If you are planning to buy a used vehicle in NZ, you can check out the Ellerslie Car Fair held weekly at the Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland every Sunday (note: the vehicles listed in their website is fewer than the ones that actually show up on the fair). For an estimation of the vehicle price, you can check out Turner’s price check page. It is quite advisable to visit the Car Fair as you get a first hand feel and idea about the various makes and models and their prices. Some sellers that have over-priced their vehicles can even bring it down based on the competing prices. The Seller pays NZD 20 for his/her vehicle listing at the Fair. It is a free entry for (potential) Buyers.
At the Car Fair you can test drive vehicles that you are interested. You can check the vehicle history (ownership, lemon check, stolen or not, money owed) at the following websites: Carjam, Motorweb, Checka. These websites do NOT provide the mechanical service history of the vehicle. For a complete pre-purchase inspection check you have to rely on VTNZ pre-purchase inspection check report (usually takes an hour and a half) or an on-site mechanic that can run the check for you at the Car Fair. The following person also offers on-site vehicle inspection at the Car Fair. Remember you are in NZ and life moves slowly. It would be hard for find a mechanic after 5:30 PM on weekdays and even more on weekends. If you have a mechanic friend then it could be quite handy while purchasing a used campervan or car. Also, I have noted some dubious persons citing “their move to Australia” as a reason to sell the car and that they “would be leaving NZ in the next couple of days”, so the paperwork has to be done at the earliest. These folks show up every other week at the Car Fair trying to see if they can sell a vehicle to the gullible. Just be watchful and do NOT be tempted to buy from such folks. In doubt, run a full mechanical inspection check.
While buying a used vehicle, please check for the expiry date of the vehicle’s registration and its Warrant of Fitness (a.k.a WoF). Commercial vehicles have Certificate of Fitness; Registration can be extended in multiples of three months to a maximum term of twelve months. Vehicles that are more than two years old are subjected to WoF – once every six months. WoF ensures that the vehicle is safe to be used for transportation and it does NOT ensure a deep mechanical inspection. So, you have to rely on a more detailed pre-purchase inspection report. Pre-purchase inspection reports can cost you anywhere between NZD 100 to NZD 140 and it makes sense to use it only when you think you are about to finalize a deal. Inform the owner that you might deduct any cost that the (neutral) mechanic figures out to fix the issues listed in the detailed report.
If you purchase vehicles that use diesel as fuel then you have to factor in Road User Charges (RUC). The Seller should have paid in advance for RUC up to a certain kilometers and shouldn’t have exceeded it while selling the vehicle (i.e. the vehicle can have RUC in credit). RUC can be paid at the nearest postshop, AA or even at gas stations where you fill up your tank.
New Zealand car market is dominated by second hand Japanese imports (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Daihatsu – to name a few). You might have to check if it is used import or a new import (sometimes, it could be a vehicle that was affected by flooding and could have been imported). Usually vehicles that have a well kept maintenance record are more reliable (example: family owned) than the ones with faulty odometer readings and multiple owners (once that might have been bought and sold for campervan use over short period of time). There are quite a number of stores that trade second hand parts of Japanese makes – so getting one shouldn’t be an issue.
Car Fair of the above mentioned sort offer a number of choices only in major cities (especially Auckland and Christchurch). You have to note that 30 percent of NZ population lives in Auckland and hence the supply demand associated with it. Backpacker NZ has an excellent resource on buying a used vehicle in NZ. They have a notice board that allows backpackers to list their vehicles for sale. Check it out as well! You can also check out Gumtree listings for used vehicles.
Samarins guide to buying a used vehicle
NZ Police Stolen Vehicle Check Registry (free check)
Check if the vehicle owes money (nominal fee might apply). You can use TXTB4UBUY service.
Motor vehicle Trader Registration Check Registry (free check)
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