If a vehicle is reported as structurally damaged, a damage flag or safety flag will be added to the Motor Vehicle Register. 

While the flag is recorded against the vehicle, you won't be able to get a warrant of fitness (WoF) or certificate of fitness (CoF). The flag can only be removed once the vehicle is properly repaired and inspected again, verifying that the vehicle is within safe tolerance of the manufacturer’s specifications. 

Damaged used imports

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 a windscreen sticker will have been attached to the vehicle by the border inspector.

If your vehicle was flagged as damaged at the border, take it to be inspected by an entry certifier before 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 Motor Vehicle Register.

Find an entry certifier

Repair certification process

Vehicles imported from Australia

Importers of Australian used vehicles must provide a copy of the Australian Personal Properties 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 our damaged vehicles list.

Australian Personal Property Securities Register(external link)

Vehicles damaged in New Zealand

If a vehicle is damaged in New Zealand, its registration should be cancelled. If it was cancelled by an insurer, and was cancelled because of fire, structural or water damage, we'll add a safety flag to the vehicle. 

Even if the registration wasn't cancelled, we may add a safety flag to the vehicle.

Before you repair it, you should take it 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

Repair certification process

The damaged vehicles list

Damage that hasn't been correctly repaired can compromise the safety of vehicle features such as safety belt pre-tensioners, airbags and certain electrical systems.

This list contains vehicles that have been reported with fire damage, structural damage, or water damage, or have been written off in the country of previous registration. 

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

What is a vehicle identification number (VIN)

This list may not contain all damaged vehicles. If you think a vehicle should be on this list please email us.

Email NZTA to report a damaged vehicle

Repaired vehicles are not removed from the damaged vehicle list. Even if your vehicle has since been repaired and certified, it will still be on the list. 

Damage codes*

New Zealand damaged vehicles

  • AT - Alpha Takata airbag recall
  • F or FD - fire damage
  • RC - recall
  • OT - other reason
  • SD - structural damage
  • W or WD - water damage.

Overseas damaged vehicles

  • 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
MR0FZ22G601060110 TOYOTA Hilux S 9 September 2015
MR0FZ22G001041486 TOYOTA Hilux S 9 September 2015
JTNKU58EX01136457 TOYOTA Corolla S 9 September 2015
JTNKU3JE70J063255 TOYOTA Corolla S 9 September 2015
TSMJYA22S00152737 SUZUKI SX4 S 9 September 2015
4S4WXFKU5CS034092 SUBARU Tribeca S 9 September 2015
JF1GE7KS5BG020531 SUBARU Impreza S 9 September 2015
MNTCPUD22A0026414 NISSAN Navara S 9 September 2015
JMFXNGF7WEZ000684 MITSUBISHI Outlander S 9 September 2015
JMFXNGF7WEZ000644 MITSUBISHI Outlander S 9 September 2015
JM0KE107100102241 MAZDA CX5 S 9 September 2015
JM0GH105200233170 MAZDA 6 S 9 September 2015
JTHBK262105182400 LEXUS IS240 S 9 September 2015
1C4RJFEG3DC589546 JEEP Cherokee S 9 September 2015
KMHJU81GSEU834188 HYUNDAI IX35 S 9 September 2015
MRHRM4850FP061263 HONDA CRV S 9 September 2015
SHHFK2740DU301549 HONDA Civic S 9 September 2015
6G1FB8E33EL943491 HOLDEN Commodore S 9 September 2015
MMMTFS85JAH531110 HOLDEN Colorado S 9 September 2015
JHFJM03H00K001010 HINO 300 S 9 September 2015