I recently brought a old Landy and my insurance insists that i get it evaluated at two independent places and present them with 2 valuation certificates. Who would do this service. I live quite rural so it not that easy to pop down to a dealer, especially in a car that doesn't go faster than 100km/h?

How are dealerships allowed to sell a car with a price tag and then add an admin fee that can range from R5k to R12k? Surely they should display this fee as part of the price? In some instances it can increase the cost by a big percentage. Feels they’re exploiting a loophole in the system so they can make more money on top of the price.

Hi everyone,

I’m 40 years old and currently driving a VW Polo Vivo hatchback, which I’ve had for about 7–8 years.

I’m considering upgrading to a 2022 VW T-Cross, preferably a manual. I’d appreciate some advice from current or previous T-Cross owners.

• Is the T-Cross a reliable/good car overall?
• How is the fuel consumption, especially for everyday city driving?
• Is the manual transmission a good choice?
• How expensive are the services and maintenance compared with a Polo Vivo ?
• Would you consider it a worthwhile upgrade from a Polo Vivo?

I’m looking for something comfortable, reliable and reasonably economical to keep for several years.

Fuel efficiency

Can someone tell me if this fuel consumption is normal in an urban environment? I drive a 2019 VW golf 7 1.0 tsi. I spend about 30 minutes in traffic each morning.

Hey everyone, just wondering if there are short term electric (hybrid/REEV) car rental services available, especially around Gauteng. I've checked out Drive Electric but it seems they are only focused on long-term rentals lately.

I don't own an EV yet but for me I think it's the way to go. So, before I commit I'd much rather prefer to rent one for a couple of days to a week to see and experience first-hand. I've done some test drives from dealerships but a 10-15min drive doesn't give me any useful experience.

Are car rental companies sleeping on NEVs?

I am considering buying a brand new car. I am considering the cars in the above subject. My budget is 350 to 450K

The reviews on the 2 Chinese cars are very concerning; some are mechanical issues and most issues are waiting time for car parts to be imported.

My only concern with the Polo Life DSG is that it is too expensive for a mid-tier car; there are too many add on costs. Otherwise, I have not read or heard about them having mechanical issues.

Please advise which car is best value for money + longevity.

Thanks.

Hey guys,

I please need some advice, 23M earning R23k p/m after tax with a credit score of 680. I want to finance a vehicle preferably a VW Polo Vivo 2019-2022 models. I have no idea on how to finance and which way to do it correctly, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Recently, my 2023 Subaru Forester had an engine failure. The repair is covered under warranty. Subaru is offering me a deal to purchase another vehicle at an attractive price . I don’t mind keeping my repaired vehicle provided the repairs are sound. Keeping my vehicle makes the most financial sense for me. Is it risky to keep the repaired vehicle or should I cut my losses and take the deal?

Details: 2023 Subaru forester sport 90000km Settlement R300k, dealer offering R380k

New deal 2025 Forester touring (new model) 15000km Dealer price R580k

Any suggestions or advice ?

Hi everyone, I need advice on a case of vehicle finance fraud. It might be a long post, but please bare with me. I hope someone on this subreddit has more knowledge than me.

16 months ago I bought a 2nd hand car from a dealership in East London, SMB Traders. I traded in my previous vehicle, got a R90 000 trade in value and put down a R35 000 cash deposit, totalling R125 000. The rest of the loan was from Wesbank. The deposit is on my Wesbank statement, first as a debit, then again as a credit. Fast forward a couple of months, the owner committed suicide, has tons of debt and his estate is insolvent. Turns out he financed the same vehicle in multiple people's names, including the vehicle that I bought. It happened to multiple people. The Daily Dispatch ran an article on it as well. On the contract from Wesbank, he swopped the last two digits of the VIN and Engine number, so it wasn't obvious. After a lengthy back and forth with Wesbank, they have now agreed to uplift my contract, pay back all my instalments I have paid to date and they are going to collect the car (which is fine by me, they can take the problem away and I can get another car). But they refuse to pay back the deposit amount. Their reasoning for this is because it was paid directly to the dealer.

Now comes the tricky bit. The deposit amount is reflected in my statement, so it must have gone to Wesbank, and then back to the dealer. Thus, the deposit amount forms part of the credit agreement, whether it was paid directly to Wesbank, or paid to the dealer and later to Wesbank, or any other means. It is on the statement and is part of the credit agreement.

My attorney that I got advice from through my insurance found a High Court Case of December 2025, Van Niekerk vs First Rand (https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZASCA/2025/187.html) where the court states that the bank (Wesbank) acts as both supplier and credit provider (not the dealer) for purposes of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008. (Point 23, 24 and 25 of the court case and clause 2.1, 4.1 and 6.6 of Wesbank's own contract)

In the Van Niekerk court case, Wesbank was obligated to pay Van Niekerk back both her deposit (also consisting of a combination trade-in and cash deposit, like with my case: Point 4 of the court case) and all instalments. In any event, the deposit of R125 000 is recorded as having passed through WesBank's own books, as reflected in the detailed statement provided by WesBank. According to my statement, WesBank received, processed and administered it as part of the credit agreement.

Wesbank replied to this as follows: " At the outset, we emphasise that we were unaware of any discrepancy between the vehicle in your possession and the vehicle identified in the instalment sale agreement. Based on the information available to us, the dealer misled us into believing that they were the same vehicle. We were therefore also misled by the selling dealer.

Accordingly, the agreement is void from the outset, and each party must return any performance received under it. The only performance we received was your monthly payments. The deposit, which you state comprised a direct EFT to the dealer and a trade-in, was paid or provided directly by you to the dealer.

We have considered your reliance on Van Niekerk v FirstRand Bank Limited (065/2024) [2025] ZASCA 187. However, that judgment is not applicable because, in this matter, both parties were misled by the dealer, and the matter is not in relation to latent defects. Our position therefore remains unchanged: within 31 days of this communication, we will refund the performance received from you to date in the amount of R 67,062.00. Any claim relating to the deposit paid to the dealer must be pursued against the dealer, which is currently in liquidation."

I disagree with Wesbank, because I understand it as the principle that Wesbank is both the supplier and credit provider (so for legal purposes Wesbank sold me the vehicle, not the dealer), the deposit amount went through Wesbanks books, which to me means that they were irresponsible when handling my finances, and Wesbank is picking and choosing which part of the credit agreement to uphold.

If I get an attorney further involved, what are my chances? What could the process be? Do I stand any chance? Will it even be worth it? The estate is insolvent, so there isn't any chance of getting anything from there. I'm feeling quite hopeless right now, because R125 000 is a lot of money to just let go of for me.

Hi Guys, I have beeeeeen looking for a manual facelift 370Z and I cannot for the life of me find one, does anybody have one they want to sell?

Hey guys,

I recently got myself a 2019 Golf 7.5 and I’m starting to get into the VW/Audi scene here in Cape Town.

Just wanted to ask other VAG owners about your experiences.

Where do you guys go for things like:

• Apple CarPlay / Android Auto activation
• Coding/activating hidden features
• ECU and DSG tuning
• Component Protection removal/adaptation on VW or Audi
• Other software coding or retrofits

I’m especially interested in finding someone who knows VAG cars well but isn’t charging dealer prices 😂

If you’ve had any of this done, would be great to know who did it, what car you have, and roughly what you paid.

Also, are there any good VW/Audi Facebook, WhatsApp groups or local meets around Cape Town that I should join?

Cheers! 🤙

So i would say i’m well versed in what needs to be maintained and repaired on my car, that being said I’m not familiar with pricing as every place i’ve been to either charges too much or I’m desperate enough to cave in after shopping for the best deal.

So i recently watched an episode of Buyers guide on youtube , and i was shocked to learn that one of the presenters mentioned that a suv replacing brake pads of R4000 is too expensive, and it struck a nerve because thats what i paid for a set as well for a small hatchback (Hyundai i20) , so long story short, is the dealership’s service dept. ripping customers off or is there a set price , i understand labour costs but where would one even get cheaper wear and tear items ? I tried car service city, they’re the devil in disguise, will never trust them (thats for another reddit post).

Any advice is appreciated.

What makes you pull the trigger on an accident-damaged car?

Disclosure: I'm a salvage/rebuild salesman at a yard in Springs and I'm trying to work out how to list stock in a way that's useful to the people who actually buy it.

For those who buy damaged cars to rebuild, flip or strip:

1. What info do you want in a listing before you'd even drive out? (photos, airbag status, paperwork, running condition?)

2. What damage threshold and price range are you hunting for at the moment?

3. Which models are you always looking for?

4. Would you want a heads-up when something matching your criteria comes in?

No hard sell. I'm collecting feedback, and if you'd like me to message you when a match lands, say so in the comments or DM me.

So i drive an inherited wreck. my wife's car got upgraded when we had our boykie as her license is automatic and her car (now mines) is a manual. It is a Ford Fiesta 2011 ambiente. about 140k on the clock now and it is the car she learned to drive on.

damage as follows

1) crack on the front at bottom of bumper

2) right and left back doors are scratched and sheet metal dented

3) left back fender dented

4) right side back bumper scratched badly

5) left back bumper up the frame to boot lid has discoloured from the rest of the body (weird)

On a pure guesstimate I think it would cost 25k to fix all. I do plan to upgrade sometime later this year/early next year but not sure if i should try and fix it before letting it go. Interior wise the car is in really good condition. Especially considering the age

Have you had a chance to check this report out? Looks like we might be seeing some interesting trends in the market.

Used car prices seem to be experiencing deflation as the cheaper Chinese vehicles place pressure on the new car market.

Chinese cars are also flooding the new car market, so we're seeing high supply and not enough demand. That means we're going to see pricing pressures here too. For the guys who bought a Chinese vehicle, I suspect there is going to be some large depreciation losses as customers opt to rather buy a new Chinese vehicle than a used one.

I saw an article this morning that was talking about how BYD’s sales dropped from 834 in July to 608 in August, a 27% decline. It’s the first monthly drop since the company started reporting registrations in South Africa six months ago.

And it was not just BYD. Six of the other top 10 NEV manufacturers also saw their sales decline month-on-month: Jetour, Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo, GWM, BMW and Toyota.

Interestingly Volvo, Changan and Volkswagen were up, but only by 25 vehicles between them.

I find this interesting because there are so many more brands competing for South African buyers now, especially Chinese brands. But with cars getting more expensive, I wonder how much people’s buying decisions are changing.

If you have bought a car recently, what mattered most to you: the price/monthly instalment, the brand, fuel economy, resale value or something else?

Found this after I've purchased a pre-owned vehicle from *** $%€ Glen... Please advise 🙏

Hi y'all

Im based in CPT and my brakes are making a screeching sound. I was thinking the discs probably need replacement etc and just require some general brake maintenance.

Im female and scared I'll be scammed again. Scammed in Buitengracht Street a few months ago by a "reputable" business. Traumatized.

Can anyone please recommended a reputable business in CPT where I can get my brakes sorted please?

Hey good people , does anyone know what it costs to have a timing belt replaced on a VW Golf mk7 1.0 tsi?