Toyota Hiace & Nissan E25/E26 Mirror Replacement Guide | Car Parts Market | Car Parts Market
Hiace and Nissan Mirrors: Choosing the Right One
6 min read
A van carries more mirrors than most drivers realise, and they are not interchangeable. Here is how to identify the one you need, and what an inspector checks on it.
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A van carries more mirrors than a car, and they are not interchangeable with each other. A Toyota Hiace can have a door mirror, a guard mirror and a tailgate mirror fitted at the same time, each doing a different job and each a different part.
This guide covers how to identify the one you need across the Toyota Hiace and Nissan Caravan NV350, and what a New Zealand warrant of fitness inspection checks on it.
What mirrors does a Toyota Hiace have?
A Hiace typically carries three distinct mirror types, and the names matter when ordering:
Door mirror — mounts on the door or A-pillar, one per side. This is the main rear-view mirror.
Guard mirror — mounts on the front guard, looking down. It shows the kerb-side blind spot, low and forward.
Tailgate mirror — mounts at the rear, above the tailgate. A reversing aid on high-roof and commercial bodies.
Car Parts Market holds 28 mirror products across both van platforms. Of those, 21 are door mirrors, with the remainder made up of mirror brackets, mirror covers and cover sets, one guard mirror and one tailgate mirror.
If you are replacing "the mirror" on a van, it is almost always the door mirror. The guard and tailgate mirrors are additional and are not fitted to every body style.
Which door mirror fits my van?
Car Parts Market records all four on every listing.
Four things decide it: the vehicle, the generation, the side, and the mirror's function.
By vehicle and generation, current coverage is:
Toyota Hiace H200 — 18 mirror products
Toyota Hiace H300 — 4 mirror products
Nissan Caravan E26 (NV350) — 4 mirror products
Nissan Caravan E25 — 2 mirror products
Mirrors do not cross generations. A Toyota Hiace H200 door mirror does not fit an H300, because the H300 has a different door and A-pillar structure. A Nissan Caravan E25 mirror does not fit an E26.
Manual, electric, heated or folding — how do I tell?
Look at the door card first. If there is a joystick or a switch panel for adjusting the mirrors, the van has electric mirrors. If adjustment is by hand — pushing the glass, or a small lever inside — they are manual.
Car Parts Market records the function on each mirror listing, using terms including manual, electric, electric folding, electric glass adjustment, heated and blind-spot. A van fitted with electric mirrors needs an electric replacement: a manual mirror will physically mount in some cases but leaves the switch dead and the glass unadjustable from the seat.
Finish is recorded the same way — chrome, black, grey, or painted to a body colour. This is cosmetic rather than functional, but it is the difference between a mirror that matches the van and one that does not.
LH or RH — which side do I need?
In New Zealand, RH is the driver's side and LH the passenger's, because New Zealand is a right-hand-drive market. Car Parts Market states the side on every mirror listing.
Mirrors are sold individually, so replacing both means ordering two.
The kerb-side mirror — LH in New Zealand — takes the most damage, because it is the one that meets gateposts, hedges and other vehicles in narrow streets. If you are ordering a single replacement, it is usually this one.
Be careful with listings from overseas sites. In a left-hand-drive market the convention is reversed, and an "LH" mirror there is the driver's side.
Does a WoF check mirrors in New Zealand?
Yes, and on more than whether the glass is intact. The New Zealand Transport Agency's inspection manual sets out specific reasons for rejection covering mounting, adjustment and the view provided.
A rear-view mirror fails if it:
is not mounted securely;
cannot be adjusted;
cannot maintain its adjusted position;
is corroded or dirty;
is damaged so that it increases the risk of injury to vehicle occupants;
does not provide a clear view to the rear of the vehicle; or
is not sufficiently isolated from vibrations.
Two of those catch out more vans than broken glass does. A mirror that will not hold its adjusted position — one that creeps back down as you drive, common where the internal mechanism has worn — is a failure even though the mirror is undamaged. So is a corroded or delaminated mirror face, where the silvering has lifted behind the glass and the reflection has gone milky.
Both are replacement jobs. Neither is repairable to a standard that will pass.
A missing mandatory mirror is also a failure. Which mirrors are mandatory depends on the vehicle class, so a mirror that was fitted from the factory should be replaced rather than removed.
How to check your mirrors before a WoF
Four checks, two minutes:
Grip and wobble. Take hold of each mirror housing and move it. A mirror that rocks on its mount, or that rattles at idle, will fail on security or vibration.
Adjust and leave it. Set each mirror where you want it, then drive and check whether it is still there. A mirror that creeps is a failure.
Look at the glass face-on in daylight. Cloudiness, dark blotches at the edges or a rainbow sheen mean the silvering is breaking down behind the glass.
Sit in the driver's seat and check the view. Each mirror should show a clear view down the side of the van. If a cracked housing has shifted the glass out of alignment and it can no longer be adjusted back, that is a failure on two grounds.
Each listing states the vehicle, the generation, the year range, the side and the mirror's function. Mirror covers and cover sets are listed separately from complete mirrors — useful if the housing is scuffed but the mechanism and glass are sound, which is a genuinely cheaper repair than replacing the whole unit.
The WoF parts page collects the categories most often needed after a failed inspection.
Car Parts Market is based at 11A Akatea Road, Glendene, Auckland. Orders ship throughout New Zealand and to Australia, and click and collect is available from the Glendene warehouse. New aftermarket parts carry a three-month warranty; terms and conditions apply.
If you are not certain which mirror your van takes, email support@carpartsmarket.co.nz or phone 09 243 1350 with the registration or chassis number. Where compatibility is confirmed in writing before purchase, the Fitment Guarantee applies.
Frequently asked questions
Does a New Zealand WoF check wing mirrors?
Yes. The NZTA inspection manual rejects a rear-view mirror that is insecurely mounted, cannot be adjusted, cannot hold its adjusted position, is corroded or dirty, or does not give a clear view to the rear. A mirror that creeps out of position while driving fails even though the glass is undamaged.
What is a guard mirror on a Toyota Hiace?
A guard mirror mounts on the front guard and looks downward, showing the low kerb-side blind spot immediately forward of the van. It is separate from the door mirror and is not fitted to every body style. Car Parts Market lists guard mirrors separately from door mirrors and mirror covers.
Will a Toyota Hiace H200 mirror fit an H300?
No. The H300 has a different door and A-pillar structure from the cab-over H200, so the mounting differs and the mirrors do not interchange. Car Parts Market records mirrors against a single generation, currently 18 products for the H200 and 4 for the H300.
Can I replace just the mirror cover instead of the whole mirror?
Often, yes. If the housing is scuffed or cracked but the glass and adjustment mechanism still work correctly, a cover or cover set is a cheaper repair than a complete mirror. Car Parts Market lists mirror covers and cover sets as separate products from complete mirror assemblies.
Which mirror side is the driver's side in New Zealand?
RH is the driver's side and LH the passenger's, because New Zealand drives on the left. Mirrors are sold individually, so replacing both means ordering two. Listings from left-hand-drive markets use the opposite convention, so check the side against the New Zealand listing rather than a part number.
Source. Mirror requirements quoted from the NZ Transport Agency Vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual, in-service WoF and CoF: 5-4 Rear-view mirrors.
