The AA is warning motorists that they could face significant delays if they wait until the Government’s November 30 deadline to renew their car’s Warrant of Fitness (WoF).
Waka Kotahi NZTA recently confirmed that effective from 15 September 2021, temporary extensions are in place for WoFs/CoFs, vehicle licences and driver’s licences that expire during the period of 21 July 2021 to 30 November 2021.
You must have your WoF/CoF renewed by 11.59pm, 30 November 2021 to ensure your vehicle remains safe to be operated and to avoid potential fines.
Waka Kotahi NZTA data shows there are 1,795,061 WoF/CoF inspections that were due to expire between 21 July 2021 and 30 November 2021 and as of 13 September a total of 1,296,018 inspections remain, with 405,000 of them located in the Auckland region.
The impact of delayed inspections is not just adding congestion at inspection sites as the November cut-off date approaches but if you think ahead to 6 and 12 months down the line- these same inspections will all be up for renewal and potentially creating the same logjam all over again.
The AA encourages those who can, to book in and get their due inspections carried out, as human nature is such that we tend to leave things to the last minute.
AA Motoring Services General Manager Jonathan Sergel says, “All of our sites outside of Auckland are open and operating, and our Auckland ones will begin reopening when the region moves to Alert Level 3.”
Jonathan says the AA is also concerned some motorists may currently be driving unsafe vehicles.
“We know there are motorists who have been diligently ensuring their cars are roadworthy, but we also know many motorists treat getting a WoF as their default safety check.”
“If you fall into the second camp and your car’s WoF has already expired, you could potentially have been driving an unsafe vehicle for some time now - which is very concerning.”
The November 30 document extension also applies to Certificate of Fitness (CoFs), vehicle licensing, driver licences and some vehicle certifications. Since 18 August there are currently 154,854 expired vehicle licences (rego).
It’s important to know that currently you can renew your vehicle licence even if your vehicle inspection has expired, however after 30 November you will need to have a current WoF/CoF before you can renew your rego. The ability to renew your rego online remains available. More details are available below.
Book a WoF at an AA Motoring site
Appointments are not required at our drive-through AA Vehicle Testing Stations and most of our AA Vehicle Inspection sites. You may need to book your WoF inspection in advance at most of our AA Auto Centre sites.
Drive-in AA Vehicle Testing Station locations:
- Auckland - Glen Innes Vehicle Testing Station
- Auckland - AA Auto Centre Mt Roskill – WoF drive-in vehicle testing
- New Plymouth - Bell Block Vehicle Testing Station
- New Plymouth - New Plymouth Vehicle Testing Station
- Nelson - AA Auto Centre Nelson – WoF drive-in vehicle testing
- Christchurch - Hornby Vehicle Testing Station
- Christchurch - Christchurch Airport Auto Centre – WoF drive-in vehicle testing
What does a Warrant of Fitness (WoF) inspection cover?
The inspection is a general safety check. The aspects checked are set out in the NZTA vehicle inspection requirements manual (VIRM) and include:
- Tyre condition (including tread depth)
- Brake operation
- Structural condition (rust is not allowed in certain areas)
- Lights
- Glazing (is your windscreen safe?)
- Windscreen washers and wipers
- Doors (do they open and close safely?)
- Safety belts (must not be damaged or overly faded; buckles must work properly)
- Airbags (if fitted)
- Speedometer (must be working)
- Steering and suspension (must be safe and secure)
- Exhaust (there must be no leaks and the exhaust must not be smoky or louder than the original exhaust system)
- Fuel system (there must be no leaks)
If you’ve modified your car, motorcycle, van or other light vehicle, you may need a low volume vehicle certificate (mod cert)
What doesn’t a Warrant of Fitness doesn’t cover?
A WoF doesn’t dig deep into a vehicle's condition. For example, it doesn't check items like engine, clutch, gearbox and differential condition, lubricant levels, brake pad thickness or life expectancy (unless they are visibly below safe limits), paintwork condition and rust in non-structural areas.
Book your WoF at an AA Motoring site today
Are you affected by the WoF extension? Avoid the queues by booking your car in for its annual WoF today. More information on our WoFs - including pricing - can be found here.
Either drive up to an AA Vehicle Testing Station, including AA Auto Centre Mt Roskill in Auckland (from Alert Level 3) and AA Auto Centre Nelson, or click here to book your WoF at an AA Auto Centre.