Vehicles that come into the country through unauthorised Audi New Zealand dealerships are called “grey imports”. Grey imports can be sourced from any country, either privately or via an independent commercial company. Most grey imports are used vehicles which come into New Zealand from a variety of sources; historically the majority have come from Japan. However, grey imports are also arriving from the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore. Grey imports may not have the same Audi warranty protection or after sales support as vehicles purchased from any authorised Audi dealership.

The New Zealand Government allows Parallel imported goods to enter the country. A parallel import is a non-counterfeit product imported from another country without the permission of the intellectual property owner (Audi New Zealand). However, this usually means that the imported good could be of lower specification to that of the New Zealand level and that full “After Sales Support” of the Audi brand may not be available to that vehicle.

There are no regulations that govern who can import vehicles into New Zealand and there are no requirements for importers to verify the authenticity of vehicles that they import. European Motor Distributors is the only authorised importer of Audi vehicles into New Zealand.

Grey imports are not of the same standard or specification and are generally below that of a New Zealand new vehicle. You may find that grey imports require additional features that will need to be added to bring the import up to an equal comparison of a New Zealand new vehicle. As grey imported vehicles fall outside of the Audi New Zealand Network, this sometimes can lead to parts and servicing issues due to varying model specifications in different markets.

It is difficult to check the provenance and history of grey imports. There is a risk that a vehicle may be sold as “new”, even if it has been registered and used in its market of origin prior to import. There have also been incidents where vehicles have been crashed, damaged or stolen, and then subsequently imported into New Zealand and sold as “new” vehicles.

As of the 1st August 2019, grey imports are not covered under warranty. However all NZ new vehicles have a 5 year / 150,000km* warranty, fully covered by the authorised dealer with no cost to the customer. Please refer to the table at the bottom of this page for more details.

All imported Audi vehicles require standard servicing and maintenance items as per the service handbook. The cost of servicing and maintaining grey imports is handled by the owner directly. All New Zealand new Audi vehicles purchased from an authorised Audi dealership, from August 1st 2019, have a 3 year/150,000km Audi Cover Motoring Plan which covers service, maintenance and repairs at no cost to the customer. A full description of the service plan can be found by contacting your authorised Audi dealership.

Grey import vehicles may be included in any manufacturer safety recall, but this is only possible if the vehicle is known to exist in the local market. All New Zealand new Audi vehicles purchased from an authorised Audi dealership will automatically be covered under any manufacturer safety recall or service campaign.

Grey import vehicles may have navigation and driver assistance systems. However, these systems will not automatically work in New Zealand and it may not be possible to retrofit a local solution. All New Zealand new Audi vehicles purchased from an authorised Audi dealership are supplied with a New Zealand compatible navigation system, which includes localised navigation maps and regular updates.

Consumers may be able to rely on the Consumer Guarantees Act if they have acquired a grey import from a person supplying in trade. In addition to protection under the Consumer Guarantees Act, all New Zealand new Audi vehicles purchased from an authorised Audi dealership have warranty protection, roadside assistance, three year service and maintenance plans and support from the Audi dealer network.

Due to risks regarding provenance and authenticity and limited warranty protection and after sales support, there is a risk that grey imports may have a lower market value than a New Zealand new Audi vehicle purchased from an authorised Audi dealership.

Yes. The Audi dealer network can still assist in maintaining and servicing your Audi. When servicing your vehicle at an Audi dealership, you can have peace of mind that genuine parts will be fitted and professionally trained technicians are carrying out work on your Audi with the latest tools and technology.

Yes. This can be arranged and carried out at any Audi dealership at your cost. All you need to do is call the Audi Service Department at your local Audi dealership to book an appointment.

All New Zealand new Audi vehicles purchased from an authorised Audi dealership provide the following benefits as standard:

- 5 year warranty 150,000km
- 5 years Roadside Assistance 150,000km
- 3 year Audi Cover Motoring Plan 150,000km
- Guaranteed vehicle origin with full provenance on the relevant vehicle
- Use of Audi certified and factory trained technicians, who only use genuine factory parts with a 1 year warranty (unless covered by the original warranty)
- Exclusive access to diagnostic and Audi factory expertise
- Configuration for NZ driving conditions with correct fuel and emissions ratings
- New Zealand wide coverage from our authorised Audi dealer network, including use of courtesy vehicles