Onwan:

This thread is very good eductaion for car owners and intending buyers.

If anyone is buying a brand new - Its a good move to walk into an authorised manufacturers' dealer and be very clear on the [b]model AND specs. one is buying. One has to be sure if its the Luxury, Standard, Base or even Taxi specification being displayed or priced.
[/b]
My feel is that - at the authorised dealership; chances are low of getting these tampered vehicles. Car dealership is a business where even with the papers, any grey area can lead to some funny sales - for instance, a base model might be sold with airbag BUT without some other accessory or part that is also essential to normal/standard driving - the ultimate protection is to research more on threads like this one and find out little things that one must confirm to be available on whatever specs one's budget can cover.

Also, we all need to understand that its possible to buy a tokumbo full option vehicle without airbags - when parts are stolen at the ports or removed for sale by local dealers; common parts removed in high-end full options vehicle usually includes the airbag sensors and wiring, auxilliary fan, ESP block. This simply shows that some of our local dealers strip down some actual brand new imported vehicles that are standard spec. models and make them "basic" by their own standards - hence incidents like this very unfortunate one here. Its not a joke with loss of lives.

Thespecialone:

Some times a few folks here argue like daft people.

1. Have you visited the Kia website and checked if this particular model has airbags?

2. Were you are the scene of accident and saw no airbags at the point of impact?


3. Do you drive a kia or know any one who drives one and has complained  about airbags?

4. That pic looks as though it was taken at a mechanic's workshop, did you ascertain if the airbags have being retrieved?

5. Do you have  undeniable evidence to back your spurious claims?

6. Do you know if this particular car is brand new or second hand?

If your answer is no to atleast two of these questions, then shut up and go research for facts before coming here to spew your verbal diarrhoea!

My slogan has always been that it is better to buy a cheap new car than to buy an established brand name car that is second hand!!!!

Fiver:

saddest comment on here!!! sometime we nigerians cant shake off 'status mentality' everywhere we go no matter how educated we seems to be


Can anyone say how much exactly would the dealer/buyer be saving from have a car with no airbag, i doubt its upto N10,000!!

Going the extra mile to remove a standard  equipment from these cars is a bit weird to me (wont that be more expensive?)

maballack:

Let me specifically state to you that the Toyoto Corrola from whatever to 2009 base model nigerian doesnot have an airbag , that i am 100% sure of except maybe a GLi which i have seen quite a few , enough to draw up an inference it doesnt have it even written ont he stering whell to say its there and was removed,

@kia rio
there exist no airbag whatsoever, i have a fleet of kia rios for cab service and i call it basically a moving coffin, no airbags whatsoever , so the issue of saying there is no airbag is rightly in place

I dont see why all this page arguments when its a fact that the kia rios  base model and corolla base model up to 2009 am 100% sure does not have an airbag because i have them all

maballack:

I noticed it when i was about purchasing the kia rio, bt noticed that ont he corolla as called bank corolla since, , and no option given on a kia rio had any airbag, bought under Dana , and d ones with airbag  is like what they call full option as that comes with an auto gear and window winds
"imagine full option means airbag and auto gear and window winds, isnt that pathetic, well after purchase dint forget to put a tracker and a comprehensive insurance , because what is available in market is what am making best use of, and poitn of correction the lives of customers even in a fitted vehicle is d driver not the car and equipments , it can only make an accident look mild but stil dependent on the driver and driving, that i dint reciprocate on in employing drivers but , no one is perfect and anything can happen, thats life

Onwan:

@Siena
They end up in branded boxes to be sold to us here in Nigeria. Its terribly unfortunate that these kind of things actually take place. We need him to kindly let us know some details that will help us know IF a major official  distributor by any means CAN be involved in selling these coffins.

I just need that person to help us out here by answering these questions:

1. Did you know that those "moving coffins" were without airbags when you bought them?
2. Did they give you other options of another model with airbags, OR those were the only models available?
3. Where did you buy them from?
4. How on earth would you roll out a cab service with those coffins knowing fully well the consequences and the risks they pose to your customers? I have an idea how much you would spend equipping each with a tracker, and thats more important to you than the lives of your customers?

We need these answers Mr. Maballack, because this is not supposed to end here.

Onwan:

@Fiver
Endorsing the service is one thing, the other thing is to set a standard and specifications of the vehicles in use. I am not aware that Fashola is directly linked to any of the cab services; I had always thought the Transport Commission handles the permits and scrutinization.

Its a mess all the same sir!

maballack:

Let me specifically state to you that the Toyoto Corrola from whatever to 2009 base model nigerian doesnot have an airbag , that i am 100% sure of except maybe a GLi which i have seen quite a few , enough to draw up an inference it doesnt have it even written ont he stering whell to say its there and was removed,
am 100% sure does not have an airbag because i have them all

Onwan:

And let me add to it that Fashola is a very effective guy.

He only needs minds like ours to bring issues like this to him, so he can take actions at his own level of governance. Its only a pity that the case will directly be handled by guess who;

1. Ministry of transport (Federal)
2. Road Safety (Federal)

And of course, you and I know that Maballack only needs to have a one-on-one conversation with his cheque book and the officers in charge and we will all be smiling again.

Fiver:

which also comes under the leadership!


its a total shame Nigerians look out for all the effizy (auto seat massager, auto head adjuster) in cars and pay little attention to safety, i can just see the dealers offering cars with no seatbelt!

wow so buying a new car in nigeria is