VTNZ testing.

jason_247, Mar 3, 9:50am
Everyone slates them but i went yesterday in my 89 bmw 525i.
they were busy but moved through the cars quickly. He noted a handbrake imbalance and the wipers being abit shot.
He then showed common sense and passed it saying that the handbrake was stronger than rear foot brake and would easily hold the car.
And just made a verbal comment about the wipers.

Very impressed and as i usually get this kind of service im getting annoyed with everyone jumping on the boat saying they are shit.

Never had a problem with vtnz anywhere in the country only every failed on things that were reasonable.

rant over
plasticboys, Mar 3, 10:31am
l would be more happy to go to them but last time l had a hand break problem with them . both went up the same then one went a bit more. five trips back there it was fixed but what a joke!
sandypheet, Mar 3, 11:04am
Careful,john will come in and go crook about naming,against tm rules apparantly.
rpvr, Mar 4, 6:32am
Who! That's not his name, apparently. So stop your name calling.
bjmh, Mar 4, 6:39am
vtnz get audited by nzta ,just like all wof authoritys .so its not in their interests to let things go with a verbal warning,but its like any organisation you get the odd person with common sense.our local vtnz is very helpful
jason_247, Mar 4, 7:36am
The only place i havent liked was a VINZ place in hamilton.
They failed me on the speed of retraction of the drivers seatbelt, which was normal. Brand new seatbelt did the same. Yet they only verbally cautioned me on one of the sway bar mounts being ripped out of the floor from metal fatigue.
rlr29, Mar 4, 2:10pm
I think the inspectors need to give more detailed reports on what they deemed as failed.
I've been failed, drove round the block, waited until lunch, when the inspector went for an extremely long, break.Chucked it thru for a recheck and passed, coz they couldn't verify what he was on about.Waste of time driving round the block.It could have been serious too.
mrfxit, Mar 4, 2:52pm
Many years ago when this whole "testing station" concept was 1st put in place, 1 of my brothers got sick of them really fast & decided to test THEM.
About twic a year at different times, he would take in a well known vehicle that he knew would pass + unknown condition vehicle (at different times) around all the testing stations in Taranaki & NOTE what was failed , where & why on each vehicle.

Got some pretty wide ranging & scary results between both vehicles.

Seems it's still the same even now.
strobo, Mar 4, 3:03pm
And you run over some kid cause you couldn't quite see through the driving rain cause the wipers were a bit shot! and I could say something about the park brake too butwon't ! nuff said my rant over.
mrfxit, Mar 4, 3:19pm
& any of that can fail at ANY time even when passed in good condition or even with good gear
strobo, Mar 6, 4:26am
But it took a vehicle inspector to point it out to the owner who did nothing about it prior to taking it down for inspection! Also things are less likey to fail ifin good condition in the first place to start with aye!
mm12345, Mar 6, 6:44am
I got failed at a VTNZ test station for steering drag link ball joint boots "leaking grease", on a 4WD with grease nipples on the joints and corresponding slots in the boots, no free-play.Everybody makes mistakes, but when I questioned this, the "supervisor" was called in who didn't even look at the so-called "problem" but proceeded to lecture me about the training their staff got, and how he stood by them - I was basically told that I was being a sm@rt-@rse, and to eff off.14 years and 28 WOF checks later, the 4WD still had the same drag-link ball joints as the ones VTNZ "failed".
Never ever again will I go to a VTNZ station.
eagles9999, Mar 6, 6:52am
Its not so much the VTNZ station but the individual tester. Some are more reasonable than others. I recently had my car in for a WoF and the tester asked a colleaguefor an opinion. Colleague said "FAIL"but my tester decide that it was l withinthe pass range and passed it with a proviso that I should get it fixed before the next WoF. Which seems very fair to me