Pre-purchase due diligence: Certification question

jgc.trading, Aug 20, 6:00am
I am looking at purchasing a vehicle which was imported with damage about 8 years ago in NZ. It must have had to get Cert in order for it to be registered here so am I able to find out what repairs were carried out so that it was able to obtain cert?

The current owner has given me some information but it seems to be conflicting with some other info that I have uncovered after a few phone calls.

Any information would be very helpful, I want to find out the full story before I buy!
Thanks !

kazbanz, Aug 20, 6:26am
-RUN AWAY.--it really is that simple. Unless its an exceptionally rare make and model then you will find another one that's not a rebuilt wreck

cheapy11, Aug 20, 8:11am
Kazbanz. Normally I agree with your level-headedness but not in this instance. As a dealer you will know very well that some cars that are marked as damaged when they come into the country have very or relatively minor damage and at least these cars are all repaired correctly and signed off by a certifier. Whereas a vehicle damaged in NZ may not necessarily be repaired properly, there is nothing to stop these NZ vehicles receiving VERY dodgy repairs by a backyard butcher. There is no way of telling what cars in NZ have been minorly or majorly repaired.
jgc if the car hasn't fallen apart after 8 years or at least showing signs of failing repairs then you can assume it has been repaired to a very high standard

kazbanz, Aug 20, 8:23am
cheapy--have a read of the OP
You are 100% correct in what you are posting.
But when the person selling the vehicle gives incorrect info you get a pretty good picture of the background of that particular vehicle.
It was a specific reply to the OP NOT a generalisation.

cheapy11, Aug 20, 8:45am
Yup appreciate that and I guess I missed that point, however also stand by the point that any dodgy repairs would be showing up after 8 years.

Really need a bit more info on who has said what etc etc to make a genuine evaluation

tgray, Aug 20, 9:05am
What is the conflicting information?

captaink, Aug 20, 9:09am
A few phone calls to whom? Unless the current owner is the original importer what information will they have, and if not is this information first hand and verifiable or something passed on 2nd hand
Never tried to do it but surely you can go back through LTNZ and find who did the certification and the subsequent vin.

westwyn, Aug 20, 9:57am
After 8 years in NZ, you'd have to wonder whether there was any particular value difference now for a used car imported at say 7 years old in 2007- making it (potentially) a 2000 model car, the value of which is more or less capped anyway.

Probably more important today is- what is the condition of the car like, and if it's good, are you happy to buy it?

2007 was the height of the NZTA madness when it came to "damage flagging" imported vehicles to NZ at the border inspection point in Japan, when MAF inspectors who were additionally contracted to and trained by NZTA to conduct a visual "damage inspection" while doing the biosecurity clearance, wandered round and slapped a "Imported As Damaged" sticker on anything that had so much as a dent longer than 10cm on a sill, or a scrape to a wheelarch dogleg.

The process to remove that flag in New Zealand was often a nightmare, where common sense was overridden by butt-covering regulation- nobody was prepared to "sign off" a minor repair- thus vehicles remained with the "damage flag" on the LanData record for life.

It's quite likely this was the scenario- but then, it's also possible it was damaged more seriously (or was rusty).

Either way, the process to repair at Compliance was / is lengthy and process-driven, overseen and signed off at three critical stages by an independent (and personally contracted / bonded) structural engineer who requires a definitive and specific repair procedure. Unless the thing was an absolute Shinkansen-special (pretty rare by 2007, simply not enough commercial gain in importing / repairing heavy accident damaged vehicles) then chances are the car is perfectly sound.

I believe if you contact NZTA in Wellington, they may be able to help you with information on the reason the car was flagged in the first place.

captaink, Aug 20, 10:24am
So true 'westwyn' madness is an apt description, I had/have somewhere a video of a local certifier / panelbeater throwing his arms in the air saying ' 'what the MTF are this dickpullers on about'

kazbanz, Aug 20, 7:54pm
I'll stick with my original post. The point of which is.
Unless the car is something exceptional then walk away. Theres plenty more fish in the sea.

tgray, Aug 21, 1:25am
Our family car was formally a 'write off'. Just panel and paint work. Looks, feels and drives perfect. All fully checked by engineers at VTNZ before re compliance. Never had a problem with it and always passes a WOF.
And yes, I have plenty of cars to choose from, but the history didn't scare me
and I wouldn't automatically dismiss a car on that basis.
I do see Kaz's point however.

kazbanz, Aug 21, 8:40pm
tgray--and if you could choose between yours and an uncrushed example? what choice would you make.

tgray, Sep 17, 2:16am
For the same price? the 'uncrushed' one.
That's the thing though, isn't it.