Car history checks in New Zealand, compared honestly
We sell one of these, so read this knowing that. We have tried to write the page we would have wanted before we built anything: what is genuinely free, what each option really costs, and where somebody else is the better buy.
Prices below were read from each seller’s own website on 2026-08-04.
Start with what costs nothing
A good chunk of what people pay for is free. If all you need is a WoF date or a stolen check, do not pay anyone — including us.
| Where | Price |
|---|---|
| NZ Transport Agency | Free |
| CarJam | Free |
| KickTyres | Free |
What the paid options cost
Cheapest first, including where that is a competitor.
| Where | Price |
|---|---|
| CarJam | $1.95 |
| CarJam | $4.95 |
| KickTyres | $11.00 |
| CarJam | $12.95 |
| KickTyres | $13.49 |
| CarJam | $13.95 |
| KickTyres | $14.90 |
| KickTyres | $17.90 |
| KickTyres | $24.90 |
| MotorWeb | $27.95 |
When you should use someone else
Japanese and American import history
We do not sell it. CarJam does — a Japan report is $41.45 and a US report $14.95. In a market largely built on Japanese imports that is a real gap, and if the auction sheet is what you need, go there.
Buying one small piece on its own
If all you want is a money-owing check, CarJam sells that alone for $1.95. Our cheapest product bundles several things at $11.00, so for that one question they are cheaper.
Being the cheapest full data report
A registered CarJam user pays $12.95 for their full NZ report against our $13.49. If price alone decides it, that is 54c in their favour.
What none of the others do
Every option above sells you the paperwork. That is worth having — money owing and a wound-back odometer are exactly the things that cost people thousands. But the paperwork can be perfect on a car with a known engine fault that will cost you $4,000 next winter.
What breaks on that exact model
Every other option tells you about the paperwork: who owned it, what is owed, whether the odometer adds up. None of them tell you that this engine eats injector seals at 120,000km and it costs $900–$2,400 to fix. That is a different question and it is the one that decides whether the car is a good buy.
A checklist built for that car
The faults become a guided inspection you walk around the car with, on your phone, at the seller. Not a generic 20-point list — the specific things that fail on that generation and engine.
A number to negotiate with
Repair exposure totalled from what you actually found, next to the market valuation. You arrive at the price conversation with a figure instead of a feeling.
Look up a plate
Free, no account. You will see the documented faults for that model before you decide whether to pay for anything.
Check a plateQuestions
What is the cheapest car history check in New Zealand?
Some of it is free. The NZ Transport Agency will tell you a vehicle’s registration and WoF expiry and any alerts against it for nothing, and CarJam does a free stolen check. For a paid report, CarJam’s full NZ report is $13.95, or $12.95 if you create a free account with them. KickTyres data-only products start at $11.00, and the Full History Info is $13.49. Prices checked 2026-08-04.
Is CarJam or KickTyres better?
They answer different questions. CarJam is the better choice if you want the paperwork alone, if you only need one piece of it such as a money-owing search, or if you need Japanese or American import history — we do not sell that at all. KickTyres is the better choice if you want to know what actually goes wrong with that model and engine and want a checklist to inspect it with. If price alone decides it, a registered CarJam user pays 54c less than our comparable product.
Can I check if a car has money owing on it for free?
No. A money-owing check searches the Personal Property Securities Register, and that search costs money wherever you buy it. CarJam sells it alone from $1.85, and it is included in the KickTyres Full History products. What is free is the registration and WoF expiry from the NZ Transport Agency, and a stolen check.
What does a car history check not tell you?
Anything about the mechanical condition of the car in front of you. A history check is a paperwork check: who owned it, what is owed, whether the odometer readings are consistent, whether it has been stolen or written off. It cannot tell you that the engine has a known injector fault, that the gearbox is a weak point on that generation, or what any of it costs to fix.
Do I still need a mechanic?
For the car you actually buy, yes. A history check and a guided inspection narrow the field and tell you what to argue about on price. A mechanic on a hoist is what confirms the one you have chosen, and that typically costs $129–$280 in New Zealand.