nurey:
Nigerian used car aka aloku, hmmmmmm eleyi gidigan ooo

My experience with it is not so good

Mist100:


I am hesitant too. cos a colleague just bought big daddy for 850k. now he had spent over 300k to fix issues and still fixing...

nurey:


tell him to take the car for the crusade by Reinhard Bonnke, it would be powerful, wonderful, eventful, helpful, handful, beautiful, colourful, useful, graceful, bountiful, rightful, thoughtful

Mist100:
Please what's your take on buying Nigeria used cars. Currently considering making a purchase.

Gurus and experienced buyers please share and advice thanks.

timifakay:

If it smells like a fish, looks like a fish, tastes like a fish. It is a fish.
In essence you must be very careful to know why the owner is selling off (not just the reason you are told)

Mist100:


I am hesitant too. cos a colleague just bought big daddy for 850k. now he had spent over 300k to fix issues and still fixing...

timifakay:

If it smells like a fish, looks like a fish, tastes like a fish. It is a fish.
In essence you must be very careful to know why the owner is selling off (not just the reason you are told)

NgcoboP:

A tokunmbo 2002 Audi A4 B6 2.0 ALT MANUAL TRANSMISSION... VERSUS NIGERIA USED PENCIL CAMRY/FISH... ADVICE....WHICH IS MORE RELIABLE AND DEPENDABLE?

obekediamondfuto:


this is a trap right? no right or wrong answer, whichever way timi goes, u already have a questionnaire and a handful of point to dish out.

obekediamondfuto:


this is a trap right? no right or wrong answer, whichever way timi goes, u already have a questionnaire and a handful of point to dish out.

timifakay:

He always has a troublesome car he wants to buy which we never eventually hear if he bought or not.

OPUSDEI1:
I once went to Lagos to buy a Naija used car, met the seller around 6pm, inspected the car and paid on the spot, then filled the tank and drove down to Anambra state that night. I have used the same car for four years though I changed the engine due to oil consumption two years+ later. Besides regular maintenance, I have no complaints. (Am finally putting it up for sale simply to upgrade)

There are some naija used cars better than tokunbo e.g Gazzuzz's Honda accord and other cars.

If due diligence is applied when buying naija used car, the only issues you will face is aging parts, you(the driver) or your village people.

obekediamondfuto:

Haba 300k? did he change engine or gear box?
the Car is not known for generating much issues

OPUSDEI1:
@Captainking, I got home (then Ihiala) 3:35 am cos I had to be in the office by morning..

FYI night driving is coolest with a healthy car if not for bad roads and robbers.

OPUSDEI1:
@Captainking, I got home (then Ihiala) 3:35 am cos I had to be in the office by morning..

FYI night driving is coolest with a healthy car if not for bad roads and robbers.

Mist100:


I am hesitant too. cos a colleague just bought big daddy for 850k. now he had spent over 300k to fix issues and still fixing...

VeeBabs:


That's what happens when you buy a car without doing your due diligence (a.k.a your homework). The three most expensive things to fix in a used car are:

- engine.
- transmission (gearbox).
- body paint.

The 3rd one is easy to note. The first two can be observed during a test drive, if you have good ears (and a scan tool, too).

obekediamondfuto:


this is a trap right? no right or wrong answer, whichever way timi goes, u already have a questionnaire and a handful of point to dish out.

timifakay:

He always has a troublesome car he wants to buy which we never eventually hear if he bought or not.

Mist100:


my brother he brought the car to the office. There was no sign of major faults when I drove the car myself.

First. The gear started slipping after two weeks. A gear rework was done and gear eventually changed.

Secondly. Mechanic advised that the injector be changed cos it was not as sound.

Thirdly. The ride wasn't smooth abinitio so changing shocks and tyres was agreed upon.

Fourthly. AC that was cooling suddenly stopped cooling after the gear work. A change of condenser and repair of compressor was advised.

I weak.

VeeBabs:


Hmmm. Well, the cost price of 850 + 300k gives a total of N1.150 M. For a Big Daddy, I don't think it's bad (assuming car is now out of the woods).

A few words though for the list you gave.

Items 2 (injectors) and 3 (shocks) are easy to identify. A good mechanic will hear the characteristic sign of bad injectors. So, no surprises there with these two.

As for item 1 (gear slippage) and item 4 (AC), I've got a few tips for next time.

GEARBOX -- Did you carry out the rest drive with the engine cold or hot? And did you drive the car long enough?

A slipping transmission may not slip when cold/cool. So if your test drive did not put the gearbox to task, you might miss the slippage. So drive the car till it's hot, and then RACE it.

Transmissions are forced to work harder when they have to shift quickly under high speed. So a failing tranny is likely to show itself under hard shifting conditions. If the owner allows you, accelerate the car quickly (when it's heated up) and watch out for the gear changes. Pay particular attention to the shift from 2nd - 3rd gear, as those are often the most problematic gears.

Why do this when the car is hot? Now, when a transmission suffers a problem on the road, it typically goes into what is called "limp mode". This is basically like limiting itself to first gear allowing you to drive (limp) only slowly as you get yourself to shelter or home. Oftentimes you'd be advised to wait for the car to cool down before continuing.

All of this means if you want to put as little stress as possible on your gearbox, driving slow is the way to go. That also means if you want to test its health (when buying the car) driving FAST is the way to go. A transmission slippage is not likely to show itself if you test drive a car in a busy street, where you can't really race it.

AIR CONDITIONING -- Let's be honest, an AC leak is a pain in the arse. It's extremely difficult to detect (without the right tools.) You said the AC stopped cooling after a few weeks, that's typically how long it takes for the gas to leak to the point where its no longer enough for proper cooling. The owner would top up the gas before your inspection, giving you ice cold AC, but which fades away after a few weeks of purchase.

However, I have a little trick I use and which tends to serve me well. During your inspection, ask the car owner one of two questions:

- What type of AC gas do you use? OR
- When last did you top up the AC gas?

If he gives you a DEFINITE answer to these questions, BEWARE, there might be a leak. Why?

Because, normally, AC gas is very rarely topped up in a functioning (closed) system. For instance, I have used my present car for two years now and I have never touched the gas. Not once, yet it cools me well under the hot Lagos sun. So if a car owner has topped his own recently enough to recall the type of gas he used/uses, that's a red flag.

AC gas is some thing you normally shouldn't touch, unless of course there was a frontal impact that physically damaged the condenser or gas cylinder. Otherwise, it's safe to assume that there is a leak in the system which causes the owner to top up the gas every few weeks.

Finally, check the AC gas fill up caps. If they look "clean" rather than dusty/dirty, compared to the tubes/pipes themselves, it's an indication that the owner was servicing them often enough -- meaning there is a leak.

So don't be fooled by the chilling AC you're feeling. That might be because the gas in there is freshly topped. Give it a few weeks, the chill won't be there anymore.

And locating an AC leak is one of the most difficult jobs your AC guy DOESN'T want to do for you. It can be really hard, without the proper chemical diagnostic tools.

Mist100:


Wish I had these tips. I am bothered cos I was the one that made him purchase this car against his desired EOD for same price.

Hope this serves well for other buyers cos that is my aim. Thanks man.

OPUSDEI1:
I once went to Lagos to buy a Naija used car, met the seller around 6pm, inspected the car and paid on the spot, then filled the tank and drove down to Anambra state that night. I have used the same car for four years though I changed the engine due to oil consumption two years+ later. Besides regular maintenance, I have no complaints. (Am finally putting it up for sale simply to upgrade)

There are some naija used cars better than tokunbo e.g Gazzuzz's Honda accord and other cars.

If due diligence is applied when buying naija used car, the only issues you will face is aging parts, you(the driver) or your village people.