More than 40,500 vehicles recalled for new WOFs

Wednesday, 17 April 2019

The number of vehicles requiring warrant of fitness rechecks has now surpassed 40,500 but many motorists continue to ignore recall notices from the NZ Transport Agency.

Since the agency began cracking down on WOF standards in October, 18 businesses and more than 20 inspectors have been suspended from issuing warrants.

Some garages did not have the right equipment to test brakes and lights, passed faulty vehicles, or allowed unauthorised staff to do inspections.

As of the end of March, just under a third of the vehicles recalled had been re-inspected, and of those re-tested, 60 per cent failed first time around. 

**READ MORE:

* Hamilton WOF inspector let unauthorised people use his credentials

* Slack car maintenance blamed for poor WOF recall response 

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

* Transport Agency bans use of more than 1400 tow bars**

Issues with lights were the most common reason for vehicles to fail, followed by steering and suspension, tyres, and brakes. 

In the last week three Auckland garages - Autozone Services, Peninsula Motors in Whangaparoa, and World Motors in Glenfield - were suspended, resulting in 4333 vehicles being recalled because of the possibility they had incorrectly been classed as roadworthy.

In the case of Peninsula Motors the agency said inspector Graeme Jordan admitted to passing a vehicle with serious defects on the basis of customer assurances they would have the mechanical issues fixed following the inspection.  

Affected motorists are offered vouchers valid for six months to get new warrants, and the Transport Agency plans to recoup the cost of rechecks from suspended WOF agents, but it cannot compel owners to have their vehicles retested.