Hilux owner who paid $38,000 for now worthless ute accepts he may never get money backThe owner of a now worthless Toyota Hilux that was built from multiple parts, including a stolen engine, has resigned himself to the possibility he may never get his money back. In late 2020 Jeremy (Russell) Jane paid $38,000 for his ute which is now parked up, unable to be used after Waka Kotahi NZ Transport flagged it as unroadworthy because of the danger it presents to him and other road users. The case ended up at the Motor Vehicles Disputes Tribunal, which instructed Vehicle Imports Direct Limited to refund the $38,000 Jane paid for the vehicle. Jane said the Hilux was “smart as” when he viewed it – tidy, and with nothing evidently wrong. Waka Kotahi found the engine number related to a white 2017 Toyota Hilux with a different registration number, which it said had been stolen and not recovered.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 06, 2022 21:30 UTC