WOF Guide · Updated June 2026 · By the Brad Ward Motors workshop team
Most cars fail a WOF for simple, avoidable things: worn tyres, blown bulbs, tired wiper blades, brakes that are past their best and warning lights left on the dash. The good news is that nearly all of these are easy to spot and fix before you book, which saves you a return trip. At Brad Ward Motors in Henderson a standard WOF is $78, and we run every car against the same NZTA criteria, so we never invent faults to sell work. Here are the failures we see most often in West Auckland, and how to stay ahead of them.
- Worn tyres below 1.5mm are the most common fail
- A single blown bulb fails the whole WOF
- Smeary wiper blades and dead washers catch many out
- Windscreen chips in the driver's view should be repaired early
- Dashboard and airbag warning lights left on will fail
- Quote and a free re-check within 28 days if you fail
Worn tyres and brakes
Tyres are the single most common WOF fail. Tread below the 1.5mm minimum, uneven wear from a wheel alignment that has drifted, cracking on older tyres, or cuts and bulges in the sidewall will all stop a pass. It pays to look across the whole width of each tyre, not just the middle, because the edges often wear first.
Brakes are close behind. Worn pads, scored discs, a handbrake that will not hold on a slope, or a soft pedal from air or a leak in the system are all regular fails. If your brakes have started squealing, grinding or feeling spongy, get them looked at before the WOF rather than finding out on the day.
Lights, wipers and washers
A single blown bulb is one of the easiest fails to avoid and one of the most common. Walk around the car with someone pressing the brake and indicators, and check headlights on both beams, tail lights, brake lights, indicators and the number plate light. Headlights that are the wrong colour or badly aimed can also fail.
Wiper blades that smear or have torn rubber, and washers that do not squirt, are quick fixes that catch a lot of people out. Replacing a pair of wiper blades and topping up the washer bottle the week before your WOF is a five-minute job that prevents an annoying fail.
Windscreen, rust and warning lights
Cracks and chips in the driver's line of sight are a frequent fail. A small stone chip can often be repaired cheaply before it spreads, so do not leave it. Outside the driver's view there is a bit more tolerance, but a long crack will still fail.
Structural rust around chassis points, sills and seatbelt anchorages is more serious and common on older vehicles in our coastal Auckland climate. And do not ignore dashboard warning lights, an airbag or SRS light that stays on will fail. If a light is on, get it diagnosed rather than hoping it sorts itself out.
How to avoid a fail
A few minutes of checks the week before saves time and money. Walk around the car checking every light, look at your tyre tread and pressures, test the wipers and washers, listen for any brake noise, and note any warning lights on the dash. If anything looks off, mention it when you book so we can have parts ready.
If your car does fail here at Moselle Ave, we explain exactly what failed in plain English and give you a quote. You have 28 days to fix the failed items and return for a free re-check. In most cases we can do the repair on site, often the same day, and we call you before any extra work so there are no surprises. Courtesy cars are available on request, and we can prepare a written quote for WINZ if you need it.
Talk to a real Henderson mechanic
Quotes, no surprises, all makes and models. MTA approved, 35+ years on Moselle Ave.