Nearly 15,000 vehicles needing WOF retests

Two further suspensions of warrant of fitness inspectors has pushed the number of vehicles requiring retesting to almost 15,000.

It now means 15 individuals or businesses have been suspended from certifying warrants, landing the NZ Transport Agency with a rapidly climbing bill for rechecks.

The two latest suspensions are in Auckland, where most of the suspect WOF testing has occurred, and affect more than 5000 vehicle owners.

On Friday the NZ Transport Agency suspended the inspection rights of Auckland’s Jet Tyres and Wheel Alignment and the business’ sole vehicle inspector, Anderson Lee.

The agency said this followed concerns about Lee’s failure to check some aspects of vehicles WOF assessments, such as lights, brakes, steering, tyres, exhaust systems and seatbelts.

NZTA also found that an unauthorised person was carrying out WOF inspections on Lee’s behalf.

The agency said it had also suspended Auckland inspector Susantha Ranatunga, who was non-compliant in almost every area of technical inspections he did for Onehunga’s Church Street Motors and Tyres, but the company retained its appointment as an inspecting organisation so it could continue to issue WOFs.

NZTA said it was unaware of specific concerns relating to individual vehicles affected by the suspensions, however, due to the poor quality of the inspections, it was possible some vehicles may have been incorrectly passed.

The agency is therefore contacting all 5046 people with current WOFs issued by Ranatunga or Jet Tyres and Wheel Alignment, and is encouraging them to get their vehicles rechecked using free vouchers it will provide.