Damaged used imports

Notice to the importer label

Your imported used vehicle may have been flagged as structurally damaged or deteriorated when it was inspected at the border. A damage flag will be recorded on the Motor Vehicle Register and the following windscreen sticker, indicating where the damage is located, will have been attached to the vehicle by the border inspector.

If your vehicle was flagged as damaged at the border, take it to an appropriate agent to be inspected by an entry certifier prior to carrying out any repairs. The entry certifier will determine if the damage flag should be removed or the repairs require certification by a specialist repair certifier or a heavy vehicle specialist certifier. If a repair certificate is required, the damage flag will not be removed from the record on the Motor Vehicle Register.

Vehicles damaged in NZ

Before carrying out repairs, NZ damaged vehicles (whose registrations have been cancelled due to being permanently taken off the road or written off by an insurer) should be taken to an appropriate agent to be inspected by an entry certifier. The entry certifier will determine if any repairs require certification by a specialist repair certifier or a heavy vehicle specialist certifier.

Find an entry certifier

Keeping our communities safe

If your NZ registered vehicle has been assessed as structurally damaged but the registration is not cancelled, the assessor or insurance company may notify us with the details. We will set a ban flag that will stop a warrant of fitness (WoF) or certificate of fitness (CoF) pass being issued to the vehicle’s record. This means the vehicle can’t legally be used on the road until we receive appropriate documentation from a Transport Agency approved specialist repair certifier or heavy vehicle specialist certifier verifying the vehicle is within safe tolerance of the manufacturer’s specifications, and the ban flag is removed.

The damaged vehicles list

Water damaged, fire damaged and written off vehicles that have not been correctly repaired can compromise the safety of vehicle features such as safety belt pre-tensioners, airbags and certain electrical systems.

In September 2016 we changed the requirements for the replacement of electronic and pyrotechnic safety components in water damaged vehicles.

You can check your vehicle against this list of damaged vehicles (see below). You’ll need to know the factory issued vehicle identification number (VIN) or chassis number. 

The vehicles listed have come to our attention for having water damage or fire damage, or having been written off in the country of previous registration.

  • This list is not comprehensive. It was originally set up to let consumers know about imported water and fire damaged vehicles. We’ve since added NZ water and fire damaged vehicles (including those exposed to liquification during the Christchurch earthquakes), and vehicles which we have been notified as having been written off overseas.
  • Insurance companies in NZ do not normally provide the Transport Agency with details of written off vehicles, but in the case of water or fire damaged vehicles, we’ve asked to be notified.
  • Importers of Australian used vehicles must provide a copy of the Australian Personal Property Security Register (PPSR) report to the inspecting organisation at the border. If the PPSR shows the vehicle has been written off, then the vehicle is added to the damaged vehicles list.
  • We want owners, their families and communities to keep safe, and will accept notifications of water and fire damaged vehicles from any source. Email frr@nzta.govt.nz

Many of the listed vehicles will have been restored to acceptable standards. If your vehicle is on this list and is currently registered, then it’s been approved to be on the road via the entry certification process.

Factsheet 44: Importing a motor vehicle [PDF, 99 KB]

Repaired vehicles are not removed from the damaged vehicle list.

Australian PPSR reports are available from the Australian Government.https://www.ppsr.gov.au/(external link)

*W – flood-water damaged vehicle
*F – fire damaged vehicle
*S – written off vehicles (both statutory write off and economic repairable write-off vehicles)
*WS – written off due to flood/water damage (both statutory write off and economic repairable write-off vehicles)
*FS – written off due to fire damage (both statutory and economic repairable write-off vehicles)

VIN/Chassis Make Model Damaged* Date
5TDLB3CH50S052070 TOYOTA Kluger S 29 September 2023
ZAPM4420000005215 VESPA Scooter S 29 September 2023
5TDLB3CH20S070624 TOYOTA Kluger S 29 September 2023
MPBUMFF50MX357616 FORD Ranger S 29 September 2023
JM0DK2W7A01551105 MAZDA CX-3 S 29 September 2023
WBAAN92060NB12733 BMW 3 Series W 26 September 2023
LSFA431J7MA152268 LDV D90 W 26 September 2023
JF2SK9KL5KG022343 SUBARU Forester W 26 September 2023
BLEFW-108259 MAZDA Axela W 26 September 2023
JM0BP2H7A01202241 MAZDA Mazda3 W 26 September 2023
WP1ZZZ9PZ8LA32529 PORSCHE Cayenne W 26 September 2023
JTFHT02P300012347 TOYOTA Hiace W 26 September 2023
JTFHS02P505002909 TOYOTA Hiace W 26 September 2023
JTHBK262402010556 LEXUS IS250 W 26 September 2023
AZE0-115954 NISSAN Leaf W 26 September 2023
MMU148EK0JH644957 HOLDEN Colorado W 26 September 2023
WF0XXXTTGXHB60361 FORD Transit W 26 September 2023
NZE151-1002715 TOYOTA Auris W 26 September 2023
WMWSV32010T671603 MINI Cooper S W 26 September 2023
WMWZC320X0WN00867 BMW Mini W 26 September 2023