WoF Light Failures: What Fails and Why | Car Parts Market | Car Parts Market
WoF Light Failures: What an Inspector Actually Checks
8 min read
Lighting is one of the most straightforward parts of a warrant of fitness to fail — and one of the easiest to check yourself beforehand. Here is what an inspector looks at on every lamp.
WoF-Light-Failures
Lighting faults are among the most common reasons a vehicle fails a warrant of fitness in New Zealand, and among the easiest to find yourself beforehand — most are visible standing beside the vehicle with the lights on. This guide sets out what a WoF inspector checks on each lamp, in the words of the manual they work from.
What does a WoF check on lights?
A WoF inspection checks every lamp on the vehicle for three things: that it is secure and undamaged, that it works, and that it emits the correct colour and pattern of light. This applies to headlamps, stop lamps, tail lamps, indicators, fog lamps and the registration plate lamp alike.
Inspectors work from the New Zealand Transport Agency's Vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual, which lists the specific "reasons for rejection" for each lamp type. The requirements are public, and they are more specific than most drivers expect — a working bulb is not sufficient on its own.
Three condition faults appear in almost identical wording across every lamp type in the manual:
Moisture inside the lamp — the manual rejects a lamp that "contains moisture in the form of large droplets, runs or puddles". This applies to headlamps, stop lamps, tail lamps, indicators and fog lamps.
A damaged lens — the manual rejects a lamp where "a lens is missing, or has a hole, crack or other damage that allows moisture or dirt to enter". This applies to all lamp types.
A deteriorated reflector or lens — the manual rejects a lamp where "a reflector or lens is damaged or has deteriorated so that light output is reduced". This applies to all lamp types.
If you check nothing else before your inspection, check those three on every lamp.
Will a cracked headlight lens fail a WoF?
Yes. A cracked headlight lens is a failure in its own right, regardless of whether the lamp still lights up. The manual rejects a headlamp where "a lens is missing, or has a hole, crack or other damage that allows moisture or dirt to enter".
The reasoning is practical rather than cosmetic. A crack lets water and road grime into the housing, where it corrodes the reflector and scatters the beam, so a headlight cracked for a season is often already failing the separate reflector-deterioration test too. A surface chip that has not gone through the lens is a judgement call for the inspector. If water can get in, expect a failure.
Will a foggy or hazed headlight fail a WoF?
Yes, if the haze reduces light output. The manual rejects a headlamp where "a lens or reflector is damaged or has deteriorated so that light output is reduced", and separately where the lamp is "not bright enough to illuminate the road ahead ... due to modification, deterioration or an incorrect light source".
This is the fault that catches out imported vans and older vehicles. Yellowing is gradual, so the owner stops noticing. An inspector seeing the vehicle for the first time does not.
Internal condensation is treated separately and more strictly. Light misting that clears is generally tolerated; the manual specifically rejects moisture "in the form of large droplets, runs or puddles". Water pooling in the bottom of a headlight is a failure.
Can I fit LED bulbs to my headlights and still pass a WoF in New Zealand?
No — not in a headlight that was designed for a halogen bulb. This is one of the clearest rules in the manual, and one of the most widely misunderstood.
The manual rejects a vehicle where "a headlamp is retrofitted with a type of light source other than that specified by the vehicle manufacturer or the headlamp manufacturer (eg a headlamp designed for a halogen bulb is fitted with any other type of light source such as an HID or LED bulb, or any other light source such as LED strips or non-OEM angel eyes)".
A halogen headlight places the filament at a precise point in the reflector. An LED or HID bulb puts its light source somewhere else, and the reflector throws light where it was never meant to go — typically into oncoming drivers' eyes. The lamp may look brighter and still be both illegal and worse at lighting the road.
There is a lawful way to get LED lighting: fit a complete headlight unit designed for LED, where the housing, reflector and light source were engineered together. Car Parts Market stocks LED-specific headlight and tail light units alongside standard halogen replacements.
One related rule catches failing LED units: where a headlamp is an array of LEDs, the manual rejects it if "fewer than 75% of these operate". A partly-dead LED headlight cannot be re-bulbed — the unit is replaced.
What does an inspector check on tail lights, indicators and fog lamps?
Each rear and side lamp is checked for the same three condition faults, plus its own colour and behaviour requirements. The specifics differ by lamp:
Stop lamps must light when the brake is applied, stay steadily illuminated, emit a substantially red and diffuse light, and must not operate when the brake is not applied.
Tail lamps (rearward-facing position lamps) must be secure, and a mandatory lamp must not contain moisture as large droplets, runs or puddles.
Direction indicators must begin flashing within one second of being switched on, and must flash between one and two times per second. Faster or slower is a failure, which is why a blown bulb causing "hyperflash" fails on two counts.
Front fog lamps must project light forward in the correct beam pattern, in substantially white or amber.
Registration plate lamps must actually illuminate the plate, emit white, steady, diffuse light, and the light source must not be visible from behind the vehicle.
Tinted covers are rejected across the board — the manual rejects "an overlay ... that reduces or distorts the light emitted from the lamp (eg a tinted cover)".
How do I check my own lights before a WoF?
Fifteen minutes with a helper will find nearly every lighting fault an inspector would:
Park facing a wall or garage door at dusk. Switch on the headlights and check both dipped and main beam. The two sides should be similar in colour and brightness.
Look into each lens from close range. Check for cracks, holes, yellowing, internal moisture and any loose or rattling lamp.
Have someone press the brake pedal while you stand behind the vehicle. Check both stop lamps and the high-mounted stop lamp.
Run the indicators on both sides, front and rear, and count the flashes against a clock — one to two per second.
Switch on the tail lights and check the registration plate lamp illuminates the plate.
Check the reversing lamps and, if fitted, the fog lamps.
Note anything cracked, hazed, water-filled, discoloured or not working. Those are the parts to replace before the inspection, not after the failure.
Replacing a failed lamp
A lamp that has failed on lens damage, internal moisture or a deteriorated reflector is replaced as a unit — these are not faults that can be repaired to a standard that will pass. A bulb failure is the exception.
Car Parts Market supplies new aftermarket lighting for the two van platforms it specialises in: the catalogue holds 26 headlights, 24 tail lights, 13 fog light parts and 8 corner lights, covering the Toyota Hiace across the H100, H200 and H300 generations and the Nissan Caravan in both the E25 and E26 (NV350) series.
Every listing states the vehicle, series and year range it fits, and the side where that matters. In New Zealand's right-hand-drive vehicles, RH is the driver's side and LH the passenger's — worth checking against listings from overseas sites, where the convention is reversed.
Business details. Car Parts Market is based at 11A Akatea Road, Glendene, Auckland. Orders ship New Zealand–wide 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. For help matching a part to your vehicle, email support@carpartsmarket.co.nz or phone 09 243 1350.
Frequently asked questions
Will a cracked headlight fail a WoF in New Zealand?
Yes. The Vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual rejects a headlamp whose lens is missing or has a hole, crack or other damage that allows moisture or dirt to enter. This applies whether or not the lamp still lights. A crack also tends to cause reflector deterioration, which is a separate ground for failure.
Does condensation inside a headlight fail a WoF?
It depends on how much. The manual rejects a lamp containing moisture "in the form of large droplets, runs or puddles". Light misting that clears as the lamp warms is generally accepted. Water visibly pooled in the bottom of the housing is a failure, and usually means the seal or lens has been breached.
Are LED bulbs legal in New Zealand headlights?
Not in a headlight designed for halogen. The manual rejects a headlamp retrofitted with a light source other than the one specified by the vehicle or headlamp manufacturer, naming LED and HID bulbs directly. A complete headlight unit built for LED is compliant, because the housing and light source were engineered together.
What colour must brake lights and indicators be for a WoF?
Stop lamps must emit a substantially red, diffuse light and stay steadily illuminated while the brake is applied. Front direction indicators must flash between one and two times per second, beginning within one second of switch-on. Tinted covers that reduce or distort the light emitted are rejected on any lamp.
Does a WoF check the registration plate light?
Yes. The registration plate lamp must actually illuminate the plate, and must emit white, steady, diffuse light. The lamp fails if the lens is cracked or missing, if the light source is visible from behind the vehicle, or if a tinted overlay has been fitted over it.
Where can I buy WoF replacement lights in Auckland?
Car Parts Market supplies new aftermarket lighting from 11A Akatea Road, Glendene, Auckland, with click and collect available and shipping throughout New Zealand and to Australia. The catalogue covers the Toyota Hiace H100, H200 and H300 and the Nissan Caravan E25 and E26 (NV350). New aftermarket parts carry a three-month warranty.
