Failed your WOF at VTNZ Rosedale? What to do next, just across the road

If your car has just failed its WOF at VTNZ Rosedale, keep the fail sheet, get the listed items fixed by any mechanic you choose, and take it back for the free recheck within 28 days. Midas Albany is just opposite, at 3C Saturn Place, so the repairs can be done across the road.

Here's how that goes, step by step, from the car park to the recheck.

Step 1: Keep the fail sheet

The check sheet you've just been handed lists each item that failed and the reason. Put it in the glovebox. It's what any mechanic works from, and it shows the date of the inspection, which starts your 28 days.

If something on it doesn't make sense, now is the easiest time to ask. You're still there, and the inspector can show you the problem.

Step 2: Decide who does the repairs

You can have the repairs done by any mechanic you choose. We've written up your rights after a failed WOF in more detail, including how the recheck works.

Most people pick on three things: who can fit the car in soonest, who's handy, and who gives a clear price before starting. Being just across the road helps with the second one.

Step 3: Come across with the sheet

You've got two options:

1. Drive straight over. If the car is safe to drive, it's a very short trip across the road to 3C Saturn Place. Come to the counter with the fail sheet.
2. Walk over first. Bring the sheet over to the counter first. We'll look at what's listed and talk you through it.

Either way, ring ahead if you can on 09 415 6595, so we can tell you when we can fit the car in. We have two bays, and some days are busier than others.

What to bring: the fail sheet, your keys, and a phone number we can reach you on during the day. That's it.

Step 4: Agree the price, then we fix it

We look at the listed items and give you a price for them. Nothing starts until you've agreed it, and nothing extra is done without your OK in writing (a text is fine). If we spot something that isn't on the sheet, we tell you and you decide. It doesn't get added quietly.

Some fixes need a part ordered in. We'll tell you which up front, so you can plan around it.

Not sure what's behind a fail, such as a warning light? Our $89 diagnostic finds the cause, and it's credited against the repair if we do it.

Step 5: Back across for the recheck

This is NZTA's rule, not ours: the recheck is free if you take the car back to the same inspecting organisation within 28 days of the first inspection. After 28 days, a fee applies and it's a full new inspection. Source: NZTA Vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual, rechecks.

So once we've fixed the listed items, you head back across the road for your recheck.

Fitting it into the 28 days

Twenty-eight days sounds like plenty. It goes quickly once work and school runs get involved. A few tips:

• Book in the first week. That leaves room if a part needs ordering.
• Use a Saturday morning. We're open Saturday 8am to 12pm, handy if weekdays are full.
• Drop off early. We open at 7:30am on weekdays.
• Write the 28-day date on the fail sheet. Then it's not a guess.

Can I drive it in the meantime?

It depends on your WOF date. If your WOF has expired, NZTA's rules only allow the car on the road to get it repaired or re-inspected, and only if it's safe to drive. If your old WOF is still current, the items on the sheet are still safety items. Worn tyres and tired brakes are worth sorting soon, not on the last day. Tyres are one of the most common fails: here's how much tread you need to pass.

Quick questions

WOF repairs in Albany, just across the road

Midas Albany is at 3C Saturn Place, Albany, just opposite VTNZ Rosedale. Family owned since 2004, MTA Assured, and we see customers from Albany, Rosedale and across the North Shore. The price is agreed before any work starts.

See failed your WOF? How we help and WOF in Albany, $79.99.

Call Robin on 09 415 6595, book online, or request a callback. Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4:30pm, Saturday 8am to 12pm.

Written by the Midas Albany team.