Servo - Christchurch City, New Zealand

A warrant of fitness (WoF) is a regular check to ensure that your vehicle meets required safety standards.
As a car owner it’s your job to always keep your car up to WoF condition. For example, while tyres on your vehicle may pass on the day of your warrant inspection, you’ll need to replace them as soon as the tread gets to the minimum depth. If you wait until the next inspection before replacing them, you increase your risk of having a crash or receiving a fine.

The min legal tread depth for tyres in NZ is 1.5mm which is not much given that tyres are the only thing between your car and the road. Tyres can also wear unevenly so it’s important to check them regularly and keep them inflated correctly. Incorrectly inflated tyres can be dangerous, can wear out faster and result in reduce fuel economy.
For Warrant of Fitness requirements, tyres on the same axle must be of the same size designation, construction and the same tread pattern type (e.g. asymmetrical, directional, rotational). However, there is no legal requirement for tyres on all axles to be the same tread, even though NZTA indicates that fitting four identical tyres (preferably summer) provides the best grip.
There are all sorts of different types of tyres to suit different driving conditions and types of vehicles. It can be confusing to understand what you can mix and match safely, especially if you don’t know too much about cars.
When investing in new tyres its also recommended to get a wheel alignment to help maximise the life of the tyres. When buying tyres, it really does pay to shop around. There are around 1,000 tyre retailers in NZ so the best way to shop around for tyres in your local area is to shop around on Servo.

Your car brakes are one of the most critical parts of a motor vehicle. Failing brakes can cost you dearly, but most issues give you plenty of warning before failure occurs.
A Warrant of Fitness (WoF) inspection will check how well your brakes are working and whether there are any faults such as leaking fluid or worn pads. Noisy brakes are one of the most common braking system issues a car owner will notice.
Signs of issues with your car's brakes can include;

Brakes grind or squeal
Brake pedal is low, hard, soft or spongy
Steering wheel shudders under braking
Your car loses grip under braking
Your pulls to one side under braking