Cape Town engineer claims R600k Toyota GR Yaris sold as unroadworthy

Moksham Soundarajan claims Cape Town 600,000 dealership sold him an unroadworthy car. A consumer dispute has emerged over a 2021 Toyota GR Yaris purchased from WP Motors, raising significant concerns about vehicle safety and dealership practices in South Africa. Buyer Moksham Soundarajan claims the dealership knowingly sold him an unroadworthy vehicle, misrepresenting critical safety features.

He bought the R600 000 car in July 2025, trading in his 2019 Honda CR-V, which was subsequently sold by the dealership during the dispute. This case follows a previous ruling where WP Motors was fined R200 000 by the National Consumer Tribunal after another client, Fernell Waydon Pretorius, secured a R276 000 refund for a car that failed shortly after purchase. The dealership indicated that it was appealing the ruling.

Soundarajan, an engineer by profession, said his Honda was still in a good condition when he traded it in; he bought the Yaris because he was fulfilling a dream he once had. “There was the passing of a cousin who I grew up with that is the same age as me, so the grief and the loss of that cousin made me really consider living my dreams before it’s too late. But this dream has turned into a nightmare,” he said.