VEHICLE PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION:

Purchasing a used vehicle can be risky. When excited buyers get emotionally caught up in the vehicle purchase, they often overlook mechanical, electrical, cosmetic, and safety issues during visual inspections and test drives. These problems are compounded if the vehicle being purchased is located in a car sales parking lot where testing is restricted until the vehicle has been paid for purchased prior to being seen in person. Fraudulent car dealers that may have covered up technical or body cosmetic issues would prefer that you pay for the vehicle before testing or hope that these issues would not be detected until payment has been made or better still, after the vehicle has left their car lot.

Check the general condition of vehicles that you wish to buy with a fine tooth comb as well as with a “magnifying glass” “stethoscope” or even better, with a “microscope” to ascertain if there are any underlying engine or transmission issues or if the vehicle had been involved in a minor or severe collision and repaired prior to it being sold.

Thousands of imported vehicles, especially from the USA have been bought as salvage auctioned cars that may have been involved in a severe accident, flooding or fire damage. In most instances, these vehicles would be shipped into Nigeria and cleared through Nigeria Customs for a lower Import Duty (Due to the accident conditions) and repaired in back street panel beating workshops with minimal attention to details. They are then resprayed and sold on to unsuspecting buyers. These vehicles pose serious danger to the end user on the roads and would certainly become an uneconomical asset investment.

Check if the mileage on the odometer has been tampered with or too low for the age or condition of the vehicle. Most Imported used cars (Tokunbo) may have had their mileages tampered with to increase the value of the cars or cleverly modified to reduce the Year Of Manufacture. (For example a 2011 Toyota Prado TX-L could easily be modified to look like a 2014 model) the price difference could well be over 4 million Naira.

Others may have been stolen and being sold off with Chassis (VIN) Numbers that have been tampered with and have had the paperwork faked.
Some vehicles cleared through Seme border in Cotonou, Benin Republic, may also have had lesser duty paid for the value of the car and then sold with Custom Clearance documents reflecting that full duty was paid. Running into a Customs Checkpoint would reveal that Full Duty was not paid and could easily result in the impounding or outright seizure of the vehicle.

I have also observed that many cars coming in through Seme and other border crossings may have had the Catalytic Converters (Commonly called Indomie) removed and/ or stuffed with wire mesh to muffle the sound of the exhaust. This causes severe fuel consumption and a host of other engine malfunctions. Replacing a missing catalytic converter could cost over 30k each.

Other vehicles may have been “Flown” across the border through the bush where the access roads are usually very rough bush tracks that may have damaged the vehicle’s suspension, underneath, tyres and body work. Most, if not all of these vehicles are sold with fake documents.
Another clever gimmick by unscrupulous car dealers is the selling of Nigerian Used cars as Tokunbo. Old vehicle documentation are discarded and erased from the Government Database and replaced with new ones reflecting that the car has never been registered. Silly stickers of Shipping companies and Clearing Ports are stuck on the wind screens and windows to create the semblance of a Tokunbo vehicle that has never been registered.

Some cars may also have electrical or electronic issues and have had the Warning Lights on the dashboards that are meant to indicate Faults within the vehicle permanently removed.

These lights may include:
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION) MALFUNCTION
SRS (AIRBAG) MALFUNCTION
ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM) MALFUNCTION
TPMS (TYRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM) MALFUNCTION

A lot of cars have become so rusty underneath and below the surface of the paintwork and not usually visible on normal inspection. Exhaust pipes and pots may have corroded severely as well as chassis, brakes and suspension components. Buying such a car would certainly lead to breakdowns or accidents and would cost a lot of money to repair.

To eliminate much of the anxiety and get an accurate picture of the condition of the vehicle, buyers should have a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) done before the sale is final.

When should I get a PPI?
A pre-purchase inspection is highly recommended when purchasing a vehicle without a warranty. If there is no warranty, the buyer is immediately assuming all the risk in the event of a breakdown or major mechanical issue. For this reason, a pre-purchase inspection makes financial sense.

What would be inspected?
A thorough panel by panel and external visual inspection of the vehicle paint condition including Rust, Tyres, Evidence of body filler and poor panel alignment. Also check for signs of body flex stress or cracks resulting from weakening body frame. Inspect the under carriage and look for evidence of major or minor collision repairs, corrosion, fluid leaks from the drive train, belts, oil and water hoses.

A visual inspection of the interior carpet, headliner, seats, signs of water infiltration or flooding, condition of floor pans as well as a check of all instrumentation and electrical equipment.

A test drive of the vehicle if possible to evaluate any detectible problems in the engine, transmission, steering, suspension, and brakes under various conditions.
Get details of the vehicles current appraisal value in comparison with other models of its kind.

For more information on buying used cars, click on the link below.
http://www.donbriteautocaresolutions.com/

This checks you stated are clearly important, but could only be carried out by trained auto technicians with significant years of experience!

You are correct but na only god go safe us. Some of This things mentioned cant be detected by some auto engineers, how much more just any one

PriNceNova:
You are correct but na only god go safe us. Some of This things mentioned cant be detected by some auto engineers, how much more just any one

Yes you are right. Only a competent auto technician with many years of experience in the field of car sales, repairs and Pre-Purchase Inspection would be capable of detecting any anomaly in a car that is being presented for sale. This post serves as a pointer for any lay person to take a bearing from short of hiring a professional technician to do that for you. It simply encourages you to make a checklist before going through a car that you intend to buy. A simple thing you overlook on that car could plunge you into a huge money pit. BEWARE!!!!

You can also share your experiences here on a lemon you mistakenly bought.


Car-Doctor

The best way out is to pay a competent mechanic to do the pre-purchase inspection for you. There are no shortcuts to it.sometime recently, I paid Gazzuzz to carry out a PPI for a vehicle I saw online. That money I paid to him saved me thousands in repair plus the sleepless nights I may have had as a result.

It makes economic sense to engage a competent technician for a PPI.

Thank God almighty for a section like this. My previous car was a Toyota Camry 2008 Xle 4 plugs. I fell in love with it the moment i saw it on line in July this year. Everybody say its a good car. The car was being sold in kaduna and i live in abuja. I took an office colleague of mine who seemed to know more about cars to kaduna to inspect and buy the car. Everything seemed okay. Paintwork was like new, leather interior was clean and still looked new, tyres were new, a/c chilling and engine was sweet. I did not hesitate to pay for the car after a little haggling. The sellers in kaduna seemed very honest and told me that that was the best car of its type that i will ever find. i obliged and made a full payment after diving a short distance. (There was fuel scarcity then in kaduna so they refused driving too far from their car selling place).

We got the car registered the following day and drove the car back to abuja with my colleague at the wheel. He told me the car was a good buy and i was happy.

My happiness started slowly coming to an abrupt end when driving home from work one day, i noticed that the sound of the exhaust was slowly growing louder.

The following morning, It struggled to start but after a few kicks it started with the noise from the exhaust now sounding like it had come off. I was so scared it will damage the engine and i immedeiately drove the car to my fathers mechanic. On reaching his workshop, he went underneath the car and saw that the exhaust has broken off where it was welded before. I was curious as why such a new tokunbo car would have a recently welded silenser. I left the car with him because i was already running late for work. He then called me about an hour and half later and told me that the catalyst has been removed from the car exhaust and welded back. I couldnt understand what he was talking about but to replace it eventually cost me N80k. When i called the seller and told him about the issue, he claimed he was not aware of it. I sent him a text that im going to sue him and get the police involved. Since then he has not been answering my calls.

To cut the long story short, i have spent over 300k on this car.
1. New ac compressor with condenser
2. catalysts and silencer
3. Wheel bearings
4. electrician

They also discovered that the car was involved in an accident and was repaired and painted. no wonder the car was looking new. Ac packed up dash board was creaking.
It was a 2007 model and they sold it to me as 2008. Also when i did a check it turned out that the car was LE not Xle and the leather seats were sown here and not factory fitted. Finally there was this irritating rattling noise from the back that nobody was able to detect and repair. I decided to get rid of it at a big loss for what i bought it for. I almost lost my mind because of this incident.

@ cardoctor;
Thanks for this thread.
Im thinking of buying another Camry. maybe a newer model like 2013 and i dont want to make the same mistake again. i Will definitely get in touch with since you do a PPI on any car i find.

Smileberry:
Thank God almighty for a section like this. My previous car was a Toyota Camry 2008 Xle 4 plugs. I fell in love with it the moment i saw it on line in July this year. Everybody say its a good car. The car was being sold in kaduna and i live in abuja. I took an office colleague of mine who seemed to know more about cars to kaduna to inspect and buy the car. Everything seemed okay. Paintwork was like new, leather interior was clean and still looked new, tyres were new, a/c chilling and engine was sweet. I did not hesitate to pay for the car after a little haggling. The sellers in kaduna seemed very honest and told me that that was the best car of its type that i will ever find. i obliged and made a full payment after diving a short distance. (There was fuel scarcity then in kaduna so they refused driving too far from their car selling place).

We got the car registered the following day and drove the car back to abuja with my colleague at the wheel. He told me the car was a good buy and i was happy.

My happiness started slowly coming to an abrupt end when driving home from work one day, i noticed that the sound of the exhaust was slowly growing louder.

The following morning, It struggled to start but after a few kicks it started with the noise from the exhaust now sounding like it had come off. I was so scared it will damage the engine and i immedeiately drove the car to my fathers mechanic. On reaching his workshop, he went underneath the car and saw that the exhaust has broken off where it was welded before. I was curious as why such a new tokunbo car would have a recently welded silenser. I left the car with him because i was already running late for work. He then called me about an hour and half later and told me that the catalyst has been removed from the car exhaust and welded back. I couldnt understand what he was talking about but to replace it eventually cost me N80k. When i called the seller and told him about the issue, he claimed he was not aware of it. I sent him a text that im going to sue him and get the police involved. Since then he has not been answering my calls.

To cut the long story short, i have spent over 300k on this car.
1. New ac compressor with condenser
2. catalysts and silencer
3. Wheel bearings
4. electrician

They also discovered that the car was involved in an accident and was repaired and painted. no wonder the car was looking new. Ac packed up dash board was creaking.
It was a 2007 model and they sold it to me as 2008. Also when i did a check it turned out that the car was LE not Xle and the leather seats were sown here and not factory fitted. Finally there was this irritating rattling noise from the back that nobody was able to detect and repair. I decided to get rid of it at a big loss for what i bought it for. I almost lost my mind because of this incident.

@ cardoctor;
Thanks for this thread.
Im thinking of buying another Camry. maybe a newer model like 2013 and i dont want to make the same mistake again. i Will definitely get in touch with since you do a PPI on any car i find.

Sorry about your loss. It's very disheartening that we have insincere car dealers who engage in all manner of deceit in the name of being smart in business. This is also aided by our weak legal system that does not deal decisively at such offenders even when the evidence is overwhelming & beyond reasonable doubt.

Your best bet in getting a clean car is to import directly from the USA or going the Cotonou route. If the later is your decision, you will need to make out time to get what you want. Go with a trusted person, run a vin report prior to paying for any car.

It may be difficult to get what you want in Lagos & more so, those dealers can't be trusted. They do all manner of shady deals just to make huge profit.

These things thrieves because we give credence to them by respecting people who have money rather than integrity, not minding how the money came about. Very unfortunate, I must say.

@ smile berry

Sorry for your loss, as you have discovered, your best bet when buying a used guy is to go with an experienced mechanic who will inspect the car for you.

Dont go with your own mechanic, look for a reputable mechanic who has no vested interests, it only costs a token ; you will be glad you did.

I met with Cardoctor (Engineer Donald) today. he has a big auto mech workshop here in abuja and they repair mainly modern cars. He turned out to be a very meticulous person and has a lot of knowledge about everything concerning cars. A university graduate from the UK and has been working on cars for close to 30 years (as he said). Thats almost my own age. Anyway, we went to check on a few Toyota Camry cars that I have sourced from OLX and jiji including one which i saw along Kubwa express way.

The first one was 2012 Camry in Gwarimpa. Despite the lovely appearance of the car in the pictures, it had been involved in a front accident and repaired. (the seller told me that it has never been in an accident before but Cardoctor was quick to shut him up and showed him all the areas that the car had been bashed including the passenger rear door which was out of alignment. The windscreen too has been recently changed and gum all around it. Paintwork was also new but badly sprayed with drips everywhere but it will take someone like Cardoctor to point them out. Airbag light, VSC and injector light was on too. We had to abandon that one.

Second was the one on Kubwa express way (i almost thought that i have found my new love when i saw it). 2013 but had also been in an accident and the Cardoctor himsel had noticed it even before we got to the car. Afew items were hanging loose in the engine and you can see where some plastics had been repaired. Everything else seems to work fine and cloth interior is so clean. though we didnt drive it but the price was just too high for me.

Cardoctor charges per car which i think his charges are reasonable considering what one might save in future repairs as well as avoiding my previous nightmares. I will be viewing another one tomorrow with him.

kaeforum:
@ smile berry

Sorry for your loss, as you have discovered, your best bet when buying a used guy is to go with an experienced mechanic who will inspect the car for you.

Dont go with your own mechanic, look for a reputable mechanic who has no vested interests, it only costs a token ; you will be glad you did.

Thanks @ kaeforum.

Thats why i have now employed the services of the cardoctor himself and im quite impressed with his attention to details. He would point out some things that you may never believe was wrong.

Smileberry:
I met with Cardoctor (Engineer Donald) today. he has a big auto mech workshop here in abuja and they repair mainly modern cars. He turned out to be a very meticulous person and has a lot of knowledge about everything concerning cars. A university graduate from the UK and has been working on cars for close to 30 years (as he said). Thats almost my own age. Anyway, we went to check on a few Toyota Camry cars that I have sourced from OLX and jiji including one which i saw along Kubwa express way.

The first one was 2012 Camry in Gwarimpa. Despite the lovely appearance of the car in the pictures, it had been involved in a front accident and repaired. (the seller told me that it has never been in an accident before but Cardoctor was quick to shut him up and showed him all the areas that the car had been bashed including the passenger rear door which was out of alignment. The windscreen too has been recently changed and gum all around it. Paintwork was also new but badly sprayed with drips everywhere but it will take someone like Cardoctor to point them out. Airbag light, VSC and injector light was on too. We had to abandon that one.

Second was the one on Kubwa express way (i almost thought that i have found my new love when i saw it). 2013 but had also been in an accident and the Cardoctor himsel had noticed it even before we got to the car. Afew items were hanging loose in the engine and you can see where some plastics had been repaired. Everything else seems to work fine and cloth interior is so clean. though we didnt drive it but the price was just too high for me.

Cardoctor charges per car which i think his charges are reasonable considering what one might save in future repairs as well as avoiding my previous nightmares. I will be viewing another one tomorrow with him.

I will like to have the contact of this car doctor as I intend buying a car here in abuja

You can always contact me on 081-22711058.

I will like you to please recommend any experienced and competent car doctor located in Lagos & Ibadan. Thanks.

Smileberry:
I met with Cardoctor (Engineer Donald) today. he has a big auto mech workshop here in abuja and they repair mainly modern cars. He turned out to be a very meticulous person and has a lot of knowledge about everything concerning cars. A university graduate from the UK and has been working on cars for close to 30 years (as he said). Thats almost my own age. Anyway, we went to check on a few Toyota Camry cars that I have sourced from OLX and jiji including one which i saw along Kubwa express way.

The first one was 2012 Camry in Gwarimpa. Despite the lovely appearance of the car in the pictures, it had been involved in a front accident and repaired. (the seller told me that it has never been in an accident before but Cardoctor was quick to shut him up and showed him all the areas that the car had been bashed including the passenger rear door which was out of alignment. The windscreen too has been recently changed and gum all around it. Paintwork was also new but badly sprayed with drips everywhere but it will take someone like Cardoctor to point them out. Airbag light, VSC and injector light was on too. We had to abandon that one.

Second was the one on Kubwa express way (i almost thought that i have found my new love when i saw it). 2013 but had also been in an accident and the Cardoctor himsel had noticed it even before we got to the car. Afew items were hanging loose in the engine and you can see where some plastics had been repaired. Everything else seems to work fine and cloth interior is so clean. though we didnt drive it but the price was just too high for me.

Cardoctor charges per car which i think his charges are reasonable considering what one might save in future repairs as well as avoiding my previous nightmares. I will be viewing another one tomorrow with him.

°°°
I will like you to please recommend any experienced and competent car doctor located in Lagos & Ibadan. Thanks.

I was lucky when I bought the car on the Jiji - she was in good condition.

Lemme follow this thread

citizenjuwon:
This checks you stated are clearly important, but could only be carried out by trained auto technicians with significant years of experience!

À certain mechanic was to inspect my car for a Nlander but asked me for his cut which I didn't play ball. I noticed during his inspection that he had no interest in the car even before I got there and had probably made up his mind to tell his boss not to buy because he had no cut. I had pity for this Nlander.

cardoctor:
VEHICLE PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION:

Purchasing a used vehicle can be risky. When excited buyers get emotionally caught up in the vehicle purchase, they often overlook mechanical, electrical, cosmetic, and safety issues during visual inspections and test drives. These problems are compounded if the vehicle being purchased is located in a car sales parking lot where testing is restricted until the vehicle has been paid for purchased prior to being seen in person. Fraudulent car dealers that may have covered up technical or body cosmetic issues would prefer that you pay for the vehicle before testing or hope that these issues would not be detected until payment has been made or better still, after the vehicle has left their car lot.

Check the general condition of vehicles that you wish to buy with a fine tooth comb as well as with a “magnifying glass” “stethoscope” or even better, with a “microscope” to ascertain if there are any underlying engine or transmission issues or if the vehicle had been involved in a minor or severe collision and repaired prior to it being sold.

Thousands of imported vehicles, especially from the USA have been bought as salvage auctioned cars that may have been involved in a severe accident, flooding or fire damage. In most instances, these vehicles would be shipped into Nigeria and cleared through Nigeria Customs for a lower Import Duty (Due to the accident conditions) and repaired in back street panel beating workshops with minimal attention to details. They are then resprayed and sold on to unsuspecting buyers. These vehicles pose serious danger to the end user on the roads and would certainly become an uneconomical asset investment.

Check if the mileage on the odometer has been tampered with or too low for the age or condition of the vehicle. Most Imported used cars (Tokunbo) may have had their mileages tampered with to increase the value of the cars or cleverly modified to reduce the Year Of Manufacture. (For example a 2011 Toyota Prado TX-L could easily be modified to look like a 2014 model) the price difference could well be over 4 million Naira.

Others may have been stolen and being sold off with Chassis (VIN) Numbers that have been tampered with and have had the paperwork faked.
Some vehicles cleared through Seme border in Cotonou, Benin Republic, may also have had lesser duty paid for the value of the car and then sold with Custom Clearance documents reflecting that full duty was paid. Running into a Customs Checkpoint would reveal that Full Duty was not paid and could easily result in the impounding or outright seizure of the vehicle.

I have also observed that many cars coming in through Seme and other border crossings may have had the Catalytic Converters (Commonly called Indomie) removed and/ or stuffed with wire mesh to muffle the sound of the exhaust. This causes severe fuel consumption and a host of other engine malfunctions. Replacing a missing catalytic converter could cost over 30k each.

Other vehicles may have been “Flown” across the border through the bush where the access roads are usually very rough bush tracks that may have damaged the vehicle’s suspension, underneath, tyres and body work. Most, if not all of these vehicles are sold with fake documents.
Another clever gimmick by unscrupulous car dealers is the selling of Nigerian Used cars as Tokunbo. Old vehicle documentation are discarded and erased from the Government Database and replaced with new ones reflecting that the car has never been registered. Silly stickers of Shipping companies and Clearing Ports are stuck on the wind screens and windows to create the semblance of a Tokunbo vehicle that has never been registered.

Some cars may also have electrical or electronic issues and have had the Warning Lights on the dashboards that are meant to indicate Faults within the vehicle permanently removed.

These lights may include:
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION) MALFUNCTION
SRS (AIRBAG) MALFUNCTION
ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM) MALFUNCTION
TPMS (TYRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM) MALFUNCTION

A lot of cars have become so rusty underneath and below the surface of the paintwork and not usually visible on normal inspection. Exhaust pipes and pots may have corroded severely as well as chassis, brakes and suspension components. Buying such a car would certainly lead to breakdowns or accidents and would cost a lot of money to repair.

To eliminate much of the anxiety and get an accurate picture of the condition of the vehicle, buyers should have a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) done before the sale is final.

When should I get a PPI?
A pre-purchase inspection is highly recommended when purchasing a vehicle without a warranty. If there is no warranty, the buyer is immediately assuming all the risk in the event of a breakdown or major mechanical issue. For this reason, a pre-purchase inspection makes financial sense.

What would be inspected?
A thorough panel by panel and external visual inspection of the vehicle paint condition including Rust, Tyres, Evidence of body filler and poor panel alignment. Also check for signs of body flex stress or cracks resulting from weakening body frame. Inspect the under carriage and look for evidence of major or minor collision repairs, corrosion, fluid leaks from the drive train, belts, oil and water hoses.

A visual inspection of the interior carpet, headliner, seats, signs of water infiltration or flooding, condition of floor pans as well as a check of all instrumentation and electrical equipment.

A test drive of the vehicle if possible to evaluate any detectible problems in the engine, transmission, steering, suspension, and brakes under various conditions.
Get details of the vehicles current appraisal value in comparison with other models of its kind.

For more information on buying used cars, click on the link below.
http://www.donbriteautocaresolutions.com/

💯

You can buy a used car but what about useless cars? We buy these cars and give you cash for it.