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.
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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.
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- 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.
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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