₦airaland Forum

Dont stall, call us today, lets fix tomorrow

Nigeria's auto repair industry is a different ball game. It is not american, Japanese, or Asian. It is purely Nigerian and needs to be managed with the Nigerian experience.


First to all car owners:

Repairs are expensive:

1. The Nigerian experience
Most vehicles on Nigerian road, bought as toks are actually not road worthy and are titled salvaged at the point of purchase. Salvaged vehicle means, the cost of repair is greater than the actual value of the car.

Even for clean titled vehicles, repair cost actually goes up after the first 5 years, which is why reasonable owners trade them off for new vehicles. Interestingly, the ayorkele and lacreme vehicles in Nigeria are 8 years old or more.


2. That you buy a new vehicle does not mean your repair cost will be low. Why?
Because dealership will fvck you! Dealerships and anything that looks like one. This accross board, worldwide. Now, add Nigeria's wuruwuru ness. I have had vehicles taken to coscharis, and elizade, where the customer pays heavily for a catalytic converter replaced, only to stuck up nets in them.
Foreign dealership are rip off, Nigerian dealerships are rip offs and crooks.

3. If you want to be attended to in English, and some common sense, patronise educated packaged mechanics.
This does not in any way guarantee a good job, but you will at least be spoken to in English, and you have rights to complain, and maybe rant about sueing them, no Nigerian court will actually listen to your case, because there are more important pending issues, that they will never attend to. Maybe harrass with police. They are better off, the roadside that if you complain too much, you fit chop slap, and curses ontop your money, the not so crude ones, after putting your car in more problems than you brought it, will first resort to begging, then ask you to do your worst.


Whats the open advice to car owners.
Patronise a shop, with as much common sense and technical know how. They will be expensive, not very expensive, and you should be tech savy too. You are better off that way.



To Autoshops.
I give this advice with 8 years of tech, and dealership level auto experience.

1. You cant fix all cars.
If you need explanations for this. Ask, i will explain.

2. Dont take all customers
There are this sets that think owning a car, and paying for repairs amounts to owning you. Not bad, but with a mix of pride, and trying to lowball on prices of parts and repair cost, just avoid them.
I particularly will not take any customer that wants to buy their parts. Why? The story does not always end well.

3. Your front desk, should be tech savvy, and have good communication skills.

4. Dont fall into deep of, we fix all cars.
Preferably to maintain a good reputation, do not fix vehicles that are older than 10 years. The tales are not always great. With good automobile electrical knowledge, you can fix all brands, but older vehicles are no no. Let someone else deal with the cross. Most especially for new customers.

This is not a hardline rule, consistent and loyal customers have older vehicles, you dont to send them off cos their other vehicles are old.

5. You workers will chop you.
In the Nigerian experience, block loopholes, and dont hesitate to fire an employee thats out to kill your business. There are harmless ways they make extras on the job.

6. Too much technology and English sucks.




To this thread, it is sad the op and rad couldn't resolve without a grudge. Things dont always end the way we want them to. The most important thing is to learn from from the experience and move on.

We are available, 24/7. 7 days a week, for all pick up and installations. Lets make it happen.

Take advantage while the price is still low