Buying a used car in New Zealand
If you are thinking of buying a used car in New Zealand it’s important to make sure you know what you're getting before you drive it away. Here are some useful steps to help you.
Pre-purchase inspection
If you’re not mechanically minded it pays to get your car checked out professionally before you buy it. You can do this at a mechanic’s workshop or the Automobile Association.
They should check the mechanics, body, electrics, and take it for a road test. A pre-purchase inspection costs between NZ$100-$135.
History check
It’s a good idea to get a history check on the vehicle in case it is stolen or there are outstanding fines. If there are outstanding debts on the car it could be repossessed.
A history check will cost between $20-$30 and can be done online by providing the vehicle’s license plate number.
The Consumer Institute recommends the following history check services:
Paperwork
The car should have a current Warrant of Fitness (WoF) that is less than one month old. Otherwise you could end up spending a lot of money on repairs to get a new warrant.
If it does not have a WoF you need to sign a ‘as is, where is’ and get it inspected straight away as it is illegal to drive without a warrant. You should also request service or repair history records from the seller.
Change of ownership
If you buy a car privately, both the seller and the buyer must independently notify Land Transport NZ of the change of ownership within seven days of the sale.
You will need to fill in a change of ownership section on the vehicle’s Certificate of Registration (which should be provided by the seller) and you will need to produce identification.
Note: If you buy a car through a vehicle dealer they should notify the change of ownership for you. But it pays to check independently.
Used car safety ratings
Check the safety ratings of the most common New Zealand-used passenger vehicles built between 1982-2006 at Land Transport NZ.
