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
KMHSH81WR7U122569 HYUNDAI Santa Fe W 17 July 2024
WBAFW12020D162715 BMW 523D W 17 July 2024
MNAUMFF50GW562992 FORD Ranger WS 17 July 2024
6FPAAAJGATAP47290 FORD Territory W 15 July 2024
JN1BAAP12A0068311 NISSAN Primera W 15 July 2024
WAUZZZ8P79A096037 AUDI A3 W 15 July 2024
MR0FZ22G701180028 TOYOTA Hilux W 15 July 2024
WV2ZZZ7HZHH097113 VOLKSWAGEN T6 W 15 July 2024
MPBCMFF60PX525177 FORD Ranger W 15 July 2024
JSAJTEA4V00271535 SUZUKI Grand Vitara F 15 July 2024
VR2E26-026700 NISSAN NV350 W 15 July 2024
WVWZZZ3BZ3E319015 VOLKSWAGEN Passat W 15 July 2024
GRX130-6030423 TOYOTA MarkX F 15 July 2024
TDA4W-101990 SUZUKI Escudo W 15 July 2024
JM0ER10L200229579 MAZDA CX-7 F 15 July 2024
7A7ZZZBGD21D58606 NISSAN Navara F 15 July 2024
C11-201596 NISSAN Tiida W 15 July 2024
MPB3XXMXC3FP34262 FORD Focus W 15 July 2024
W0L0XCF6854320342 HOLDEN Barina W 15 July 2024
MNAAXXMAWAMK61489 FORD Everest WS 15 July 2024