11 years ago
If you are buying a car we strongly recommend getting a Vehicle Information Report (VIR) as it will tell you whether a car is reported stolen, has money owing etc.
Reported stolen means the Police have been made aware that the vehicle is stolen. You still need to be careful; if for example, a car is stolen but the owner is overseas then it¿s unlikely they will be aware, therefore won¿t report it as stolen. Furthermore, the thief could actually register the car in their name! The owner wouldn¿t be made aware until they receive a letter from the NZTA.
While rare, these situations do occur. You can minimise the risk by ensuring you view the vehicle at the seller¿s address and asking the seller for the contact details of the previous owner so you can verify they have on-sold the vehicle.
If you discover a car is reported stolen, don¿t panic or raise it with the seller, call the Police
