Should I get a vehicle history check before buying a used car?
Short answer: yes. The numbers back it up. Based on VIR®s generated over the past three years, one in three vehicles we check has money owing, an inconsistent odometer or is reported stolen.
The four risks a check catches
Buying privately in New Zealand is largely buyer beware. There is no cooling-off period, and unlike buying from a dealer, the Consumer Guarantees Act gives you no right to a repair or refund if something goes wrong. A VIR® takes 15 seconds and costs less than the fuel to drive to the viewing. It is the cheapest insurance you can buy before handing over thousands of dollars.
What can go wrong if you skip the check?
Four problems a viewing will not show you, and a VIR® will.
The car has money owing
If the previous owner took out a loan using the car as security and has not paid it off, the lender keeps a legal claim over the vehicle, even after you buy it. The car can be repossessed from you, and getting your money back means pursuing the seller.
A VIR® reads the Personal Property Securities Register and shows any registered security before you pay, so you can have the seller clear it first.
The odometer has been wound back
A vehicle with 280,000 km on the clock can show 180,000 km on its odometer. MotorWeb checks every odometer reading recorded for the vehicle and surfaces any odometer mismatch clearly in your report, so you know before you pay.
The vehicle is stolen
Buying a stolen vehicle, even unknowingly, means the Police can seize it, and you are left pursuing the seller for your money. Thousands of vehicles are stolen in New Zealand every year, and some re-enter the used market. A VIR® checks whether the vehicle is reported stolen every time.
The car is a flood or damaged import
A VIR® shows whether NZTA have flagged the vehicle as being a flood damaged import, or as imported with obvious damage or deterioration. A flood-damaged vehicle may look and drive fine for months before electrical systems begin to fail.
What does a MotorWeb check cover?
A VIR® runs over 70 checks against NZTA and other government and private sector sources and returns results in seconds. Every report covers:
- Money owing: registered security interests (PPSR)
- Stolen status: whether the vehicle is reported stolen
- Odometer: every reading NZTA holds, inconsistent readings and NZTA odometer flags
- Registration and licensing: whether the licence is current, expired or on hold, and any deregistration
- WOF and Road User Charges status
- Fuel economy and emissions ratings, where available
- Damaged import and flood damage flags
- Security mismatches: a registered security’s plate, VIN or chassis compared with the vehicle’s record
Any problems found are clearly highlighted with plain-English explanations and advice on what to do next, not just a raw data dump.
A VIR does not show a private seller's name or address. That is for privacy reasons; a company or dealer owner is named. To confirm the person selling the car is the registered person, ask to see the certificate of registration, or use NZTA's free confirm registered person tool.
Is it worth it even for a cheap car?
Yes. A car with $8,000 of finance owing on it can be repossessed whether you paid $3,000 or $30,000 for it. The value of the check is not relative to the purchase price. The risk is.
All you need is the plate number. A VIR® runs over 70 checks and returns results in about 15 seconds.
Run a MotorWeb Vehicle Information ReportMotorWeb conducts nearly half a million vehicle checks every year across cars, motorcycles, trucks, trailers, and caravans. Any registered NZ vehicle can be checked.