle which were all roadworthy related… 2 of which were major safety defects! Oil leaking on to the brakes from the struts and oil leaking onto the exhaust system from the oil cooler. He told me the vehicle was unsafe to drive and an accident waiting to happen! I was fortunate that I took the car for a service when I did and the issues were identified before either myself or someone else was killed!

I took the car off the road immediately and contacted the company who referred me to the individual examiner. I called the examiner and politely explained the issues with the vehicle that were roadworthy related and told him that my mechanic explained that the safety cert. should not of been issued. I gave him the opportunity and politely asked him fix the identified issues but he became very aggressive, refused to pay for repairs to make the car safe and put the phone down! I again contacted the company who did not respond to my emails or phone calls so I had no alternative but to report both the company and examiner to Transport Main Roads who came and inspected the vehicle and issued a defect notice on the vehicle sighting major faults! TMR did say they would be pursuing the examiner for an explanation of the negligence with a view to issuing a hefty fine ($6000 to the safety examiner apparently if it can be proven they were negligent) but due to confidentiality could not give me any more information.

I did find out that the company had sacked the examiner the day after I reported the issues to them so there was now absolutely no chance of me claiming against the examiner.

I have since had the vehicle repaired at a cost of $3500 to make the car roadworthy again and get the defect notice lifted.

I pursued a claim through QCAT for reimbursement of the cost for repairs and progressed to a mediation with the company owner ([Name Removed]) who point blank refused to accept any responsibility for his employees negligence (nice to know he is a responsible company owner who gives a crap about his customers who line his pockets, another reason not to deal with them) so my case progressed to a QCAT court hearing where they failed to even attend and sighted the reason being they didn’t see the email from QCAT requesting there presence at the hearing! Really? They simply did not care!

Unfortunately I was told by the magistrate that as I had no contract with the roadworthy company (the vehicle seller did) I had no claim against the company. As a consumer in this instance you do not have any rights.

The only loser is me through no fault of my own and the company get away with it and continue to operate as normal. It’s an absolute joke of a system and to be honest TMR are not helpful towards the consumer at all!

Please be very very cautious if using this company! I do not think a mobile inspector is capable of doing the thorough checks without putting the vehicle up on racks to look under the car properly! My advice would be to take the vehicle to a safety inspection station… but I guess people selling cars really do not care enough and are happy to get away with a dodgy safety cert. issued to avoid expensive repairs before selling the vehicle! I for one simply could not do this to someone else!

I would completely avoid buying a used car if this company has issued the safety certificate on it unless you are paying for a full independent mechanical inspection! Yes I made mistakes in the purchase but I did not expect any issues with the vehicle to be safety certificate related.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

Have used them a few times and ray is fantastic rings before he arrives always on time explains everything goes above and beyond and even goes through how to fill in transfer papers

Great service provided – I rang Mr Roadworthy, Michael turned up next day, he was on time and friendly, he found a few small issues and explained to me in terms I understood. He was very polite and courteous. Would highly recommend.

Great service and very professional – Very well organised business. Booked an inspection on a Sunday and the rep turned up on time the following Tuesday and was very helpful. He even gave me some tips on how to complete the vehicle transfer form. Would highly recommend them!

It felt like a [Content Removed], when I was told I would have to pay again – Mr Roadworthy picked up several things when doing my roadworthy test that they felt needed dealing with. I got onto it immediately however parts took 2 weeks to come and labour to install was also put back a few days. When i went to book the test again because it was outside the 14 days 21 to be exact , I was told i would have to pay the full amount again, this did not sit well with me. Buyers beware!

It's a scam – Terrible service, scamming people for their money just to fail perfectly fine cars in a matter of 5 mins. Don't recommend. Customer service is even more appalling when it comes to complaints about their unprofessional service

RIP OFF TIME WASTERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU – RIP OFF TIME WASTERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU I had a roadworthy done by the man on the southside and this guy is scum a real piece of work cost me 110 to do the roadworthy told me I had suspension issues and brakes issues got a mechanic out and he said there is nothing wrong with it - DISGUSTING RIP OFF

Not recommend – Don't waste your time or money. The guy that come òut was so rude with the worst attitude failed it over very minor stuff that a machines even said is fine and doesn't need to be done yet, got snappy/grumpy at me for asking questions. Can't get over how he spoke to me with horrible attitude. Used this company 3 times now first 2 times was amazing… Read more

year's ago but now has gone to crap. Waste of $112.50 to be spoken to like crap. Worst customers service. Google reviews are horrible now wish I looked first instead of thinking they were still good. Would give 0 if I could

110 bucks and 1 week wasted – We booked a Roadworthy with Mr. R. for a caravan purchased in NSW. The examiner, [Name Removed], faulted the van on account of faulty suspension bushings and LHS electric brake not working. Okay, we hired a caravan service guy with 22 years of experience to fix the issues. He told us there was absolutely nothing wrong with the bushings. He also… Read more

told us that in addition to the LHS brake the RHS brake was not working either. We got him to fix both brakes (new magnets and adjustment). After some angry exchanges between [Name Removed] and me and the service guy about the perceived faulty bushings, we decided to spend another $110 on a second, new Roadworthy inspection. Surprise, surprise: The van passed with flying colours - no mention of any bushing problems. To make matters worse, after we asked for a refund, the email we received from "Mr. Roadworthy" (no name was given) was rude and threatened us with legal means if we decided to make our experiences public. 'Mr. Roadworthy' verbatim wrote that 'the last guy who bad-mouthed us paid more than $50k in damages plus legal costs'. I can only suggest that everyone in the market for a Roadworthy considers our experiences. Needless to say, that my request for refunding the fee paid (which was cash - upfront) was declined.

Do they know the rules? – It's a tricky business. Sometimes I wonder whether the inspector really knows the job, and should be disqualified or not. Booked on Monday last week. The guy Andrew spent 15 minutes looking around and 3 minutes test driving and then issued a list to fix by email. The quote from my regular mechanic was for $1,100. Without doing anything to the… Read more

car, I brought it to an experienced mechanic the next morning. He lift the car up, looking around and advised with a smile that "it is in good condition'. All he did then is replacing a few bulbs for $9, test drive and issued the RWC to me, taking just half a hour.

Suggestion: Ideally bring the vehicle to a mechanic for RWC as they know the job and rules, rather than a mobile guy.

Extremely disappointed and felt ripped off – Don't use these guys,heaps of bad reviews on there site, should have read them first.. They made sure to take my money first before starting anything, So got a roadworthy as selling my immaculate V8 to a NSW buyer , (which I didn't really need) just had been fully serviced and spent thousands by my Qld licenced Mechanic of 40 years experience to… Read more

full roadworthy condition, 2 parts that were knocked back because of too much play ended up needing to have the play as there were saftey features on my vechile to help collapse if in a front end accident, proof was in the pudding so to speak as new owner got his blueslip from NSW inspection team yesterday with no issues at all especially the ones Mr Roadworthy failed, they actually were in great health.. Just a total waste of money and everyone's time,.. No wonder why I got booked in super quick all the roadworthy guys I was recommended to use were booked out for a week, says somthng right there

"We don't actually service vehicles as old as yours" – I purchased a 1982 vehicle from interstate. The vehicle (not cheap) is registered in that state and I paid for a pre purchase inspection. I was very disappointed that Mr Roadworthy would not conduct a roadworthy on my car. The response from Mr Roadworthy in relation to my request is the title of this review.

Don't bother to turn up and don't bother to call. Had no intention of turning up!!! – Didn't bother to turn up. I took time off work to be at home. Didn't bother to call and when I made a complaint received a rude phone call from technician. Don't bother with this company. Rude and unreliable. Especially the so called Bundaberg Qld technician.

Don’t buy from them – They ask you to replace things that in other mechanics view don’t need to be replaced. Not a good service, the car was checked by racq mechanic and he found nothing wrong