What Does a Mechanic Check at a WoF? The Full NZ Checklist (2026)

A warrant of fitness (WoF) is a safety inspection that confirms your vehicle meets the minimum standard to be driven on New Zealand roads. This checklist covers every item an inspector looks at on a car, ute or van, the new check added on 1 November 2026, and the faults we see fail most often at our Henderson and Avondale workshops.

Updated November 2026 for the new WoF rules.

What changed on 1 November 2026

The biggest WoF changes in years came into effect on 1 November 2026. The inspection itself is much the same, but how often you need one has changed for most vehicles.

• New vehicles: first WoF at registration, then at 4 years old (previously 3).
• 4 to 14 years old, first registered on or after 1 November 2019: every 2 years.
• 4 to 14 years old, first registered 1 November 2013 to 31 October 2019: annually until 31 October 2027, then every 2 years.
• 14 to 26 years old: annually, no change.
• First registered before 1 January 2000: annually instead of every 6 months.

A new item on the WoF checklist. Inspectors now check that no warning or malfunction light is showing for any advanced driver assistance system, such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) or Lane Keep Assist. A vehicle with one of these lights on will not pass until the fault is fixed.

Fines are higher. Driving with a WoF that expired more than two months ago now costs $350, up from $200.

Your current WoF stays valid until its expiry date. The new timing starts from your first inspection after the change applies to your vehicle. NZTA has the official summary of the changes, and our WoF page has the full rules table. Or call us with your registration and we’ll tell you which group you’re in.

The WoF checklist: what the inspector checks

Every item on this WoF checklist has to pass for your vehicle to get a warrant. It covers cars and light commercial vehicles such as utes and vans.

1. Lights: headlights on low and high beam, including aim so they don’t dazzle oncoming drivers, plus parking lights, indicators, hazard lights, stop lamps, tail lamps, number plate lamps and reversing lights.
2. Brakes: the foot brake is tested for stopping power and side-to-side balance, along with the park brake. Hoses, pipes and fluid leaks are checked, and the ABS warning light on vehicles fitted with it.
3. Tyres and wheels: at least 1.5mm of tread across the tyre, no cuts, bulges or exposed cords, the same type of tyre on each axle, and wheels secure.
4. Steering and suspension: wear in steering joints and the rack, suspension bushes, ball joints, springs, and shock absorbers that leak or no longer work.
5. Structure and rust: rust in structural areas such as sills, chassis rails, pillars, floor pans and suspension mounts. Surface rust on outer panels usually doesn’t fail.
6. Seatbelts: webbing in good condition, buckles that latch and release, and retractors and anchorages that work.
7. Seats: secure, with seat backs that lock in place.
8. Doors: open from inside and outside, and latch securely.
9. Windscreen and windows: no cracks or large chips in the driver’s line of sight, and window tint within the legal limit.
10. Wipers and washers: working and clearing the screen.
11. Mirrors: required mirrors fitted, secure and usable.
12. Horn: working.
13. Speedometer: working.
14. Exhaust: no leaks, mounted securely, and not excessively noisy or smoky.
15. Fuel system: no leaks, with the tank and lines secure.
16. Airbags and driver assistance warning lights: no airbag warning light, and from 1 November 2026 no warning light for driver assistance systems such as AEB or Lane Keep Assist.
17. Number plates and identification: plates fitted and readable, and identification matching the vehicle’s records.
18. Towbar, if fitted: secure, with no cracks or damage.

What fails most often

Across our two workshops, the same three areas account for most WoF failures:

• Lights. Mostly stop lamps, tail lamps and number plate lamps, plus headlamp aim. These are usually quick to fix, but they still mean a fail and a recheck.
• Suspension. Top strut mounts, front lower arm bushes, shock absorbers and sway bar links. See our suspension repairs page.
• Brakes. Worn pads and rotors, and brakes that don’t pull up evenly on the brake machine. See our brake repairs page.

Before your WoF: run through this WoF checklist yourself. Ask someone to walk around the vehicle while you work every light, including the brake lights, check for warning lights on the dash, and make sure the washer bottle is full. If your headlights are cloudy, our headlight restoration can help.

What a WoF is not

A WoF is a safety check on the day of inspection. It doesn’t tell you how reliable the vehicle is, the condition of the engine, cooling system or transmission, or whether accessories such as the radio or air conditioning work. A car can pass its WoF and still need a service or major repairs soon after.

If you’re buying a vehicle, book a pre-purchase inspection instead. To keep your own vehicle reliable, it needs regular servicing as well as its WoF.

Off-year safety checks

With most vehicles now on a two-year WoF, brakes and tyres can go two years without being checked, but they keep wearing at the same rate. Our KAARCheck covers the key safety items in the years your WoF isn’t due: tyres, brakes, battery, lights and warning lights, steering, suspension, seatbelts, wipers and fluid levels.

A KAARCheck is $49 incl GST, or free with any Full Service, and you get a written report with photos of anything that needs attention. It isn’t a WoF and no certificate is issued. More details are on our WoF page.

What if your vehicle is modified?

Modifications must still meet WoF rules. The common ones we see are window tint that’s too dark, lowered suspension and aftermarket exhausts. Some modifications also need LVVTA certification before a vehicle can pass. If you’re unsure, call us before your inspection and we’ll tell you what’s needed.

Where to get your WoF

WoFs are done by testing stations and authorised workshops. The advantage of a workshop is that most failed items can be repaired on site, often the same day, instead of going somewhere else and coming back for a recheck.

At KAAR, both our Henderson and Avondale workshops do WoFs. We prefer you drop your vehicle off, so we have time to price any repairs, call you, and with your approval get them done the same day. Wait-while-you-go times are also available. If your vehicle fails, you have 28 days to get the repairs done and come back to the same workshop for a free recheck.