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
MR0HZ22G403511676 TOYOTA Hilux S 8 October 2013
MR0FZ22G101068728 TOYOTA Hilux S 8 October 2013
MR0CX12G000107852 TOYOTA Hilux S 8 October 2013
JF1ZN6K81DG011105 TOYOTA 86 S 8 October 2013
JF1YA9K92DG006161 SUBARU Liberty S 8 October 2013
JF1GVEKD3DG023405 SUBARU Impreza S 8 October 2013
MNTNCUD40A0003277 NISSAN Navara S 8 October 2013
JMFSTCY4ADU001658 MITSUBISHI Lancer S 8 October 2013
WDB1714562F147926 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 S 8 October 2013
WDD2462012J100032 MERCEDES-BENZ 246 B Class S 8 October 2013
MM0UP0YF100113489 MAZDA B32 WS 8 October 2013
JM0BL10L100214984 MAZDA 3 S 8 October 2013
JM0BL10F200396518 MAZDA 3 S 8 October 2013
JM0DE10Y2C0215660 MAZDA 2 S 8 October 2013
JTHBK262305022972 LEXUS IS250 S 8 October 2013
SALLDHMS7BA400919 LANDROVER Defender WS 8 October 2013
MPATFS85HCT104035 ISUZU DMax WS 8 October 2013
KMHJT81BMDU685501 HYUNDAI Ix35 S 8 October 2013
KMHWH81RMCU495743 HYUNDAI Imax S 8 October 2013
JHMCU2540CC203034 HONDA Accord S 8 October 2013