There is a common misconception that damaged and repaired vehicles or Grade “R” vehicles cannot come to NZ. These vehicles CAN and do go to NZ on a regular basis, however it is important to know that there is an increased risk of extra costs when dealing in these vehicles. 

There are a few different options in this category:

• Damaged and unrepaired vehicle: These vehicles will get flagged at the border and have permanent flag with NZTA. These vehicles can be brought into NZ and repaired prior to going to a compliance centre. Note that the repairs must be of to a “manufacturers standard” and must be checked by a NZTA repair certifier. You will need to pay an extra cost of approximately NZ$800 for a repair certification on top of the cost of repairs.  If you are a dealer you are required by law to notify the public if the vehicle was imported as a damaged vehicle.

• Damaged and Repaired vehicle: Quite often a vehicle might have a crash and is repaired in Japan. These vehicles are called grade “R” vehicles at the auction. When inspecting a vehicle in person, you can usually see signs of repair evidence. Depending on the quality of the repair work this vehicle will either need to be re-repaired similar to 1. above, or if the repair work looks of a high standard then the vehicle can go to NZ in a lot of cases without being flagged as damaged at the border. The repair work is usually picked up on at compliance in NZ and the vehicle will need a repair certification by an NZTA repair certifier with a cost of approx NZ$800. As long as the repair is of high quality and considered safe there should be no need for further repair costs.

If it is your first time importing or you do not have any contacts in the auto repair industry then we would not recommend to purchase a grade R vehicle. You can check out some great deals in non accident vehicles at Nikkyo Cars or we can source directly from auction for you.

Article Written By Daniel Wise © 2019-11-11