Beware : Thousands Of Water-damaged Cars Could Flood Nigerian Used Car Market

Beware as thousands of flood-damaged cars from storm-ravaged countries like Germany and US could reach Nigerian used car market.

West African giant, Nigeria, is a massive market for used cars and second-hand vehicles, popularly as Tokunbo cars.

NBS recently reported that Nigeria spent a total of N601.51 billion on the importation of motor vehicles in the first half of the year.

Anyone who considers buying a second-hand car may want to be extra-cautious as thousands of flooded cars from storm-ravaged countries like Germany and the United States, are expected to be shipped into Nigeria.

The last few months have seen several lives lost and properties worth billions of dollars damaged due to storms and flash floods, a worrying and continual occurrence which has been blamed on climate change.

According to reports, thousands of brand new and used vehicles have been destroyed in these storm-ravaged areas, including Germany, the US and Canada, where a greater percentage of second-hand found on the Nigerian roads are shipped from.

Recall that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that Nigeria, a massive market for used cars popularly as Tokunbo cars, spent a total of N601.51 billion on the importation of motor vehicles in the first half of the year.

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And this figure, which represents a 15% increase compared to the corresponding period of 2020, could be dwarfed when July to December statistics are compiled, as more vehicles are been shipped into Nigeria.

What you should note is that a large number of these flooded cars, which no doubt looks undamaged from the outside, will end up being shipped into the country, where they will be sold to unsuspecting customers by a private seller or an unscrupulous dealer.

So it’s advisable for buyers to always check a used car’s “vehicle history report”, or better still, tell your mechanic to do physical checks like checking the smell, to avoid buying a flooded car.

Floodwaters can slowly destroy electronics, lubricants, and mechanical systems in vehicles, and according to Consumer Reports, corrosion can eventually find its way to the car’s vital electronics, including airbag controllers.

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