What Happens When a Consumer Fights a Dealership Over a Faulty Vehicle? South African consumer Moksham Soundarajan secured a refund for a R600,000 Toyota GR Yaris after a nine-month dispute with WP Motors, highlighting the role of statutory ombudsman in resolving vehicle complaints. According to the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA), the dealership … Read more
A 27-year-old Gauteng woman is seeking a full refund or vehicle replacement after her new R923,000 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 reportedly malfunctioned 37 days after purchase. The vehicle allegedly reversed while in drive during a trip to Mpumalanga. Mercedes-Benz South Africa and the financier, Absa, maintain that diagnostic procedures are required under the Consumer Protection Act … Read more
Buying a Used Car? Why the “Buyer Beware” Era is Fading For decades, the second-hand vehicle market operated under the unwritten rule of caveat emptor—buyer beware. However, a landmark ruling involving a consumer and a major dealership has signaled a seismic shift. When a Gauteng consumer successfully challenged a vehicle sale at the National Consumer … Read more
The Used Car “Mileage Trap”: How Digital Transparency is Reshaping Vehicle Sales Buying a used car has always carried a degree of risk, but as the case of a Gauteng motorist’s dispute over a 2019 Toyota Corolla highlights, the stakes are rising. When a vehicle’s history is obscured—whether through odometer tampering or undisclosed accident damage—the … Read more
The second-hand car market has long been a “buyer beware” arena, often characterized by a fundamental imbalance of information. A recent, high-profile dispute involving a Gauteng motorist and a local dealership serves as a stark reminder of how easily mileage tampering and undisclosed accident histories can derail a consumer’s financial stability. When a buyer discovers … Read more