Vehicle bought at Auto Investments Rustenburg with false model spec, engine number and history on all reports, invoices and finance contracts. All never disclosed to me when I bought it in 2021!

All I can say is, be very, very careful!

Auto Investments Rustenburg sold me a vehicle in March 2021 that was problematic from day 1 with gear linkages and engine mounting bolts falling out.

The vehicle in question is a 2013 Mazda BT-50 Hi-Power Freestyle Cab 2x4 with a presented 139000km on the odometer at the time of purchase. It now has only 157217km on the odometer.

After 3 months of ownership and having covered 3611km, It went back to them for a full complete engine rebuilt which took more than 3 months to complete (claimed and paid for by my InsureAfrica warranty to the amount of R51738.50). Since receiving it back from this expensive engine rebuild, It has been unable to cover short distances without cutting out or overheating. My complaints were initially answered with the response that I must drive it in, and that the performance was quoted as “on par”. This continued for some time until I got told that the rebuilt warranty has now expired….The engine has since only covered 14889km from Oct 2021 to June 2023, but has now again broken down with another blown head gasket.

While trying to sell the vehicle Jan/Feb 2023 to WeBuyCars, I discovered that the model spec I bought and paid for, is not what I received, I paid for a higher spec model at the higher spec price. I also found out that the engine was previously completely replaced at some point between 2016 and 2021 with another engine number, which they failed to disclose to me at the time when I bought the vehicle, meaning the odometer reading was also not true to the original condition and original mileage of the vehicle when they sold it to me.

Also, all history reports I paid for (TransUnion’s First Check, AutoTrader and others), documentation, letters, and even the Wesbank contract and the warranty claim invoice they submitted to InsureAfrica (official complaint lodged with them), for the engine repair, contained the wrong spec, model and engine numbers. I brought this under their attention in June 2023, and was told that I must lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman (who, I from what I have read is very partial to the dealers), which is why they are quick to refer a consumer with complaints to them.

Now, on the 26th of September 2023, after months of delays in communication and meetings with the Rustenburg Auto Investment branch dealers, and senior representatives from the national Auto Investments Group, they offered to pay R22000 towards my Wesbank account (who also lodged an official complaint with them) to compensate me for the model variance and undisclosed engine change, perhaps hoping I will take the offer and go away….. This is an insult to me as a consumer. They had possession of the vehicle for 2 weeks but were only able to confirm my claim that the engine in the vehicle is in fact not the engine on all reports, contracts, and invoices apart from the registration documents.

The Auto Investment Group and their Rustenburg franchise holders have proven to me time and time again that they are not interested in the only resolve, to uplift the contract with Wesbank (who until now has supported my claims) and cancel the sale agreement to the bank, not even when presented with proven evidence of misconduct and deliberate misrepresentation by them. They stated that the incorrect model (and obviously resell price) was a typing mistake made by a previous employee whilst capturing the vehicle in stock (or something like that) and insist that we MUST agree that the odometer is true to the vehicle’s original condition (even with an undisclosed complete engine change in its history). Which I do NOT agree with, because if this was true all dealers and banks should from now on forward ignore the issue (and make a public statement) that an engine swap will no longer effect your vehicle's trade in value, and that the odometer readings are no longer considered as a result!....They also want us to agree that according to them no misconduct and deliberate misrepresentation to place…..The issue around the poor repairs made at the time under warranty, that are only now becoming apparent again, is also now completely ignored and sidelined.

Both the meetings we had with the dealer, Auto Investment Group management and Wesbank present, were recorded by them as some joined online, but my request for copies or links of these meetings have been ignored thus far…

This vehicle is worthless to me (I can never sell it onwards or get the expected value from it) due to the model, engine, mechanical condition, and history discrepancies it has. It has also never since day 1 been able to provide me with any reasonable reliability and the expected service from a vehicle like this.

Legal action and making this public have now become my only options!