Update: Ombuds rules in favour of man in dispute with dealership over faulty car with hidden crash history

The Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa has ruled in favour of Wesley Joubert who complained about persistent mechanical problems. The Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA) has ruled in favour of a Gauteng man who complained about persistent mechanical problems with a used vehicle purchased fromRifle Range Car Sales. Wesley Joubert, 29, from Ferndale in Randburg,lodged a complaint after a Ford Fiesta he bought developed a series of mechanical failures shortly after the purchase.

The ruling comes afterIOL previously reported on Joubert’s struggle with the car, which he was only able to use for three months after buying it for R169,000 in August 2024. At the time of purchase, the vehicle had travelled approximately 138,117 kilometres. Joubert, a first-time car buyer, said that before he filed a complaint with MIOSA, the carhad already undergone numerous repairs andhadbroken down again after each repair.

Joubert said he later attempted to sell the vehicle to a car-buying company in an effort to cut his losses. During the process, he claims he was informed that the car had previously been involved in an accident. “They told me the car had been bought from an auction house that only deals with accident-damaged vehicles,” he said.

[paywall]

“I then obtained the history report myself, and it confirmed that information.” He further alleges the emergency key does not operate the driver’s door, which he believes suggests the door may have been replaced. As proof of his claims, Joubert provided a telephonic conversation he had with a representative from a car-buying company, who told him they could not purchase the vehicle because it had been involved in an accident. “Unfortunately, we didn’t find any offers on the car, and the main reason is that we did pick up on the history of the car — that it was actually at an auction house that only deals with accident-damaged cars,” the representative said.

Following the conversation, Joubert obtained a report from First Check which showed that the car was involved in an accident in 2016 and underwent major repairs. The report further stated that the car was in a poor condition. With the report in hand, he approached the dealership.

[/paywall]