Take it for a WOF and the inspector will tell you ... if it fails you have 30 days to source some headrests

Check out the following:

https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/general/vehicle-interior/head-restraints

and Tables and Images.

If my understanding is correct, rear headrests are not required i.e. no LVV certification required.

maoriboy:

 

Check out the following:

 

https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/general/vehicle-interior/head-restraints

 

 

 

and Tables and Images.

 

If my understanding is correct, rear headrests are not required i.e. no LVV certification required.

 

My car failed today because of this. I called the NZTA & the girl I spoke with shared your opinion but didn't seem rock solid confident about it (I guess because the info in the link might as well be in Russian it's that vague). She basically said I should ask the person that did the WOF to show me a document that states that I must have them or something along those lines.

It's frustrating I couldn't get a black & white answer from NZTA, I might call them back tomorrow & maybe get to speak to someone with more experience? On a side note does the NZTA set the WOF laws or is there a better organization to contact?

We've taken them out from our peoplemover as they get in the way of the car seats installed. Have passed at least one WoF with them not installed...

afe66: Headrests are there to reduce hyperextension injury so you could argue a case that if you are going to put your friends in the backseats you would want the rests there no just because it's a WOF requirement.?

A.

Surely if they were an essential safety feature then they would not be removable.

fastmikey:

 

We've taken them out from our peoplemover as they get in the way of the car seats installed. Have passed at least one WoF with them not installed...

 

Since I've owned the car I've had 2 wof's at the same place. It passed the first time with no rear headrests. Today it failed. Chap who did the WOF last time has left that company.

I found 3 threads on this topic from the UK & people responded with it not being a fail item with their equivalent of a WOF. Here is 2 links.

https://www.boards.ie/b/thread/2056723235

http://www.corsa-c.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?403988-no-rear-head-rests-mot-failure-or-not

fastmikey:

 

We've taken them out from our peoplemover as they get in the way of the car seats installed. Have passed at least one WoF with them not installed...

 

Yeah, but you have car seats in place of them, so they are not in use.....

Mine aren't installed and I have no idea where they went.

The car has passed the last 4 years worth of warrants at VTNZ.

To be fair one of our cars usually doesn't have the rear headrests in, and I've never had an issue getting WOF.  It does sound like your inspector's being picky.  But I also interpret the table as saying removal of rear headrests is explicitly allowed.  Maybe show them that page and see what they say.

I had a failed WOF over no rear headrests, even though they were sitting on the floor of the back seats. I had removed them as they annoyed me in the rear view mirror and I felt they made it harder to see out the back window.

I had to put them back in, redo the WOF, and yes, pay again (which may have been the real reason behind failing me in the first place), and then when I got home, put them on the floor again.

PITA.

Dynamike: Remove the rear seats and take it back for the WOF, and then put the seats back in when you get home.

You don't need rear seats to pass a WOF, so if the seats aren't installed then they can't fail it for no seat head rests.

I seriously would do that lol. I only need 1 wof a year so it wouldn't be a big deal if I had to do that once a year.

Serious though what's the guy gonna say if I turn up with no rear seats (& him knowing full well it's to scoot around the no headrest issue)?

https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/general/vehicle-interior/head-restraints

Well you arent allowed to modify headrests. And removing them seems to be modifying.

A.

Edited.

Specific line added in 2014 to allow you to remove rear headrests.....

But not remove front headrests.

kiwifidget:

 

I had a failed WOF over no rear headrests, even though they were sitting on the floor of the back seats. I had removed them as they annoyed me in the rear view mirror and I felt they made it harder to see out the back window.

 

I had to put them back in, redo the WOF, and yes, pay again (which may have been the real reason behind failing me in the first place), and then when I got home, put them on the floor again.

 

PITA.

 

Why did you need to pay again? If it is something as small as that, all that's required is to place them back in and get the inspector to do a visual to confirm they are back in. It's not structural so is an easy fix. Just like getting a new set of tyres. I think you were ripped off.