See a car you like, but it's not available where you are? Well, we can source it for you if it's a JDM car, but there are a few things you should know if you are located in New Zealand.
New Zealand does not have a year restriction on importing cars, but it does have other rather strict rules regarding used cars. Below are some guidelines on what to look for in simple terms:
Emission Standards: the model number of the car has to have 3 letters to pass New Zealand's emission standards.
Frontal Impact Standards: cars manufactured on or after 1996 or 4x4/SUV manufactured on or after 1st October 2003 complies with the frontal impact standards (if a car is over 20 years from manufacture date, this may be waived).
Electronic Stability Control (ESC): all vehicles MUST have ESC installed (except for vehicles over 20 years from manufacture date or special interest vehicles). JDM cars have the ESC made mandatory from October 2010 onwards for all registered vehicles, and from October 2014 onwards for mini cars.
The tricky part here is when you want a car under 20 years from manufacture date but was manufactured before the frontal impact standards and ESC was made mandatory.
For example, if you want to get a 2010 Toyota Alphard, you would have to physically check if the ESC is installed. This information is not made available on auction information sheets.
Or if you want a 2002 SUV, you would have to be extra careful to check whether it passes the frontal impact standards.
In our case, a common request we've received is for the Toyota Hilux Surf 215 series. This the 215 Surfs were manufactured from 2002-2009. This makes it not eligible for import into New Zealand due to one main reason: the ESC is not installed on the 215 Surf.
We unfortunately had to tell our customers that it is unavailable at the moment, but thanks to the 20 year exemption, they will become available for import starting from late 2022 onwards (depending on the manufacture date).
Once you have a car that can be imported, the condition of the car has to be thoroughly checked as well. This includes checking the odometer, any contaminants (soil, animal, plant, etc.), and any damage the car may have. This service can be offered as part of a shipping package by some shipping companies or it may incur a separate fee.
One particular thing note is the heat treatment that is mandatory during the fall and winter months of Japan. Here, we have this insect commonly called the stink bug, that has to be completely removed from the car before shipment. This will incur a separate fee, but we have to help New Zealand prevent the invasion of these critters as best we can.
For further information on New Zealand's import rules and regulations, we recommend you contact an entry certifier directly or visit the NZTA website:
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