Can the car be inspected while it is on the flatbed?

No. The periodic inspection needs the car to start and drive through the lane itself, because the brake, emissions and warning light tests are done with the engine running. A flatbed is useful if the car runs after repair but is not safe for a long drive, so we unload it near the centre entrance.

What does a workshop run plus Fahas cost in Riyadh?

Each trip inside Riyadh starts at 90 SAR for distances up to 15 km and rises with the distance between home, workshop and inspection centre. If you book all the trips together, we give you one combined price in writing on WhatsApp before we start, and it does not change if the repair takes an extra day.

My car failed the inspection and I do not want to drive it, can you move it?

Yes. We collect the car from the inspection centre car park and deliver it to your chosen workshop, especially if the failure was on a safety item such as brakes or tyres. After the repair we bring it back to the centre if needed, at a price agreed upfront for both trips.

My car has stood for a year, what should I do first?

Move it by flatbed to a workshop that checks the battery, old fuel, brakes, tyres, oil and belts, because long periods in Riyadh's sun affect all of these. Do not try to start it many times before the check, as that can damage the starter and drain a weak battery.

Do you work on Fridays and holidays?

Yes, we work 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the same price. Workshops and inspection centres have their own opening hours, so we time the trip so the car arrives while they are open, or collect it at night and deliver it in the morning if you prefer.

Inspection and MaintenanceLocal Guides

How to Take a Car That Will Not Start to Fahas Inspection

Fahas needs the car to drive through the lanes itself. If yours will not start, this is the order that saves wasted trips and gets it through first time.

Habib Satha TowingOctober 20268 min read

A car that will not start cannot go through Fahas, because the periodic inspection is carried out with the engine running and the car driving through the lanes under its own power. The right way in Riyadh is to take it by flatbed to a workshop first, then book the inspection and drive it there once repaired, or carry it on the flatbed if it is still not safe to drive across the city.

Many owners book a tow from home straight to the inspection centre, get turned away at the gate and pay for a second trip. This guide sets out the order that saves time and money, the most common reasons cars fail, and a checklist to run through before your appointment.

Fahas is the mandatory periodic technical inspection for vehicles in Saudi Arabia, which checks brakes, lights, tyres, emissions and the structure of the car at approved centres by appointment.

Will Fahas accept a car that does not start?

The Fahas inspection in Riyadh does not accept a car that will not start, because most of the tests need the engine running: the emissions test, the brake rollers the car drives onto and the check of warning lights on the dashboard.

That means delivering a dead car to the centre on a flatbed achieves nothing. It has to enter the lane and leave it on its own power. The goal is to get it running and driving first, and only then think about the inspection.

The right order: workshop, then Fahas

This is the order we recommend to most people who call us with a car that has stopped and an inspection that has expired or is close:

Move the car by flatbed to a workshop that can diagnose why it will not start. Usually it is the battery, starter, fuel pump or a sensor.
Ask the workshop to check the inspection items at the same time: brakes, lights, tyres and the engine warning light.
After the repair, drive the car for a day or two to make sure the fault has not returned, which matters after clearing computer fault codes.
Book your Fahas appointment through the official inspection platform and choose the centre closest to you.
Go to the inspection with the car running.

This order means you pay for one tow instead of two and raises the chance of passing first time. Most cars we move for this reason go to the workshops of Al Sulay and the industrial areas, and the area and loading details are on the Towing service in Al Sulay Industrial Area page.

When you still need a flatbed after repair

Some cars run after repair but are still not safe or legal to drive on Riyadh streets, and then a flatbed is the right choice:

Weak brakes or bald tyres, with a long distance to the inspection centre.
A car that has stood for months, where you do not know the state of the brakes and tyres after long exposure to the sun.
A car that failed the inspection on a safety item and needs to go back to the workshop safely.
Lights that do not work and a trip that will be in the dark.

In these cases we carry the car to the centre and unload it near the entrance so it drives into the lane itself. If it fails, we take it back to the workshop, wait for the repair, then return it to the centre at a price agreed upfront for all the trips.

What are the most common reasons cars fail Fahas?

The most common reasons for failing the periodic inspection are simple and usually fixed in a day, but they cost you a second appointment if you ignore them:

Brakes: uneven braking force between left and right, or a weak handbrake.
Lights: a blown bulb, yellowed headlight lenses that dim the beam, or headlights aimed wrongly.
Tyres: tread depth below 1.6 mm, or cracks in the sidewalls from the sun.
Exhaust: excessive smoke or high emissions.
Dashboard lights: the engine or airbag warning light on.
Glass: a large crack in the windscreen in the driver's line of sight.

High-mileage used cars, which we see a lot in the busy eastern districts of Riyadh, often fail on exhaust and brakes. Owners covered by Towing service in Al Naseem often ask us for two trips, to the workshop and then to the inspection, and we arrange them at one price.

A quick checklist before your appointment

This checklist takes 10 minutes in your parking space and catches most reasons for failing:

Switch on all the lights and walk around the car: headlights, rear lights, brake lights, indicators and the number plate light.
Make sure no warning lights stay on in the dashboard after starting.
Check the tyres with a coin or the wear indicator between the grooves.
Test the wipers, screen wash and horn.
Check that all seat belts lock and release.
Check the side mirrors and windscreen for damage.
Have the registration and your ID ready with the appointment number.

Common mistakes with Fahas

The mistakes we see with stopped cars and the periodic inspection repeat every week:

Taking a dead car straight to the centre. You get turned away and pay for two trips instead of one.
Clearing the engine light with a scanner just before the appointment without fixing the cause, so it comes back on or the system shows it is not ready.
Booking the inspection before knowing when the repair will be finished.
Driving a car with weak brakes to a distant centre on a highway.
Ignoring the battery after a long period parked, so it dies in the inspection queue itself.

When to call a professional

Moving your car by flatbed in Riyadh is the smart choice when it will not start, its brakes and tyres are not safe, it has stood for months, or it failed on a safety item and needs to go back to the workshop.

We run Car Transport to Inspection and Workshops in Riyadh as linked trips: from home to the workshop, from the workshop to the inspection, and back to the workshop if needed, at a price agreed from the start. For cars that suddenly broke down on the road before the appointment, the right service is Breakdown Towing in Riyadh.

At Habib Satha Towing, 2026 prices inside Riyadh start at 90 SAR for short trips up to 15 km, and we give you a single price for multiple trips before we begin.

Get help with towing service in Riyadh

Send the car's location and the name of the workshop or inspection centre on WhatsApp or call 0583399475, and we will arrange the trips at one clear price.