Experiences and tips when buying cars in Nigeria: why I sold my car after 5 months of purchase

Have you had a million naira or two and thought of owning a car in Nigeria? With the current economic trend in Nigeria, you are likely to get only a Nigerian used car, and if there's anything like a third-hand used car, maybe. I started driving in 2009, and my first car was my mom's. Dad was strict with his, even though I moved it forward and backward occasionally. I have never been particularly fond of manual cars. In 2017, my older brother gave me his Volkswagen 4, which he purchased from Germany, with the instruction to pay a certain token, N200,000 ($200), to the home purse as upkeep. You can guess right what I did as the second-to-lastborn; I barely made 50% of the said amount before I took full ownership of the car. In fact, I eventually sold it after three years for N700,000 ($700) because of the numerous problems it started giving me. Car problems in Nigeria can cause hypertension; it's from one fault to another, from one roadside mechanic to another.

In 2021, I made some commendable gains within the space of 3 months in crypto after I invested N130, 000 ($130) and the tokens rose to a little above N5,000,000 ($5,000), and the optimistic and naive me did not make significant withdrawals, hoping for a larger rise. Well, I conveniently withdrew N2,000,000 ($2,000) and began hunting for a car to purchase. This is the interesting part. Here in Nigeria, you can buy any of these categories of cars: new (popularly referred to as tear leather), tokunbo (commonly called second hand, which are cars already used in foreign countries and shipped to Nigeria for sale; most often, they are accidented vehicles), or Nigerian used (which can range from a seller you know who currently uses the car you intend to buy to a complete stranger).

If you're buying a car in Nigeria that is not new, go with a 'trusted' mechanic. trusted quote because some of them do not mind tilting you toward a regular customer when you eventually buy a problematic car. This was how I traveled to Ibadan all the way from Ilorin to purchase a 2008 Toyota Camry. Previously, I had joined different car buying and sales groups on Facebook and also apps like Whatsapp and Jiji. I had paid contacts in different states to inspect cars for me and, most often, got discouraged by their reports. When I got to Ibadan, I linked up with a third-party mechanic (he was not someone I knew for long or too well), and we inspected the car together. I liked what I saw, and the mechanic encouraged me to go for it. The owner told me he traveled long distances with the car often and fabricated many tales. His reason for selling the car was because he wanted to buy a Tokunbo Toyota Lexus 350. Would you blame me for settling for the car since I had been without a car for months compared to more than 10 years that I have been behind the wheels? I drove the car back to ilorin and it moved satisfactorily, even though I was told I would need to service the car.

A few days after I arrived in ilorin and started using the car, my visits to the mechanic soon became frequent. It started with the rewire and escalated fully to the mechanic. I was encouraged to work on the engine by ringing it. Three months into buying the car, my expenses on it rose to about N400,000, and at that point, I knew the car had to go as I hated the sound the car engine made after it was ringed. I put the car up for sale on social media, and by the fifth month, I got a dealer (the parent of a friend) who offered me N1,000,000 upfront with the intention of refurbishing the car for a better sale value. The deal was made in October 2021, and till today, it has been one story after another from the dealer concerning the balance. I was hurt to have paid such an amount for a car I barely used for five months, and the worst part was that I barely got a 50% resell cost on it.

My conditions are simple: I am not buying any Nigerian used car unless it's from a seller I know who has barely used the car for some months and wishes to sell it for genuine reasons, such as traveling abroad. Even when it's someone I know who intends to sell his car, I would rather let one or two trusted mechanics evaluate and give an honest opinion. Buying used items in Nigeria is dangerous and can cause dangerous ailments like elevated blood pressure. I have had my fair share of electrical items, and I am not going to ever procure used electrical (cars not excluded). My very close friend recently bought a Nigerian used BMW car for N1,100,000 despite my warnings. He spent money sorting a few things, including painting, which has geared the amount spent on the car to be about N1,500,000. We noticed oil leakage somewhere around the engine, which he has yet to repair for a week now. He knew I'm against Nigerian used cars, and I do not fail to show my dislike for them when confronted. My advice still stands: buy a Tokunbo or new car, which will give you more assurance, confidence, and warranty. Be sure to buy common cars. Rare cars are likely to get you make handled by different mechanics.

Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.

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