People are being reminded to be careful about where they get a Warrant of Fitness (WoF) after a woman received two very different bills when she got a second opinion.
The woman, who did not want to be named, told Newshub a mechanic quoted her $900 for repairs after taking her car in for a WoF.
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"There was the brake light that was $6, the hydraulic brake, front brake pad low, that showed 63 percent... and then there was left front wheel wobbly, that was another $500."
"His recommendations were not only these repairs, but also doing a full wheel alignment, front brake rotors and a service."
Feeling concerned, she went to a different mechanic for a quote on repairs and it was significantly less than originally quoted.
At the second mechanic, she was told there was only one problem with the car - a $6 brake light.
"I told them it was a second opinion and they were actually scrutinising the car, because they knew it was a second opinion WoF, and the only thing that needed replacing was the brake light," she said.
AA vehicle safety spokesperson Stella Stocks told Newshub it doesn't have concrete evidence of mechanics overcharging for repairs after a WoF, but was aware of the practice.
"It's best to get a WoF from an independent provider such as AA or VTNZ or a reputable garage," she said.
"If you are unsure about the quality of the WoF on your vehicle get a second opinion preferably from the outlets previously mentioned."
Ms Stocks said it's difficult to tell if the WoF is dodgy unless it's something a driver can see like tyres. She said the AA urges people to be cautious when a WoF is offered for a cheap price.
New Zealand's WoF system has been under fire recently after it was revealed mechanics had been providing dodgy WoFs.
More than 21,000 cars are suspected to be affected and NZTA chief executive Fergus Gammie resigned amid an investigation into the practice.
Newshub.
