CAROL STREAM, Ill. (CBS) — An Army veteran from Carol Stream, who is battling cancer, relies on his nearly 30-year-old car to get around, but it failed an emissions test, and it’s so old he can’t get it fixed.
Robert Arthur Kersting said his 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34 failed its Illinois vehicle inspection emissions test, which is required to renew its registration.
To pass the emissions test, the Z34 would need a new pump. Documentation from an auto service shop showed a Chevrolet dealership and numerous auto parts stores were contacted, but that part is no longer available.
“I’ve got a car I love. It runs good. Just can’t get this part,” he said.
So Kersting sent in a repair waiver application to the Illinois Air Team emissions testing program. He said he sent the form in three times – by fax, by mail, and online. Then, he received, two back-to-back emails.
“One says, ‘We’re reviewing it,’ and a minute later, the email says, ‘You’ve been denied.’ It’s almost like an auto-rejection, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I wish I could call them back,'” Kersting said.