New WOF rules

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semigeek

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Topic # 113759 27-Jan-2013 13:19

New WOF rules announced today -

New cars have an inspection and then will need a warrant after three years

Cars registered after Jan 1 2000 will only require yearly WOF's

What are your thoughts on this?

My car an import - 1996 but registered here in 2004 should come under the yearly inspection, but does anyone know if that's correct?

And my partners car who is similar to mine, but 98 and NZ assembled still has to have six monthly warrants.

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Reply # 751471 27-Jan-2013 13:22

The new rules look like they'll take upto July 2014 to come into force anyway, so you'll have lots of time to find out from the LTSA

gzt

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Reply # 751475 27-Jan-2013 13:30

I presume it means new cars registered. Otherwise re-registering a 1973 car would get you onto the annual regime and that is not intended. Your 1996 import will not be eligible for the annual regime.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 751476 27-Jan-2013 13:31

There was discussion during the initial consultation period and it was said that the year of registration would be the first year the vehicle was registered, not the first year of registration in NZ.

clevedon

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Reply # 751477 27-Jan-2013 13:32

Any vehicle built before 2000, no matter where it was first registered will need a six month WOF.

Batman

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Reply # 751478 27-Jan-2013 13:32

Wow for real our up for discussion only

tdgeek

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Reply # 751479 27-Jan-2013 13:36

Good idea, saves cost and less inconvenience for post 2000 vehicles. I would expect that annual WOF's will be a little tighter, which is a good thing.

gzt

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Reply # 751486 27-Jan-2013 13:44

WOF inspection has always been about minimum safety on the day of inspection. WOF does not say anything about safety tomorrow and never has.

casewindow

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Reply # 751488 27-Jan-2013 13:49

gzt: WOF inspection has always been about minimum safety on the day of inspection. WOF does not say anything about safety tomorrow and never has.

While the WOF doesn't say anything about safety tomorrow - a driver has to be responsible that their car is warrantable regardless of when the next WOF is. From The LTSA website:

"It’s your job to keep your vehicle in warrantable condition at all times. For example, while tyres on your vehicle may pass on the day of your warrant inspection, you’ll need to replace them as soon as the tread gets to the minimum depth. If you wait until the next inspection before replacing them, you increase your risk of having a crash or receiving a fine."

nickb800

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Reply # 751490 27-Jan-2013 14:04

I'm just bummed out that mine was first registered September 1999, so close to only needing yearly WOFs

sbiddle

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Reply # 751491 27-Jan-2013 14:11

The WOF in many ways has become an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff for people who are too lazy to do any basic maintenance on their vehicles.

The MTA's own stats published to try and stop WOF changes show very clearly that for vehicles up to 10 years old there are 3 very significant areas vehicles fail a WOF in - tyres, lights, and wipers or cracked windscreen. Rather than many people taking any personal responsibility for their vehicle and ensuring that their tyres aren't bald, they wait until they fail the WOF and are forced to act. Checking that your tyres aren't bald, all your lights work, and that your washers and wiper blades work correctly literally takes 2 minutes to do.

clevedon

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Reply # 751493 27-Jan-2013 14:23

tdgeek: I would expect that annual WOF's will be a little tighter

And more expensive - guaranteed.

kiwirock

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Reply # 751503 27-Jan-2013 15:15

I'm still in two minds about it.

I think it shouldn't change reall. Make a WOF 12 months... and it creates more laziness. Humans have a habit of taking the path of less resistance regardless of the long term life of the car. True some look after their cars, but I would doubt it's the majority in any shape or form unless something breaks first. I seem to know a lot of people that are ignorant even of an oil change.

Sure the car is newer, doesn't make it safer. I've seen some 1970's classic's in better condition and even lower original miles than a 2005 vehicle with 200,000K's worth of wear on tie-rods or their boots, wheel bearings, brakes and suspension/bushes all nearing replacement. I remember when the brought in the frontal impact rules on imports around 1996 or so. To keep costs down the cars had much higher in K's than one a few years younger already imported before the rule change. There's a lot of post 2000 car's with high millage around in this country.

I've had a tie-rod go sloppy in just a few weeks once the boot cracked not that long after a warrant. So 12 month warrants worry me, the age of the car doesn't.

I can see the purely political gain from it, but loss to safety in my humble view.

nate

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Reply # 751506 27-Jan-2013 15:42

Can't wait for yearly WOF renewals. My biggest bugbear is the wasted time waiting for a WOF - our nearest mechanic shut down a year ago, so now I go to VTNZ (with an industry group discount, full retail is way too expensive) and waste time.

Someone should setup WOF inspections with a cafe next door. I'd go.

mattwnz

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Reply # 751512 27-Jan-2013 15:52

If they end up doubling the price, then it isn't really going to be cheaper. With Less turnover, then they are going to need to ask for more money. Otherwise half will need to close down, or half the staff will need to lose their jobs.
I go to a local garage , as they are no where near as finicky as a dedicated WOF station.

alasta

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Reply # 751522 27-Jan-2013 16:39

I just bought my car last year and by the time these changes come into affect it will be three years old so I'll get no benefit until I eventually replace this vehicle in 2017.

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