How Do You Clear a Vehicle Defect Notice?

Since we do it almost every single day, we often forget how dangerous driving really is. Even if one car breaks down on the road, it can cause a lot of trouble for motorists and pedestrians nearby. If you’re lucky, you might get away with minor vehicle damage. If you’re not so lucky, someone could end up sustaining serious injuries.

Because of this, it’s important to keep our vehicles in top shape every time we go out on the road.

In fact, authoritative bodies have various rules in place in order to make sure that every car on public roads are roadworthy. If your vehicle is not up to standard, you might get issued with a vehicle defect notice.

In this blog, we’re going to discuss what a defect notice is and what you need to do to clear it. In addition, we’ll also discuss some of the specific legalities regarding defect notices in Victoria.

What is a defect notice?

According to VicRoads, if your vehicle does not meet registration standards or is not compliant with the roadworthy requirements, it could get issued avehicle defect notice. These notices can be issued by authorised VicRoads inspectors, the Environmental Protection Authority or the police.

If the defects stated on the notice aren’t fixed within 28 days, your vehicle’s registration could be suspended. In some cases, VicRoads may even cancel your vehicle’s registration entirely.

Once you’ve been issued a notice, there will be driving restrictions imposed on the vehicle in question. For one, the vehicle must not be used on the roads during the specified period on the notice. Once the vehicle is repaired, you can only drive it for the purpose of going to a licensed tester or to VicRoads to clear a defect notice.

If the vehicle is suspended, however, it cannot be driven on the road at all unless a licensed tester is driving it for examination purposes. If a suspended vehicle requires repairs, it will need to be towed to its destination until it is cleared by VicRoads.

Clearing a defect notice

In Victoria, there are two common ways to clear a defect notice. The first way is to get a Certificate of Roadworthiness from a verified roadworthy tester. This certificate must be received in the period following the issue of the defect notice. In addition, VicRoads must accept the certificate and send you a confirmation before the defect notice can be officially cleared. If you have a heavy vehicle, you will need both the new and original Certificate of Roadworthiness in order to clear the notice.

The second way is to take your vehicle to a VicRoads Customer Service Centre and get a licensed inspector to assess the vehicle for you. Before visiting a Service Centre, it’s important to make sure they have inspectors that can assess your specific vehicle type.In some cases, you might also need to provide an invoice as evidence of repairs. Once VicRoads has determined that the defects have been addressed, the notice will be removed.

In both instances, you will need to pay a fee to clear a defect notice.

Clearing a vehicle defect notice is generally a short and simple process. However, it’s important not to take it lightly. If you don’t take the time to address your vehicle’s defects, you’re putting yourself and others at risk of an accident every time you’re on the road. If you need a vehicle inspection or a roadworthy certificate, please consult your local car service centre.