₦airaland Forum

@George_D
Go buy a brand new vehicle OR get some education on automobiles and how things work.

On the other hand; when your highlander comes, enjoy it and expect the performance of a brand new - even though its used. Thanks to our importers and dealers and workshops

@Jaxxy
Whats the mileage?

Nice ride. Its a 2001 though

@Poster
From what you have described above, you do not have any problems with the engine; The next thing I would like to ask you is the vehicle's history - Its important;

1. When did you buy the vehicle?
2. Did you buy it tokumbo or used?

This will go very far in helping.

Nice try advertising your one way website. This is a forum.

Moreover, accidents and damages are reported to Carfax for their record purposes - Its not like Carfax detects it via satellite or something.

If you check a Carfax report - It usually states (for your "clean" rides) that "No accidents or damages reported to Carfax"

We all know that if its to be reported, then it can be avoided (mostly avoided due to insurance issues) and so one or more actual damages might not be reported for a particular vehicle - so you can imagine being rigid about "clean", "dirty", "salvage" etc on an issue that (in some quarters) car dealers make happen just to sell their cars.

I appreciate our dealers for going through all to make one drive cars that their MSRP or online digits would ordinarily be impossible with our budgets.

Maybe you went with a mechanic. Once you enter a store with a mechanic, they make a sign - mostly raising one hand signifying + N500, so anything or any price is "good" with your mechanic.

@Beecrofty
I experienced something when trying to get a toks fuel pump; the ones that have been repaired costs less than the fresh toks. You can buy a worked fuel pump for 3,500 (you stand a risk of leakage though), while the straight toks costs 4,500.

I am not sure the same applies to new parts though. I have seen them show me two types of BOSCH spark plugs in the same pack and same electrode type - one was 1,700 per pack and the other was 3,500 per pack.

I think with the fear for return-refund, they generally come straight and tell you the difference. There is too much competition for them to want to mess up their stores.

Maybe because I'm Ibo - they don't wanna mess with the Chief, else we have their families exiled

@Seal777
Ladipo will be a good place for you to get a tokumbo shocks. I don't know about the new ones but from my experience - most new parts are like flashes, they simply don't last.

But like Kunle-A has suggested, stick to that brand IF you are buying a new one - my only fear is IF its the real MONROE or the China MONROE (I'm sure even your mechanic might not be able to tell the difference.) If you see the same brand with two prices; then you should buy the higher price - that's likely to be the real one.

@Emperoh
the less wiring and sensors applies to the engine and have nothing to do with the gadgets on the vehicle; take a practical example

Comparing my Diesel BMW530D and the Lexus GS300 2000 Model:

The BMW is well by far more equipped than the Lexus; Factory optioned Telephone system - which works with the pre-installed Kenwood TV/DVD system, it has cruise control (even as manual drive), it has gas mileage calculator on-board, it has automated vehicle balance system you can interact with to define preference, power windows, Key-less, etc

Some of these options are available on the Lexus BUT what I'm trying to point out is that the diesel engine is so simple with less electronics and powers all the options you might want in your vehicle.

The diesel simply made me see things in a whole new way; its like I said earlier - feel pained having wasted money on petrol engines.

@George_D
I am not a car dealer BUT cars are my hobby .

The mission here is to appreciate our dealers and importers and to encourage them to do a good job of preferably fixing the as-is cars overseas with a great deal of integrity before shipping to us.

We want to, wish to and have to trust them.

@George_D
That action has no business with the dealers or the brake part manufacturers.

Once you drive a car and its okay by you, you pay and drive off. I know that for a fact, even overseas.

You might consider the option of walking into a car shop and buying a factory "new" car or SUV and not a used highlander.

I wonder what your unfortunate importer will do when you drive you "clean" highlander for a week and have gear problems - you sue him? - get real. Consumer unions and boards wont nose into your choice.

That's why you should come to a forum like this one and ask questions before you buy and not get punked. You need to appreciate that.

@George_D
What law?, what country?, How did Toyota know they had brake and pedal problems - after 52 deaths, what law would apply to the dealers that sold the vehicles. Please try and get facts across and not subjective thoughts.

We are not talking peanuts here, so you might want to appreciate efforts made by people who are giving you the luxury of driving a pre-owned vehicle close to the state of a factory new one - which in the first most of us cannot afford.

The first thing we all need to understand is that cars are made of parts; which needs to be replaced ordinarily with time. For instance in some models - that transmission (automatic gear system) is recommended to be changed after 50k Miles - BUT you want to buy a "Tokumbo", "Clean" one with a "true" mileage of 140k Miles and not have any problems with the transmission?, I'm sure you expect the factory air-filter also to still be in the "Clean" ride or maybe also there should be a "Toyota" battery in every Camry  .

Maybe you didn't know that the silver color reflector in most headlamps are changed after a while - BUT when you buy your "clean" ride with a clean reflector, you think its factory.

Don't just drive cars, research on your favorite models and learn about parts, then you will understand why people take cars to workshops to overhaul and change things, whether accident or no accident.

If you live in Ojuelegba and buy an accord brand new, in 6 months, the condition of the paint with scratches and okada people will be worse than that one Biz-books posted - would you call that an accident car?

Ignorance can be blissful and at times can be a nightmare, so learn.

Also, so you know - the reason Biz_books made that advert and wrote those things was from the confidence he got from this forum and thread.

They don't have to hide anything anymore, they need to have the vehicles fixed and declare them clean - if they want, they can give us details of what they changed and where, IF they don't, they should not. Its not like you would drive them for years and tell their past anyways.

@George_D
Biz_Books is very straight and correct with that advert BUT he has not fixed those cosmetic defects. If he fixes those cosmetic defects, then the car ceases to have any minor flaws and becomes clean.

Don't label people frauds because you have no idea what car dealership entails. Once flaws are fixed, the car becomes clean. Get that straight.

@George_D
The poster would probably have known what he did not know about your so-called "clean" cars.

If someone buys a "salvage" car and rebuilds it overseas as described before shipping to Nigeria - The seller should label it CLEAN. The seller can and should make it more attractive to people who know what they want by advertising what was changed and where it was changed.

I see this post about some Highlander you pre-ordered; and I am positive that in your mind you think you are buying a "clean" ride, driven by an "old" woman and probably a "one-owner" ride - and the "Carfax" and "VIN" report checks out very "clean". I'm sure you have not one single idea how things work out there, if you did , you would only be concerned in the vehicle being drivable and hope most of the affected parts (either due for change with time OR one way or the other affected) had being changed before shipping to you. This has nothing to do with your importer - I'm sure he understands what I am saying and this will help him also bring out the best of his products.

I still maintain that there was an inquiry I made with Kunle-A of a car that with Carfax and VIN checking out a while ago - he simply told me that if interested he has to tow it to a mechanic workshop he trusts and have the car tested physically - Now, that's a car dealer who knows about cars.

Our car dealers and importers should please have whatever cars they buy there as-is fixed and thoroughly checked, then they should label them CLEAN by our standards.

No pre-owned vehicle is 80% - It can only be IF aging parts are replaced and optimized. Even the brand new recalled GM and Toyota cars are not 50% until those affected parts are replaced.

@Lum-zy
You are right and I believe we are actually on the same course, same as Femmmy.

The solution is that sellers should proudly display their professional overseas rebuild status on any imported vehicle.

This is simply because I believe that now, an average user or buyer understands that a good overseas rebuild involves outright replacement or affected part and top of the line general body work - simply because an average shop there has the equipments you will only find in places like Germaine, etc - Lets face it, which of us won't be feeling cool to say "my car was rebuilt by Germaine" ?

Buying a 7 year old one-owner car from the US is like buying a second hand car here in Nigeria from a user who bought it brand new 7 years ago here. BUT what if in the 6th year of ownership the car was involved in an accident and most of those parts you would have to change in say 10 years time were all replaced? - It means you simply have a rebuilt car with those parts newly changed and you wont have to bother about those parts for a long time. Im sure that was beecrofty's experience.

I see adverts on craigslist and eBay where they proudly state what was changed, and even the cost of changed items - people buy them even before the auction ends.

Importers, please proudly post the name of the shops that did the good job online or have their stickers on the car/SUV - I'll be proud to drive a roll-out from one of those hot shops in p.i.m.p my ride.

@Seal777
Thank you for that input, and I'm happy you are also one of those on nairaland that offer advise and help to intending car buyers and current users.

I'm particularly happy for users of this forum, you can ask questions and be helped out by the information people will provide; for instance - our cousin who is thinking of buying a China car - I'm sure with comments from nairalanders he will not end up buying a new car with the brain-box merged with the A/C controls.

Its very key that people ask questions before buying.

@lum_zy
If you read carefully you will see a poster sharing an experience about a car with simple bullet holes and tagged "Beyond repair" personally I think buying such a car is a very smart and intelligent move by any car dealer - fixed and shipped out.

The thing is, we are in a world where we need all the help we can get BUT there must be a degree of trust between a seller and a buyer. The seller has to be someone who deals with integrity AND the buyer must know what he or she wants.

Two things: You can ship the bullets riddled car to Nigeria and our people simply use body-filler to block the holes and "bake" the car and sell as tokumbo, OR a workshop overseas not only sorts out the bodywork for the holes BUT also check the vehicle wiring and interiors for possible damages where we would not ordinarily check.

I think it all comes down to our importers doing a good job out there and selling us those tokumbo vehicles.

Beecrofty's accord is one example of a good job done before shipping. That is a Tokumbo vehicle. Buyers should buy with confidence once rebuild is done out there.

@Violent
Confirmed Sir!!

Also meaning that the guy should understand that compared to other big sized SUVs, its very very okay in terms of fuel consumption;

1. Range Rover Sports averages 14MPG
2. Lexus LX470 averages 12MPG
3. Hummer H2 averages 12MPG
4. Lincoln Navigator averages between 11.5 and 12MPG

So, these trucks and in their own class AND for you to buy any of them, the fuel should not and cannot be your concern simply because you know what you want to use it for.

Personally, for me, its a king on the road - not an everyday ride, BUT its one of the best in its class.

Meaning that the guy calling it a Gas Guzzler should drive one first.

You have no idea about that vehicle until you are drive or own one.

Its bad enough we have to deal with China phones, now someone is even considering a China car?

I can imagine what he will go through. The thing is that China parts dont get damaged; they just expire, usually after 3 to 4 months. He'll simply wake up and find out that the same engine on his 2KVa Elemax generator is the same in his new China Girly car

Its not even an issue

People walk into car shops are buy brand new cars and SUVs; I suppose the reason you are buying the "Tokumbo" in the first place is because you cant afford a brand new one. So, you might want to make it easy on yourself by asking questions and being well researched before you buy.

Its easy for anyone to say no to "accident" cars when you live in an environment where you are paying over 3 years for the "New" car you currently drive.

I'm sure those recalled Toyota and GM cars are "accident" cars too. We only need some small research and diligence to figure out these titles.

For me, once its well rebuilt (overseas), I'm cool with it - "clean", "dirty", "salvage", whatever.

@Bizbooks and Femmmy
Thanks for your comments and insight.

Bizbooks there is something you are forgetting; Most people talking about "accident" cars here are not talking about cars that are imported - Most of them are already rolling in their "Tokumbo" cars, some are even expecting pre-orders and cannot even tell if those vehicles are accident or not. The simple reason is that whether Hispanic or Insurance rebuilt - they do well above average jobs; the replacement parts are there and are cheap.

The accident they are talking about are those they can see by checking the "Carfax" or "VIN" before buying, meanwhile the one they are currently driving is probably a beyond-repair rebuild.

I will not advise anyone to buy a local rebuild except you stay with them at the workshop because Nigerian mechanics are very good at "It will work, just use copper wire, or super glue" BUT out there, the parts are there and cheap and on the average, they do the job, unlike my people here at Owode-Onirin and Ladipo.

You would be shocked what will happen IF everyone runs a VIN or Carfax check on the car or SUV they are currently driving. Then you will know how many people have been punked  .

For me; overseas rebuild is chassis - The only thing is that our importers that buy accident vehicles as-is should keep up the standard of letting very good workshops handle the rebuild out there before shipping.

I'm sure I will - based on my car experience. Its getting it that is the issue. Only seen one with Dantitiki and the other one, after a week or so the guy decided to stop the sale and number it for his personal use (that tells me what to expect). If I see two or more options to choose from then I'm good.

Thanks

I know, that's because I don't see any point here.

Manufacture is part of a vehicle's history, so is accident, what happens after the accident is what counts - was it sold for parts?, or was it rebuilt? the paint job you would call "Factory" in Nigeria is what kids in high school use for their projects.

People's records are wiped and altered out there let alone your "Carfax" and your beloved "VIN".

You need to understand that what you call factory body in Nigeria is usually 3rd or 4th paint and body jobs on most imported cars. So your importer might NOT even know the real history of the car.

You need to talk to Kunle-A, I know he lives in the states, he will explain things to you better. No matter how clean a vehicle is, Kunle-A will tell you that after purchase, he will tow it to a mechanic for physical tests.

Even fresh factory roll-outs have defects, some people buy brand news and send them for complete body kitting and engine tune-ups (brand new vehicles).

So my point - Most Nigerians don't know IF the vehicle they are driving is accident or not. Also, an overseas well done rebuild is as good as new, because they wont compromise little things and will easily get the factory OEM parts for next to nothing.

Watch documentaries and auto related programs, then you will see that all vehicles are salvage - depending on where you are looking at it from. Remember the GM and Toyota brand new vehicles being recalled?, what do you think they will do to them? wave a wand over them and that's it? NO, they will open them up like an old vehicle, remove faulty parts and replace with new OEM parts and send back to the lot for sale as brand new - would you still call them Brand new??

That's why I'm desperate for a second experience with an SUV diesel. And really, its like walking on the moon

@George_D
I'm sure you think your vehicle is "Clean" too; let me guess, the seller posted you the VIN?

Like ib62 has said:

Solution:
check
test drive
seek advise

In my personal opinion, Nigerians should educate themselves and appreciate what our importers and dealers are doing to even get them that their "tokumbo" ride.

Those tags - "clean", "unclean" or "salvage" "title" makes me laugh ; like the intending buyer himself is "clean" or "unclean" and most definitely "salvage"