Ask an expert

I've spent months car hunting and finally decided a Mazda station wagon is what I need. I'm looking at 2002-2003 yr with 100-120kms travelled. I usually drive a manual but do a lot of peak hour driving and am constantly changing gears so think an auto is the way to go. I'll get an AA report done of course but is there something more required if it's an automatic? You mention elsewhere that auto transmission should be inspected by specialist. Is tiptronic as reliable or better than normal auto? Is there much difference between buying an import or NZ new? I spent much less time than this buying a house!

I’m not going to ruin your day, you have chosen a very good make/model of vehicle regardless of it being a used import or NZ new.

The reason used imports have become so popular is simply because they are priced better than an equivalent NZ new vehicle. The risks can be a lot higher however. One reason is the grey area around past service and ownership history.

Workshops all over the country will have a story to tell about the expensive engine repairs they have carried out on used imports as a result of lack of servicing. To be fair, there are many used imports which do not suffer in this way either.

You can’t dismiss the risk factor around past servicing when considering the purchase of a used import however.

You have a far better chance of sighting evidence of a past and proven service history when purchasing NZ new while an ownership trail from day one is available for everyone to see. For many buyers, this provides the extra peace of mind they are looking for and are prepared to pay more for these vehicles.

Tiptronic is a basic auto which allows the driver to drive similar to a manual. It provides the option of holding the transmission in a certain gear and making changes when the driver decides basically bypassing the full auto mode. Bit of a novelty for some but handy when descending/ascending hills or towing at times.

An AA inspection should pick up any obvious transmission problems with this vehicle.

If you choose the import and you are going to be the first registered Kiwi owner, it often pays to get a full service carried out to help alleviate any concerns about the past service history. I suggest you get some estimates from your local garage first and allow for these costs when negotiating your buy price.

Thank you so much for the helpful reply. I've put an offer on a NZ new Mazda6 pending an AA inspection. The seller seems quite genuine but there a few alarm bells. Firstly, he claims the car has always been well serviced as it was a leased work vehicle but he couldn't give me the service records. Secondly, the WOF expires in 2 wks and he's not going to renewing it. Would it be safe to assume that if the car passes the AA inspection there's no reason why it wouldn't pass a WOF as well. I'm a bit iffy about handing over money with a WOF about to expire.

If the seller is genuine there should be no issues procuring a new Warrant Of Fitness. By law, a car must have a WoF not more than one month old at the time of sale.

A seller can still sell a vehicle with a current warrant only provided the buyer acknowledges they are accepting the vehicle under this condition. This is best confirmed in writing and signed by both parties.

As a buyer why would you except this?

If the seller wants to sell the vehicle then insist on a new WoF being issued as a condition of sale. If they refuse walk away.

Claims of a car being well service are just that. Insist on some hard evidence.

Is there a service label on the windscreen which may indicate the last service and the garage who carried out the work? That may give you a clue to some sort of past service history.

I also recommend you purchase a AA Vehicle History Report to confirm the past ownership history. It won’t give specific names of private owners but it will provide length of ownership.

I share your concerns.

Thanks Jack. Past ownership checks out ok. Seller says he's selling the car 'as is' - I think he just can't be bothered with going to the effort of taking the car for a WOF. Seems like an odd attitude to have when you're expecting someone to hand over thousands of dollars to you. I'm really interested to see how the AA inspections pans out tomorrow.