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
MMU148DH0DH687772 HOLDEN Colorado S 6 May 2014
KL3CD26RJAB070747 HOLDEN Captiva S 6 May 2014
MNAUMFF50DW190020 FORD Ranger S 6 May 2014
MPB1XXMXB1DJ24612 FORD Focus S 6 May 2014
MPB1XXMXB1DB38126 FORD Focus S 6 May 2014
MNBJXXARJJBP77171 FORD Fiesta S 6 May 2014
6FPAAAJGSWCE88481 FORD Falcon S 6 May 2014
6FPAAAJGCMAR55741 FORD Falcon S 6 May 2014
MAJBXXMRKBDD88625 FORD EcoSport S 6 May 2014
WAUZZZ8T5EA005922 AUDI A5 WS 6 May 2014
WV1ZZZ7HZEH001946 VOLKSWAGEN T5 W 24 April 2014
WVWZZZ1KZ5U006346 VOLKSWAGEN Golf W 24 April 2014
AE115-0001649 TOYOTA Sprinter W 24 April 2014
JTEHD20V300065659 TOYOTA RAV4 S 24 April 2014
JTEBH3FJ80K074043 TOYOTA Landcruiser S 24 April 2014
JTELV71J200031681 TOYOTA Landcruiser S 24 April 2014
JTELV71J100011406 TOYOTA Landcruiser S 24 April 2014
MR0FZ22G901193041 TOYOTA Hilux S 24 April 2014
JTNKU3JE50J038211 TOYOTA Corolla S 24 April 2014
6T1BF3FKX0X026209 TOYOTA Camry W 24 April 2014