1.3 Inspection Records, Rechecks, Complaints & Quality Management

Create an auditable inspection record

The certification record is part of the inspection, not office work that can be reconstructed later. Enter the result in the approved Vehicle Inspection Certificate (VIC) or Land Transport Inspection System (LATIS) before the vehicle leaves the premises or on the day of inspection, whichever occurs first. Use the system and process currently specified by NZTA; older names such as Landata or Unisys may appear in historical material but are not a substitute for the current instructions.

From arrival to final record

A disciplined workflow is:

1. identify the vehicle and confirm the electronic record describes it correctly;
2. complete every applicable item on the approved checksheet;
3. follow the relevant VIRM reasons for rejection, notes, tables, and modification requirements;
4. record pass or fail and describe failed items specifically enough for repair and recheck;
5. issue the correct customer documentation and, for a pass, complete and affix the label; and
6. secure labels, authority access, and retained records.

The checksheet is evidence of what the inspector examined. Avoid vague entries such as “suspension bad.” Record the component, side or location, and the VIRM condition—for example, an insecure left-front lower control-arm mounting. Do not add a reason for rejection based only on a service recommendation when the VIRM threshold is not met.

Required records must be retained for at least 12 months and be available for NZTA review. Correct an administrative mistake through the authorised process so the audit trail remains intact; do not erase, overwrite, backdate, share credentials, or create a second result merely to conceal an error.

Failed inspections and the 28-day recheck

A failed vehicle receives a notice of rejection identifying the faults. If it returns within 28 calendar days, the same inspecting organisation rechecks the failed items and any other items that could have been affected by repairs. That recheck is free to the customer. It may occur at another site operated by the same inspecting organisation if the organisation can access and control the original record; “same premises only” is too narrow.

After 28 days, a new full inspection is required. A different inspecting organisation normally performs a new full inspection rather than relying on another organisation’s rejection. Safety remains paramount: the 28-day period is not permission to use an unsafe vehicle normally. The vehicle may be driven only in circumstances allowed by law, such as for repair or reinspection when safe to do so.

Repairs can create related risks. Replacing a failed steering joint may disturb alignment or fasteners; welding near a failed structural point may affect adjacent material. Recheck the failed item and anything genuinely affected, without turning the recheck into either a cursory glance or an unjustified second full fee.

Complaints and quality management

An inspecting organisation must have a clear complaints process. Preserve records, explain the VIRM basis for the decision, and escalate unresolved certification complaints through the NZTA process. A complaint is not a reason to alter a correct result, and a defensive attitude is not quality control.

NZTA’s current in-service framework uses a quality management system (QMS) and risk-based performance monitoring. Reviews may consider inspection accuracy, record quality, label control, equipment, complaint history, and patterns suggesting inconsistent decisions. The response to a discovered error is to contain the risk, make authorised corrections, notify the appropriate person or NZTA where required, and prevent recurrence.

Assessment method

For an administration scenario, ask four questions:

• Who is authorised to act—the VI or the IO?
• What is the deadline—same day, 28 days, 12 months, or the appointment period?
• What evidence must be recorded or retained?
• Does the proposed action preserve the audit trail and vehicle safety?

This method is more reliable than memorising invented performance bands.

Corrections, fees, and complaints

A recheck covers original failures plus items affected by their repair. A newly visible unrelated defect cannot be knowingly ignored, but the inspector should document why it falls outside or affects the certification decision rather than manipulate the recheck scope for revenue. The “free recheck” rule concerns the customer within the 28-day entitlement; internal site accounting does not change it.

If a customer disputes a result, show the observed condition and current VIRM clause. Preserve photographs or measurements where the organisation’s process allows, but do not use a photo as a substitute for the checksheet. A correction must identify who changed what and why. Shared logins, erased failures, pre-signed checksheets, and unaccounted label stock destroy the audit trail and are quality-management issues.