Buying a car or a van in New Zealand

Once you’ve found the vehicle you like, you’ll need to inspect the vehicle before you buy it. For auction sites, don’t hesitate to ask questions about the vehicle while the bids are open before trying to win the bid. The best thing is to go and inspect the car you’re interested in yourself. Sellers often offer to do the inspection. If they don’t welcome inspection of the vehicle, beware.

When inspecting the vehicle, you should check a number of things:

• When does the Warrant Of Fitness expire? If it has expired, you will have to take the vehicle through a WOF before you can drive it. The WOF is a kind of roadworthiness test carried out by garages, who declare whether or not your vehicle is safe enough to drive. However, this technical inspection does not guarantee that the engine is not dead.

• When does the Rego expire, i.e. the fee you have to pay to drive your vehicle? The rego (licensing) must be regularly renewed. Driving without a Rego or WOF can cost you a NZ$200 fine!

• The mechanical check before buying the vehicle: you can ask to have a mechanical inspection of the vehicle carried out in a garage. Prices for this type of inspection can be high. Opt for independent garages for a better deal. If repairs need to be made, negotiate with the seller to contribute to the repairs.

• The legal check (Vehicle Information Report [VIR]): this is not compulsory, but it can be very useful. The legal check verifies the car’s legal history, i.e. its debts, outstanding fines and other problems with the authorities (for example, if the car is stolen or pledged to a credit company). The VIR will cost you around NZ$15 to NZ$30. You can do it yourself, directly on the Internet, on the Motorweb website, for example. For instance, a French couple had their van (purchased from Backpackers Car World in Auckland) repossessed because the previous owner had pledged it for a loan that he had not yet paid off. You can read their story in this news article.

• For diesel and electric vehicles, check that there are no overdue payments on the RUC mileage purchases.

A brief look at mechanical inspection

You will need to check the vehicle’s mechanical condition. You can have this done at a garage by asking for a full mechanical check. This usually takes two hours and costs between NZ$150 and NZ$300. At the end of the inspection, the mechanic will give you a report on the vehicle, showing what works well, what doesn’t work so well, and what needs to be repaired or changed. At this point, you can negotiate with the seller. If you know absolutely nothing about cars, this type of inspection could be really useful. Don’t hesitate to call in an independent mechanic to do it (who doesn’t know the seller, for example).

You can also carry out simple checks yourself, which won’t cost you anything and may even give you a chance to drive the vehicle. If possible, take a torch with you to inspect your vehicle thoroughly. The first things to check are the following:

• Rust: it is the enemy of the Warrant of Fitness! Rust is the sign of an old vehicle that hasn’t been properly cared for. Rust can prevent you from passing the WOF, so be careful. If you see any vehicles with rust, especially underneath the vehicle, around the wheels and the engine, run away. A little tip for checking for rust: if a vehicle looks like it’s been recently repainted (or no longer has its original paintwork), run a small magnet over the bodywork. If it doesn’t stick, there’s rust under the paintwork.
• You should definitely try to test drive the vehicle to see how it works, how the gears shift and how it brakes, among other things.
• The smoke coming out of the exhaust on start-up: smoke on start-up can be the first sign of a problem in the engine. If you’re doing a test drive, check what comes out of the exhaust when you start the car. Warning: products to hide this smoke are sometimes used to temporarily disguise the problem (while the car is being sold, in other words).
• The steering: Is the steering working properly? Is the steering wheel properly aligned when driving in a straight line?
• The tyres: if the tyres are slick, they can be dangerous and you may not pass the WOF for this reason. You will probably have to change them.
• The lights: check that they all work properly (you’ll need someone to help you with this)
• Check that your radio, air conditioning, etc. is working.
• Also check that the cigarette lighter works if you want to use a converter to plug in your computer or other electrical appliance.
• Look for leaks. Traditionally, a black or brown fluid leak means it’s either a problem with the engine or a problem with the brakes. Red fluid means the gearbox has a problem and green fluid signals a problem with the radiator.

Consumer NZ has posted a two-page PDF to help you make sure you don’t forget anything when you check a vehicle. You can download the document directly on this page.