AutoJoshNG:

copart.com , iaai.com etc

chronique:
Nice post but let's get some things straight.

1. Not every accidented car is bad. Some have just minor impacts. So long as the impact doesn't affect the chasis, you are good to go.

2. Rolled back mileages aren't only done here. They are also done overseas. The major reason why mileages are being rolled back in naija, is the greed and unrealistic expectations of most clients. The average yearly drive of a car in the US should give you around 15,000 miles. A Nigerian would be asking for a 2003 toyota corolla with 80,000 miles. Dealers who are desperate to sell, would have it rolled back to suit the clients. That a mileage is high, doesn't necessarily mean the engine is gone. I have gotten cars from Canada that the owners replaced engine at around 180k or 200k miles. So when such a car comes with a mileage of 300k, you hear people saying the mileage is too high, not knowing it's not the same engine that ran the entire 300k miles.

3. No Car Dealer can make 700k on a 2006 corolla as at today. It's almost impossible. Even if you calculate with the lowest of estimate. Let's assume shipping cost just $1000,clearing cost 500k, auction fees and trucking costs, $800. That would give you a total of 1,166,000. Let's assume the car was bought at $2,500(925,000) using 370 as exchange rate. Add it up to previous figure and it gives a total of 2,091,000. How much is the average selling price of a corolla in the market? 2.4-2.5m. There are some other charges not even added.

4. I like the fact that this topic is right here. Clients would appreciate it when they see clean title cars for good prices. Most times, when you try to tell them your price is higher cos it's accident free, they'd tell you how they got one for way cheaper (using price of seriously accidented cars to negotiate).


5. No matter how we look at it, the truth is if some people weren't importing accident and flooded cars, most Nigerians won't be able to afford cars. I once saw a 99 Camry with 42k original miles in the US, for $7500. Imagine buying that type of car and trying to sell it on Nairaland? All the miscreants on this site would start calling you all manner of names and telling you how much the car is worth.

pryme:


Do auction sites give accurate info about cars on auction?, if yes which are the best auction sites?
Thanks.

Abeyjide:
How do I check original mileage ?

dame134:


Boss if you're buying directly from Cotonou, or the US and Canada, its best you put the maintenance history into consideration. Some come with high mileage, but good maintenance history, hence a better engine performance. On the other hand, some come with low mileage, but very poor maintenance history thus make you spend a huge amount of money on "engine-related " problems - you might have to change the engine at a later time.

P.S - if the car has a high mileage and good maintenance history, please do well to go to the parking lot with a scanner and some one that can read engine error codes. I am saying this because high mileage cars regardless of proper maintenance could have gear problems - this is so because the gear box is built to specification and its very delicate hence its moving parts ( solenoid valves included) are prone to wear and tear with higher mileage travelled by the car.

Hope this helps someone out there

chronique:


Not exactly. For example, a car with a faulty kick starter, can be listed with the tag "salvaged" and when they want to state the type of damage, you would see "mechanical damage". You can't know exactly what the fault is until you buy it and start working on it here or over there as the case may be.

pryme:


Wow, so how do one get a clean accident free tokunbo car? at a good price

chronique:


If you are ready to pay the price, you'd get one. People still import clean title cars. Their prices are usually higher though.

pryme:


OK, pls can you give some names of reputable car dealers that are honest?

AutoJoshNG:




4) Unpaid import duty:

The excessive import duty in Nigeria, our porous land borders as well as high level of corruption has led to several cars being smuggled into the country. The sad news is, these cars are not seized from the dealers.. but they are seized from the final buyers who are not aware the vehicles were smuggled.

The good news is Nigeria Custom recently launched a custom paper verification process that allows you to confirm if duty was paid on a particular vehicle. See how to verify your custom paper HERE.. https://autojosh.com/custom-paper-verification/

chronique:


Go out to car lots around Lagos or wherever you stay. Check for a car you like, get the vin and do a carfax report. If it shows it's a clean title, do a test drive and close the deal with them. It's that simple.

Rolly83:


Shut the Fu..CK up!!! Do u know how some car dealers have frustrated so many people

chronique:


Go out to car lots around Lagos or wherever you stay. Check for a car you like, get the vin and do a carfax report. If it shows it's a clean title, do a test drive and close the deal with them. It's that simple.

kagari:
long time bro

1kinggy:


Please how long does their response take? Thanks.

AutoJoshNG:


Call is better than SMS because you'll get an instant response.

computerglobal:

Running a VIN check is a crucial step when buying a used car. VIN report contains valuable information about the used car you are considering and can help save you from buying a lemon. Buying a used car is not a bad idea but you would want a used car that’s reliable and would not cause trouble in the future!



Contact us Today For Vin checks and report

We are always available for your checks and car history reports

Sms vin to 08060365068

Abeyjide:
How do I check original mileage ?

pryme:


Wow, so how do one get a clean accident free tokunbo car? at a good price

AutoJoshNG:
One of the greatest exploiters we have in Nigeria are the car dealers. They can actually make a scrap car look brand new again.. The cars at their showrooms look perfect to the average eyes.. However, a trip behind the scene could leave you dumbfounded.

My simple advise to all prospective car buyer is, never rely on the information given to you by the car seller.. They may just give you a Tokunbo car as brand new or a Nigerian used as Tokunbo.

These are 5 things Nigerian car dealers don't want car buyers to know



1) Accidented cars:

Car dealers would always tell you their cars are clean without a scratch or blemish. But when you prove to them the car has been resprayed, they will now change their tone and say they only sprayed the bumpers due to a scratch at Lagos port. Note: This is usually a big fat lie. That car is most likely accidented. It is not news that most cars which are imported into Nigeria are bought from auctions that sell a large number of damaged vehicles. This may not be a problem as some damage are minor and inconsequential.. However, some dealers prefer to buy the badly damage cars which would be sold very cheaply as scrap.. and such vehicles would be repaired and sold to unsuspecting Nigerians. I once asked a car dealer in Lagos to show me the pictures of the accident the car I was inspecting had. What I requested was the original pictures from the auction yard before any repair was done.. but he went ahead to show pictures he took after he had done some repairs. I almost fell for it but quickly realized they had done some repairs and even put in new radiator and condenser. These guys could be desperate to any extent.. so you have to be careful in order not to buy a car that the airbags have been removed due to accident or a car that the suspensions have been patched up to only take you out of their sales lot.



2) Rolled back mileage:

Just a week ago, I did a vehicle history check for someone, the vehicle history report showed the car had trekked 403,000 kilometres before it left Canada last year.. but the dashboard odometre in Lagos a week ago was showing 80,000 kilometres. What happened? They had rolled back the mileage. Come to think of it, imagine rolling your age back to 15 after clocking 80 years old.. That would be splendid.

Another guy kept complaining his car had multiple issues.. we later realised the actual mileage on the car was about 500,000 kilometres.


3) Flooded cars:

Did you just buy a car that has a mind of its own? You try to reduce the volume of the radio but the sound goes up instead.. You try to turn off the radio but the AC goes off instead.. The reverse camera comes up anytime you put the car in drive.. and your car continues to play many annoying pranks with you. The car is probably a flooded car. These cars are cheap at the auction so the ridiculous prices attracts dealers who want to maximize their profit. Dealers don't want you to ever know they are selling a flooded car to you and you probably can't tell with your bare eyes. The simplest way to know is by doing a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) check especially Carfax VIN check.

Some people buy cars and they spend money fixing it for more than a year without being able to drive it.



4) Unpaid import duty:

The excessive import duty in Nigeria, our porous land borders as well as high level of corruption has led to several cars being smuggled into the country. The sad news is, these cars are not seized from the dealers.. but they are seized from the final buyers who are not aware the vehicles were smuggled.

The good news is Nigeria Custom recently launched a custom paper verification process that allows you to confirm if duty was paid on a particular vehicle. See how to verify your custom paper HERE.. https://autojosh.com/custom-paper-verification/



5) How much they make on each car:

It is true some cars are sold at a loss especially when they have been on ground for too long. It is also true that car dealers can make between ₦200,000 to ₦700,000 on a 2006 model Toyota car. The better they are able to execute the 4 points I listed above, the higher the profit they make.. but I have observed that no matter the amount car dealers make, they will always tell buyers that they are only making ₦50,000 on the car sale. If you fall for their appeal to pity, you will end up paying more for nothing.

Tell us what you noticed car dealers in Nigeria did not want you to know and stay tuned to AutoJosh for more on cars.

Don't forget to like, rate and share.

https://autojosh.com/car-dealers-in-nigeria/

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Madavani:
Please which do I go for , a golf3 1997 - 1999 or a Ford 2001 or '02 focus, as am in a Cross road on which car to go for. Please I need advice on which to go for based on fuel economy, availability of parts, maintainance cost... Thanks a lot..