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Anon
By AA | Moderator | 844 Posts | 27 January 2011 at 11:07am

Recently I have asked several car sellers what they need to display when they talk about a car's age.

Some say that they use the date that the vehicle was first registered in NZ (particularly used imports) and others say that they must advertise the correct year of manufacture.

I had thought the law had been changed so that it was the latter.

Which is it?

Neil

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 11 December 2009

jbiddle
By jbiddle | Community Member | 1657 Posts | 27 January 2011 at 11:25am

I assume you are talking about registered Motor Traders (car dealers).

As a slight aside, listed below is a brief outline of when specific details about a car offered for sale must be made available to the buying public;

A Consumer Information Notice (CIN) must be attached to any used motor vehicle sold by a Motor Vehicle Trader - whether this is at a traditional car yard, at a car fair or display for sale operation. If a trader is selling used cars on the internet they must have a link to the CIN on the same web page as the car is offered for sale.

Private car sales do not need a CIN however if a consumer is making a private sale at a car fair, display for sale operation, or on the internet through a car market operator, then a CIN must be provided.

From July 2008 details appearing on the notice were altered and at the same time a name change took place with the Supplier Information Notice (SIN) becoming a Consumer Information Notice (CIN).

To answer your question then; The vehicle year must indicate the year of first registration anywhere in the world for all vehicles first registered after January 2007. For older vehicles, the vehicle year can be either the year of first registration or the year of manufacture or the vehicle year according to the car-maker.

For a used import this would mean the original date of first registration (or the year of manufacturer etc as above) not the date of first registration in NZ.

Also worth noting;
When you purchase a car from a Licensed Trader, they must ask you to sign the CIN as proof that they have provided it to you.
The Trader must also give you a copy of the CIN. If you have some problems later, this copy provides evidence of the vehicle details provided when you made the purchase.