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
WAUZZZ4F28N149814 AUDI A6 W 20 June 2024
WBAAT52000FU55544 BMW Compact W 19 June 2024
BL6FJ-202809 MAZDA Axela F 19 June 2024
CW5W-0009016 MITSUBISHI Outlander W 19 June 2024
SMTTMD4066B471607 TRIUMPH Street Triple F 19 June 2024
6H8VXK69F1L652515 HOLDEN VX Commodore W 19 June 2024
SAJAC08R6DMS90517 JAGUAR XF F 19 June 2024
MNTFAAC12A0012987 NISSAN Pulsar F 19 June 2024
JTDKAAA3101000782 TOYOTA Yaris W 19 June 2024
1C6SRFJT4NN210323 DODGE Ram S 19 June 2024
WBA12AK0707L69315 BMW 2 Series S 19 June 2024
VF1VCF5VEJ0781352 RENAULT Master Bus S 19 June 2024
JTNBA3HK103036139 TOYOTA Camry WS 19 June 2024
MR0BA3CD900050645 TOYOTA Hilux S 19 June 2024
WBS32AY010FN61332 BMW M3 S 19 June 2024
JM0TC2WLA00414272 MAZDA CX9 S 19 June 2024
WVWZZZ3CZPE033482 Volkswagon Passat S 19 June 2024
JTMHV05J404264563 TOYOTA Landcruiser S 19 June 2024
MNARXXMAWRPE17312 FORD Everest S 19 June 2024
WDD1173522N756990 MERCEDES-BENZ Clas45 S 19 June 2024