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
JM0TB10A190117602 MAZDA CX9 S 7 January 2014
JM0KE107100209643 MAZDA CX5 S 7 January 2014
JM0BL10F100239420 MAZDA 3 S 7 January 2014
KNADH511LB6776789 KIA Rio S 7 January 2014
6G1EK5E39CL642750 HOLDEN Commodore S 7 January 2014
6G1EP4EHXAL404815 HOLDEN Commodore S 7 January 2014
6FPAAAJGCMAB50824 FORD Falcon S 7 January 2014
MNALSFE406W514322 FORD Courier W 7 January 2014
WVWZZZ1KZCP144221 VOLKSWAGEN Golf S 6 January 2014
WV1ZZZ2HZDA059791 VOLKSWAGEN Amarok S 6 January 2014
JF1GE7KS59G005710 SUBARU Impreza WS 6 January 2014
MM0UP0YF100101377 MAZDA BT50 S 6 January 2014
ZFA3120000J001634 FIAT 500 S 6 January 2014
6T153BK400X108331 TOYOTA Camry WS 31 December 2014
MNTFBUK13A0000930 NISSAN Micra S 31 December 2014
JM0GJ103100113752 MAZDA 6 S 31 December 2014
6G1FB4E34EL915594 HOLDEN VF S 31 December 2014
WBAVN720X0VX35629 BMW X1 S 31 December 2014
WBSFV92080C581879 BMW 5 Series S 31 December 2014
JH2SC36U53M600738 HONDA VTR1000 S 20 December 2013