WOF retests show high fail rate but 20,000 vehicle owners have ignored the recall

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

Only 40 per cent of vehicles undergoing WOF retests passed first time, and one inspector's work had a failure rate of 77 per cent.

More than 20,000 motorists have ignored an offer of free warrant of fitness checks, despite a worryingly high failure rate among those retested.

By Christmas the NZ Transport Agency had asked close to 25,000 vehicle owners to get retests done after a review of its enforcement work resulted in the suspension of about a dozen garages and individuals found to be issuing suspect warrants of fitness (WOFs)

Of 4070 vehicles retested as of last week, 60 per cent had failed their first re-inspection.

Law firm Meredith Connell is overseeing the agency's compliance work and managing partner Steve Haszard urged people to get their vehicles re-checked without delay.

'So far, just 16 per cent of vehicle owners have had their vehicles re-checked.

Only 4070 motorists out of close to 25,000 told to get new warrants for their vehicles have bothered to do so.

'Of those, 83 percent have now passed after re-inspection, but just 40 percent passed their first re-inspection, compared with an overall WOF pass rate in New Zealand of approximately 60 percent.'

Even after one or more reinspections were done, there were still 688 vehicles which had not passed a WOF at the time the data was compiled on January 9.

Super Cheap Tyres & Auto Services Ltd in St Johns, Auckland was among nine WOF outlets suspended.

Haszard said the agency could not legally compel owners to get their vehicles re-inspected, but it was important because they may not have been properly checked during previous WOFs done out by suspended providers.

'All vehicle owners have a responsibility to ensure that their vehicle is up to WOF standard every day it is on the road. Do the right thing, get your vehicle rechecked,' Haszard said.

A review of substandard WOF outlets found that they failed to properly inspect brakes, lights, steering, tyres, exhaust systems and seatbelts, and in some cases unqualified staff were allowed to issue warrants.

'We're not aware of specific concerns relating to individual vehicles, however due to the poor quality of many of these inspections there is a possibility that some vehicles may have been incorrectly passed,' Haszard said.

The transport agency is meeting recheck costs and has been contacting affected owners by letter and through follow-up phone calls since late last year.

Most of the WOF outlets subject to the recall are in Auckland, with others in Northland, Hamilton,Te Aroha and Tokoroa.

The highest failure rate - 77 per cent - was for Te Aroha vehicle inspector Aaron Grant with 68 out of 88 vehicles not passing their first re-inspection, and Beemac Motors in Tokoroa was not far behind.

The issue of substandard warrants was highlighted by a fatal Dargaville crash last January in which a front seat passenger died, and it later transpired his frayed seat belt had been passed in a WOF issued a month earlier by a Dargaville garage.

QC Kristy McDonald was appointed to look into the case and identify specific shortcomings in enforcing safety regulations.

The agency is also the subject of two further reviews of all its operations including one ordered by Transport Minister Phil Twyford.