Rusty Cars

Is rust on cars an issue in New Zealand? I would think not as there's not much call for grit on the roads is there?

Cheers,

Stu

An issue, in what way? Are you asking if any car you have is likely to rust? Or are you wondering if rust on your car is likely to make it fail the WOF?

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Originally Posted by stoorob

Is rust on cars an issue in New Zealand? I would think not as there's not much call for grit on the roads is there?

Cheers,

Stu

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It is an issue but generally not a problem.

NZ has widely a maritime climate so most regions are quite humid; but Central Otago of course. The upper North Island with its high(er) rain fall and temperatures poses more of a problem.

In addition many roads here are not sealed or asphalted but gravel (metal) roads which affects cars quite a bit.

Rust on cars in NZ is not an issue because you won't find many cars that have it. The reason is any signs of rust (rust bubbles, etc.) will fail WOF and thus must be repaired. The only rusty vehicles allowed on the roads are ones where the body is not "structural" to the vehicle - ones that have a proper chassis and even still, it all depends on how much rust as even heavy trucks too can still fail COF/WOF despite the rusty body sits on a full chassis. Modern cars fail road compliance because the body shell itself is structural to the safety of the car - unibody design.

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Originally Posted by Super_BQ

Rust on cars in NZ is not an issue because you won't find many cars that have it. The reason is any signs of rust (rust bubbles, etc.) will fail WOF and thus must be repaired. The only rusty vehicles allowed on the roads are ones where the body is not "structural" to the vehicle - ones that have a proper chassis and even still, it all depends on how much rust as even heavy trucks too can still fail COF/WOF despite the rusty body sits on a full chassis. Modern cars fail road compliance because the body shell itself is structural to the safety of the car - unibody design.

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Here some sources like http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/warr...wof/about.html "rust is not allowed in certain areas" and http://www.vtnz.co.nz/FAQs "What are the rules regarding rust?
A vehicle must not be affected by corrosion or weakening of its structure, that is apparent by visual examination, so that the vehicle is unsafe to operate.
The performance of a frontal impact occupant protection system must not be affected by any factor, including corrosion, structural damage, material degradation, inadequate repair, the fitting of additional equipment, or the removal of equipment."

Cool, thanks for the replies. Was asking as it seems like (from my fairly limited research) that the majority of cars for sale on ad sites are pre 200 (certainly for sub $15k and good make). I know from experience that buy from Japan it's possible to get cars in very good condition due to the lack of salt\grit on the roads there and was wondering if the same was true for New Zealand.

Cheers

Cars that live by the ocean still have their exposure to salt regardless if in NZ or in Japan. But generally speaking, rust isn't an issue for 2nd hand cars sold in NZ.

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Originally Posted by stoorob

I know from experience that buy from Japan it's possible to get cars in very good condition due to the lack of salt\grit on the roads there and was wondering if the same was true for New Zealand.

Cheers

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Yep, my husband reckons cars are much more rusty in the UK than in NZ because of the salt used on the roads.