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The shocking truth of what's going on in the SA used vehicle market
We can't stress just how important it is to deal with reputable dealerships and sellers when buying a used vehicle. Buying a second-hand car can be an exciting purchase and a good economical decision provided there are no unexpected surprises. The reliability of a second-hand car is at the forefront of most buyers' minds. Meanwhile, to others, the fear of purchasing a vehicle that was previously involved in a serious accident could be that deal-breaker.
The reality is that vehicles that have been severely damaged are often repaired and end up back on the road, but the quality of the repair job and the severity of the damage play a huge part in ensuring the safety and road-worthiness of a vehicle.
Richard Green, National Director of the South African Motor Body Repairers' Association (SAMBRA), says the challenge in South Africa is that there is no way of easily checking if a particular car has been written off previously in an accident and this makes it difficult for consumers to access if the apparently showroom-condition car they bought is exactly what it claims to be.
Taken for a ride
Green says that just last week a customer brought a two-year-old bakkie into a SAMBRA Repair Shop in Bela Bela. With just 28 267km on the clock, the owner had no idea her vehicle had been in an accident previously and had been so poorly repaired that is was structurally unsafe.
“The front body bumper absorber, which is a structural and stabilising component in most cars, and this case forms part of the front cradle panel had been heated or welded together so poorly that the metal strength was compromised, causing the panel to start rusting, showing early signs of metal fatigue. As it forms part of the crumpling zone of a vehicle, it should definitely have been replaced with a new part.”
www.iol.co.za
We can't stress just how important it is to deal with reputable dealerships and sellers when buying a used vehicle. Buying a second-hand car can be an exciting purchase and a good economical decision provided there are no unexpected surprises. The reliability of a second-hand car is at the forefront of most buyers' minds. Meanwhile, to others, the fear of purchasing a vehicle that was previously involved in a serious accident could be that deal-breaker.
The reality is that vehicles that have been severely damaged are often repaired and end up back on the road, but the quality of the repair job and the severity of the damage play a huge part in ensuring the safety and road-worthiness of a vehicle.
Richard Green, National Director of the South African Motor Body Repairers' Association (SAMBRA), says the challenge in South Africa is that there is no way of easily checking if a particular car has been written off previously in an accident and this makes it difficult for consumers to access if the apparently showroom-condition car they bought is exactly what it claims to be.
Taken for a ride
Green says that just last week a customer brought a two-year-old bakkie into a SAMBRA Repair Shop in Bela Bela. With just 28 267km on the clock, the owner had no idea her vehicle had been in an accident previously and had been so poorly repaired that is was structurally unsafe.
“The front body bumper absorber, which is a structural and stabilising component in most cars, and this case forms part of the front cradle panel had been heated or welded together so poorly that the metal strength was compromised, causing the panel to start rusting, showing early signs of metal fatigue. As it forms part of the crumpling zone of a vehicle, it should definitely have been replaced with a new part.”
The shocking truth of what's going on in the SA used vehicle market
Here's why you have to look beyond the glossy paint when buying a pre-owned vehicle in South Africa.
