About Frequently asked questions

All brand new vehicles have a valid New Zealand WOF for 3 years. When this WOF expires you have 28 days to get the vehicle inspected and signed off to meet compliance requirements. Vehicles built on or after the year 2000 are subject to 1-year WOF checks, anything built 1999 and prior is subject to a six-monthly WOF check.

Whether you choose a zero or low emission vehicle, you're helping lower Aotearoa’s CO₂ levels. That’s why eligible vehicles qualify for a rebate through the Government’s Clean Car Programme. The Clean Car rebate you’re eligible for will be calculated based on the levels of carbon emissions your vehicle produces, rewarding Kiwis who choose a cleaner option. 

The rebate scheme covers a wide range of vehicles, giving New Zealanders a broader choice of cars and SUVs to suit any lifestyle.

We appreciate that low emission vehicles aren't always suitable for all requirements, and as such, we will continue to supply a broad range of vehicles to suit the needs of our customers. However, from 1 April 2022, vehicles that are high emitters of CO₂ will incur a fee from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency the first time they are registered in New Zealand. The fee varies based on the carbon emissions each particular model outputs through the tailpipe.  

Some vehicles don't qualify for a fee or rebate and fall into the zero band. These vehicles may cost more than $80,000, not meet the Rightcar safety rating requirements, or produce average levels of CO₂  emissions.

Hybrids get some of their electricity from regenerative braking. That means it takes the kinetic energy of the vehicle, converts it into electricity when braking, and uses it to charge the hybrid battery. You can feel satisfied, knowing you’re adding to the battery power every time you use the brakes.

Yes,  Toyota Hybrid vehicles come with an 8 year/160,000km hybrid battery warranty - so you can put your mind at ease!  

If the vehicle is not going to be used for an extended period of time, remember to charge it at least once a month. This protects the battery from extreme voltage decline due to self-discharging.

No. Most maintenance work on Petrol vehicles involves the engine and its components. A battery electric vehicle does not have an engine and has fewer components, which results in an easier maintenance process.

This is dependent on the battery capacity of the battery electric vehicle and the unit cost of each kWh.

When you buy a new Toyota you automatically receive Service Advantage. Designed to help you get the best value during your vehicle ownership, Service Advantage gives you up to 5 years of worry free ownership.

Service Advantage consists of up to:
• 5 years or 60,000km* of capped price scheduled service coverage
• 5 years Warrant of Fitness coverage
• 5 years AA Roadside Assistance
• 2 years or 50,000km* Platinum Warranty (in extension to the 3 year New Vehicle warranty), provided scheduled servicing is met at an Authorised Toyota Store or Service Agent. This takes your warranty coverage to 5 years in total.

Maintaining your vehicle with regular servicing is essential to ensure safety, reliability, and economy that will prolong your vehicle’s life and protect your asset.

We recommend that most vehicles have a service every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first under normal operating conditions. However, more frequent servicing may be required for older or high use vehicles. One of the friendly GWD Service Team will recommend which service is best for your vehicle.

Electric cars might end up costing you more than a hybrid and unlike PHEVs, EVs won’t automatically switch from EV mode to hybrid mode once the battery is depleted. New EVs have a range of around 200-300 km while older EVs are around the 100km mark. 

Electric cars are best for people who do a lot of short commutes and like the idea of emissions-free driving. If you want to take a longer trip you’ll need to ensure there are charge stations enroute and allow enough time for recharging. But this is becoming less of an issue with new EVs capable of up to 500km.

The WOF inspection is a general safety check. The aspects checked are: 

• Tyre condition including tread depth 
• Brake operation 
• Structural condition (rust is not permitted in certain areas) 
• Lights 
• Glazing 
• Windscreen washers and wipers 
• Doors (open and close safely) 
• Safety Belts (must not be damaged or overly faded; buckles must work properly) 
• Airbags 
• Speedometer 
• Steering and suspension (must be safe and secure) 
• Exhaust (no leaks and the exhaust must not be smoky or louder than the original) 
• Fuel system (there must not be any leaks) 

Toyota

Toyota Care Service Plans are available for all New Zealand new Toyota vehicles. They can also be purchased as additional services to the first 4 years or 60,000km of capped price scheduled servicing that are eligible for new Toyota vehicles with the Toyota Care Service Advantage package. 

Lexus

Your new Lexus vehicle comes with a full maintenance plan that covers all parts and labour costs for a period of four years with unlimited kilometres*. With our exacting service and maintenance standards by specially trained Lexus technicians, your Lexus will always be at its best.

The Lexus Service Plan is fully transferable to the subsequent owner of this vehicle. A transfer of ownership card is provided at the back of the Lexus Full Maintenance Service Plan booklet. It is however, not transferable from one vehicle to another.

This can change depending on your personal circumstances, our financial experts at GWD will discuss with you details regarding credit scores/credit ratings and how this will impact purchasing a car using Finance. Speak to the GWD Finance experts for more information.  

Yes, GWD Motor Group can provide car finance for beneficiaries in New Zealand. 

Occasionally, we will have interest-free, zero-interest or low-interest rate car finance offers at GWD. Keep an eye on our offers page for more information on our finance offers.

No, GWD does not offer guaranteed car finance. Car finance is subject to and requires credit checks before finance can be approved.  

We have special finance rates for new vehicles from time to time, be sure to keep an eye on our offers page for more information on our new car finance deals. 

Unfortunately, you are not able to get car finance on a learners driver license in New Zealand with GWD Motor Group.  

There are lots of things that can affect your credit score, including your payment history, how much credit you have available and how many active credit accounts you have. Getting a quote does not impact on your credit score.

Hybrid cars use a combination of an internal combustion engine (ICE) and a battery electric drive motor. The engine and the motor can work separately or together to power the wheels. Here are 5 different driving scenarios so you can see how hybrid cars work.

No, Hybrids automatically charge their own hybrid battery so you don’t need to use an external charging point or worry about the distance you can drive.

Electric cars (BEVs), on the other hand, don’t use petrol at all and produce no exhaust emissions, have no clutch or gears, fewer moving parts, require less maintenance and are extremely quiet. They run solely on one or more electric motors, and need to be charged by plugging in, either at home or at a public charging station. The downside is they generally have less driving range than hybrid cars, however it is easy to stop and top up the battery on your drive. 

A hybrid is a car that is powered by a conventional engine, an electric motor and a hybrid battery. Hybrid cars can switch between the petrol engine and electric motor, or combine both power sources depending on the driving scenario.

For low speed driving, coasting and decelerating hybrid cars mostly use their electric motor (depending on the state of charge of battery). When the engine isn’t needed, say if you’re idling at the lights, it shuts off altogether. This makes hybrids incredibly fuel-efficient as they tend to only use the engine for accelerating, climbing hills or when extra power is required.

Every model line has a slightly varying wait time, however standard wait time is between 9-12 months. Your friendly sales consultant will keep you regularly updated to ensure you have all the up to date details on your new vehicle.  

Essentially, it’s an interest rate that’s tailored to your financial circumstances. Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, we use your credit score and other relevant criteria to calculate a rate that’s right for you. It doesn’t matter who you are or where in New Zealand you live, the same transparent and trusted process applies.

Using smart and sophisticated software, our Stores will calculate a rate based on your individual credit score and other criteria determined by us. No matter who you are or where in New Zealand you live, you can be sure of a transparent rate that’s tailored to your personal financial circumstances.

Toyota Finance is deeply committed to providing you with quality finance options that are tailored to your individual needs and circumstances. With Toyota’s Personalised Rates, you can be sure that you’re always getting a transparent interest rate for your loan.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) which are hybrid cars that can also be plugged in. These give you more electric powered driving range than a hybrid, as well as the convenience of a petrol motor that kicks in as needed or once the electric hybrid battery has depleted.

Unlike banks and other financial institutions, we calculate your rate based on your credit score and other personal criteria determined by us. This means you can always be sure of a rate that’s transparent and tailored to you.

Based on your credit score and other financial criteria, this is the only fixed rate that Toyota Finance can offer you right now.

Car finance interest rates will vary depending on the product and any promotions that might be in market. We offer a range of finance products at competitive consumer interest rates. 

Loan terms depend on two things

1. How long you want the loan for 
2. Affordability, how much you can comfortably afford to repay periodically. 

Once this has been determined, a term of between one and five years is fixed.  

Yes, at any stage prior to the loan agreements being signed, the loan amount can be reduced or increased, subject to the lender approval. 

That is up to you, payments can be made weekly, fortnightly or monthly using and Automatic Payment from your bank account or by using a Direct Debit to make things easier for you. 

Yes, give the team a call and we will see what we can alter to change your loan to suit your circumstances (there may be a fee to restructure your loan). 

Hybrid cars are extremely fuel efficient and cheap to run compared to their petrol counterparts, which is why a car like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is hugely popular with city dwellers. The continual low speed, stop-start type of driving when you’re running in and around town is where a hybrid really comes into its own.

With a hybrid, when you’re driving at low speeds or inching along during rush hour traffic, you’re effectively using electric power, not churning through fuel. Hybrids cars are also efficient on the open road or motorways as they use Atkinson cycle engines which are supported by the electric motor(s).

Hybrids are ideal for people who want a reliable car that emits less pollution than a petrol or diesel car and who do a lot of city driving. Hybrids are for people that don’t want to have to plug in their vehicle in or have range anxiety. They also can be cheaper to purchase than a PHEV or BEV.