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.

Importing a motor vehicle

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
B30-103676 NISSAN Lafesta W 29 January 2021
MNAUMFF50EW312863 FORD Ranger W 29 January 2021
PV36-200447 NISSAN Skyline F 29 January 2021
JTEHH20V200163392 TOYOTA Rav4 F 29 January 2021
KL3CD26GJAB096993 HOLDEN Captiva F 29 January 2021
AE111-7025976 TOYOTA Carib W 29 January 2021
WBAVR92070A153267 BMW 320I F 29 January 2021
WBAFE42020LK96635 BMW X5 F 29 January 2021
JTEBU25J705069454 TOYOTA Landcruiser W 29 January 2021
JMAXSZ27A3Z000386 MITSUBISHI Colt W 29 January 2021
DY5W-405306 MAZDA Demio F 29 January 2021
MM0UNY0W200375069 MAZDA Bounty W 29 January 2021
WP1ZZZ9PZ8LA53586 PORSCHE Cayenne W 29 January 2021
CREW-120349 MAZDA Premacy W 29 January 2021
KMHDB51DR9U165228 HYUNDAI I30 W 29 January 2021
NA4W-0103339 MITSUBISHI Grandis W 29 January 2021
ZZT231-0025568 TOYOTA Celica W 29 January 2021
GA3-3205363 HONDA Logo F 29 January 2021
SF5-114041 SUBARU Forester F 29 January 2021
YV1MV485BD2038168 VOLVO V40 W 29 January 2021