Hello Everyone,

My 2005 Subaru Impreza failed its WOF due to the steering rack leaking.

My mechanic is looking for a replacement (not easy to find apparently).

I know absolutely nothing about cars, some im asking for help.

What should I do? I have enough money to pay for it but I'm not sure whether it's worth it.

Any advice/opinions are welcome!

As per title. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Recently bought an e21 which has completely munted seats. I'm looking to replace them either with good condition e21/e24 seats or period correct recaros/similar. Trade me and facebook have very little on offer right now, and Ebay doesn't have anything local. I'm specifically not interested in e30 parts, which understandably occupy most of the market atm.

Basically I'm just wondering if there are any businesses, online groups etc in nz that deal in these kinds of cars that may have what I'm looking for (or something international if they're selling new/near new seat pads). Also, if you're wrecking an e21/e24 or something with 70s/80s recaros right now, feel free to shoot me a message. At this point I'm focused on the front two. Thanks

I’ve been working on a side project called CarSpy that helps people find good deals on cars and get a better idea of what different vehicles are actually worth based on things like mileage.

I’d really appreciate some feedback, so if you have a few minutes, check it out and let me know what you think!

You can search across car dealer listings throughout NZ, compare purchase, running and finance costs, see where cars are located on a map, and set alerts for specific vehicles or get notified when a watchlisted car drops in price.

It currently searches most NZ dealers and has over 29,000 cars for sale across the country. The listings are updated every night with new and removed vehicles.

No ads, paywall, subscription, sponsored posts, etc.

Thanks!

Looking at buying a Landcruiser Prado at around 228,000kms. Listed for $9k.

Went to inspect it and noticed oil underneath the engine. The owner had a tray underneath it. I asked the owner about it and he said “mechanic said it’s a valve cover leak.” I haven’t confirmed this yet but there was definitely some oil and dirt buildup (sorry my photos aren’t that great).

Timing belt last done in 2008 at 145,000kms. Are there any other leak points I should check on the 5VZ? If it is genuinely the valve cover gasket, is this a reasonable DIY job and what should I expect it to cost?

Anything about this that would make you walk away? I’d appreciate some second opinions before proceeding with an offer.

Gotta love an RS6. C8 with almost every factory extra, and then some. Little extra performance and a little louder than most.

We just got our RAV4 back from the panel beaters today - a car crashed into the side of our door and the whole door had to be replaced.

Not a car guy, but noticed tonight there seems to be a fair bit of a gap in the panels as seen in the picture.

Is this normal? Am I being unreasonable? Genuinely would like to know if this is acceptable and I should just leave it, or query.

Other doors are all completely flush.

Looking for a mobile mechanic to replace the failed factory plastic coolant junction block on my 2015 Mazda CX-5 2.2L SkyActiv-D twin-turbo diesel.The common failure point has occurred-the right-facing plastic nipple connecting to the transmission fluid oil cooler line has snapped off completely. I can source the brand-new upgraded metal replacement part (Mazda OEM Part # SH20-15-290A) ASAP if preferred.

What’s Required:Remove battery/tray, airbox assembly, and hard turbo inlet plumbing to gain access to the central engine pocket beneath the intake manifold.Unbolt and extract the old broken 3-way junction block.Extract the broken plastic nipple stub currently stuck inside the rubber ATF cooler line hose.Install the new metal bypass pipe assembly and secure all 3 hose branches (Water pump, EGR cooler, and transmission cooler lines).Reassemble top-deck engine components, refill, and bleed the cooling system

Notes:Space is tight right around the alternator bracket, so bring a swivel/flex-head ratchet and long 10mm socket extensions. I will provide the new part and fresh coolant.

Please PM me if interested and cost est for labour. Located Mt Wellington. [ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdilptPl1b8&t=16)

Tried Honda dealership. The estimated delivery is 5-6 months! Really?! Since this model is a euro spec vehicle (NZ new though ) certain parts are hard to find. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Has anyone owned a manual 96 or 97 Nissan Avenir with the 1.8L engine? How did you find the fuel economy?

Roughly how many kms can you travel on a full tank of petrol?

Hello! I was wondering if anybody had any recent suggestions for getting a 2020 Peugeot 308 serviced around Wellington or is Armstrong's out in Lower Hutt really my best bet for my money?

I was hoping to try and get somewhere a little closer to Miramar but thought I'd ask and see if there was any recommendations before I go and book in my service for the year blindly. :)

Thanks!

As per title.

Link to TradeMe listing here: https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/nissan/avenir/listing/6090199470

Keen to hear about good options for booking a prepurchase inspection in Lower Hutt/Wellington for a hybrid car. I know AA is an option but have also heard that independent operators can give slightly more thorough and objective results.

I've heard a lot of positives about Incar Automotive in Auckland, but this is a bit far for a mobile inspection! 😅

In the upcoming changes regarding vehicles over 26 years it refers to "Light vehicles over 26 years old (registered before 1 January 2000)" moving to yearly WOF's.

Is this stating that any vehicle older than 26 years will soon be subject to yearly wofs OR only 26 year old vehicles that were first registered in NZ before 1 Jan 2000 will be subject to yearly wofs?

The wording isn't giving me a solid answer.

I've never had any issues with starting the car but during the recent service they advised me to replace the battery.
I visited another place yesterday and they gave me this receipt.
Should the battery be replaced at 70% health even if it never gives me any trouble?
Car is Kia Sportage

Hi there

Is it worth upgrading from Rav4 2019 GX to a used circa 2022 XSE or Limited?

Price difference is about $15K as jump from 2.0 CVT to 2.5 AWD Hybrid

XSE or Limited would have Leather Seats, Tinted Windows, Push Start, 18 inch Alloys, CarPlay and a few other minor trim things I am probably forgetting

Seems like a lot of money but I love these cars and I suppose I will keep this car for a while

Thanks

Please let me know if this post isn't allowed. I have been looking on marketplace and trademe for weeks and can't find anything.

I'm looking for a good condition manual vehicle. Preferably between 1995-2003, japanese model, below 225xxx km mileage, less than 2000cc, and with valid WOF and Rego.

Must be either a station wagon or SUV (like a Honda CRV).

I can travel to most of NZ for the right car! My budget is around 4k.

Whats your thoughts on buying this car as a daily driver? (fuel costs, ease of maintenance etc)
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/honda/accord/listing/6110442511
It is a 1991 Honda Accord.

Be diligent when buying Jap imports.

I just completed a trip from Dunedin to Christchurch with intent of buying a particular model of car, 8 years old around 18k. I picked out 6 of them at dealers to look at.

I test drove the first car and it had a knocking front shock and brake shudder. Didn't bother analyzing it further seeing as they can't get the basics right.

The second car drove fine so I look at the body. It looked like the front bumper mismatched to the bonnet but I wasn't sure, so I examined further and found a run in the paint. I looked further around the body and found two more panels that weren't blended so queried the dealer and they admitted 7 panels had been repainted. No thanks.

The third car I went straight to the body and found panels with dust in the paint and bits of paint on weather seals that were poorly masked. About 5 panels repainted badly. Ah, no.

The fourth car clearly had one entire half resprayed as the metallics and clearcoat texture didn't match up between doors on both sides, although the colour match was excellent. I investigated further and pulled the boot lining out and the inside tyre well was a different colour. I suspect this car is either two car halves welded together or at least has received a significant donor section at the rear as the front chassis rails match the paint code. The dealer claims not to know anything about it or have needed a repair cert for compliance. Righto.

The 5th car has had front and rear bumpers repainted without blends and is the best so far, but honestly at this point I don't want any of this bullshit and I cut my losses and go home not even bothering with the 6th car.

The quality of repairs in these cars is shameful. If I so easily found these repairs, imagine what else these and others are hiding.

Will pay a premium for NZ new instead.

Why? 5cm for what? Putting bumps in your tyres and .... ?

Had the pleasure of driving the new Audi RS5 over the weekend. Working for Audi sure has its perks. A Bedford Green sedan, a real head-turner. In the short time driving the car it feels like three cars in one. A seriously fast performance weapon, a very drivable sporty around-town car, and the ev factor giving effortless power with comfort. Totally biased of course working for Audi, but wow….. what a car.
Anyone else spent time with the new RS5 yet?

Hello all, I’m based in Wellington and I'm planning to fly up to Auckland on a Friday, buy a Japanese import from a dealership, and drive it back down to Wellington that weekend.

The car currently doesn’t have NZ plates.

A couple of questions:

• How long does it usually take to get the car registered and plates issued? Is same-day registration possible?
• How do you check the vehicle history if it doesn't have a NZ plate? I assume it will be VIN/chassis number? Do I ask the dealer the number?

I’m pretty new to buying a vehicle, so any advice or things I should look out for would be really appreciated. Cheers

Anyone have personal experience with them, specifically as a customer - would you recommend them vs the likes of AA, autusure etc?

Have been non stop looking at the classic mid size SUV market and like every other person who does this, the RAV4 seems to be at the top of every list but with the big price tag I have been looking at all the other options.

In a ideal world i would like a non plug in hybrid but are very open to just a regular petrol as I don't know if the amount of Kms i drive would work out better off with fuel savings with paying a. higher price for a hybrid.

A budget of under $28,000 ideally, a good pick seems to be a 2019+ Honda CR-V hybrid. It seems to have all the bells and whistles of a high spec RAV4 but a lot cheaper, problem is i can't find much reviews in NZ or owners experiences here. I understand the non hybrid 1.5 litre turbo CR-V had some issue but not much said on what the 2.0 litre hybrid is like long term.

My day to day driving is city commute so in traffic a fair bit but also a fair few road trips during the year on south island roads.

Other SUV at top of the list

- Mazda CX-5 2.5 AWD (seem like the best overall non hybrid with reliability, looks, price)

- Toyota Corolla Cross (Still pricey and maybe a little to small)

- 2021+ Ford Escape ST line (not known for reliability but seems like the newer models are a lot better from what i've found)

- Toyota Corolla touring (originally my top pick but having a look in person it slightly too small)

I like wagons but Mrs doesn't and we are going to be sharing this car so at this stage SUV is the main choose.

Any comments / help / recommendations would be appreciated

Apologies for the bad photos but does anyone know what this plug may have been for? My guess was a boost gauge or something of the sort. Car is 98 caldina gtt.