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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).
Vehicle Make
VIN/Chassis Make Model Damaged* Date
MR0FZ29G301588368 TOYOTA Hilux S 3 May 2016
JTNKU56E401177637 TOYOTA Corolla S 3 May 2016
JF1GP7KA3EG049960 SUBARU XV S 3 May 2016
VF3VU4HNHAZ805360 PEUGEOT 4007 S 3 May 2016
MNTFCAC12A0002095 NISSAN Pulsar S 3 May 2016
MMAJNKB40FD029824 MITSUBISHI Triton S 3 May 2016
JMFXTGF7WEZ002084 MITSUBISHI Outlander S 3 May 2016
WDC1569082J209820 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA200 S 3 May 2016
JM0BL10F200319747 MAZDA 3 S 3 May 2016
MM0UP0YF100211947 MAZDA BT50 S 3 May 2016
MM0UP0YF100237796 MAZDA BT50 S 3 May 2016
U5YPB81BMFL753646 KIA Sportage S 3 May 2016
KNAKU814SD5431497 KIA Sorrento S 3 May 2016
MH4BRAF15FJP00150 KAWASAKI BR250E S 3 May 2016
1C4RJFEG6EC240527 JEEP Grand Cherokee S 3 May 2016
1C4PJMGK3CW169389 JEEP Cherokee S 3 May 2016
KMHJT81BLCU359109 HYUNDAI IX35 S 3 May 2016
6G1EK5E52CL620543 HOLDEN Omega S 3 May 2016
6G1EK8EV9BL563127 HOLDEN Commodore S 3 May 2016
MNAUMFF50FW492624 FORD Ranger S 3 May 2016