Wesley Joubert faces financial and emotional turmoil after purchasing a faulty used vehicle.
Image: Supplied
A 29-year-old Gauteng man says he feels financially and emotionally drained after spending months paying instalments on a vehicle he claims he has barely been able to drive since purchasing it from a Johannesburg dealership.
Wesley Joubert, from Ferndale in Randburg, bought a Ford Fiesta ST from Rifle Range Car Sales in August 2024 for R169,000. Just over three months later, in November 2024, the vehicle’s engine allegedly failed — the start of what Joubert describes as a lengthy and frustrating ordeal.
Joubert, a first-time car buyer, said he was unaware that used vehicles are often accompanied by a DEKRA condition report detailing aspects such as accident history, inspections, and mechanical condition.
“I was referred to the dealership by someone I know, and I had no reason to doubt them,” he said. “Being a first-time buyer, I didn’t know what to look out for. I trusted them. Looking back, I feel like that trust was taken advantage of.”
According to Joubert, the dealership undertook to replace the engine after the initial failure. He claims the process took nearly four months. For the first two months, he says he was left without transport until he escalated the matter to the financing bank, WesBank. He alleges the bank then intervened and persuaded the dealership to provide him with a courtesy vehicle.
However, Joubert claims the problems continued even after the engine replacement.
“When I went to collect the car, the engine failed three times in my presence during testing,” he said. “It was heartbreaking. I just stood there watching it happen again.”
He alleges the vehicle subsequently experienced multiple issues, including oil seal failures, leaking fuel injectors, and cylinder head problems that required one head to be skimmed. The vehicle reportedly remained in the workshop for another month.
When the car was eventually returned to him, Joubert said he drove it for about an hour before another oil seal failed, forcing him to return it the same day. He claims the vehicle was kept for nearly another month after that.
As part of further troubleshooting, the dealership sent the vehicle for inspection at DEKRA. Joubert said the first report highlighted oil leaks and other mechanical issues, while a follow-up report indicated the oil leak had been repaired.
Joubert said the vehicle was returned to him again in June 2025. A day later, he claims the fuel injectors failed again, causing a fuel leak. He says he had to arrange and pay for towing himself after the dealership allegedly refused assistance and blamed him for the fault.
In addition to the engine issues, Joubert claims the car was returned with a leaking air-conditioning system and other defects which the dealership allegedly refused to repair, citing wear and tear.
Among the issues he says he has experienced are:
Repeated oil seal failures
Fuel injector leaks and repairs
Air-conditioning system faults
High fuel consumption requiring two workshop visits
Skimming of one cylinder head
Joubert estimates the vehicle has undergone more than 10 repairs related to engine or mechanical faults since he bought it. He claims the dealership has now refused further assistance, leaving him paying instalments for a car he said he cannot use.
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. “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.
The dealership insisted that the car had been bought from a client and there were no reports indicating previous accident damage or repairs.
“Not sure where you got the information from. But we checked Autobid and there was no accident damage on this car at all. No claims have been submitted,” the dealership said, providing a screenshot from Autobid showing no accidents.
However, in the screenshot, there was also a disclaimer from Autobid stating that the report is not guaranteed to contain a full history of all repair quotes.
Wesley Joubert grapples with financial and emotional distress after unknowingly purchasing a used vehicle with an alleged hidden crash history.
Image: Supplied
In an attempt to resolve the matter, Joubert approached WesBank, which financed the vehicle. He alleges that after he provided evidence suggesting the car had previously been involved in an accident, the matter was referred to the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA).
“WesBank brushed the case off to the ombudsman the moment I showed proof the car was in an accident,” he said.
Financial strain has also forced him to stop paying his instalments, he said, as he now relies on e-hailing services for transport.
“I live in Centurion, and my family and daughter live in the south of Johannesburg,” Joubert said. “This has affected my relationship with my daughter. I can’t see her as often as I used to.”
He added that the situation has damaged his credit record.
“I did everything the right way. I bought the car properly, I paid every month, and I trusted the system,” he said. “Now I’m stuck with debt, no car, and my credit score is ruined. I’m being punished for something I didn’t do.”
The dealership said that when it originally acquired the vehicle, the history checks available to it did not indicate that the car had previously been involved in an accident.
“At the time of purchase, the system available to us did not indicate any previous accident damage,” the dealership said.
It also denied that the vehicle was purchased from an auction house, stating it was bought directly from a private individual. The dealership said the vehicle passed a valid roadworthy inspection before being sold and that the buyer was informed a roadworthy certificate would be provided prior to delivery. It confirmed that No DEKRA report was issued before the sale.
Responding to allegations that a defective vehicle was intentionally sold, the dealership rejected the claim.
“The dealership strongly disputes the allegation that a defective vehicle was intentionally sold,” it said.
It added that after the engine replacement, Joubert was advised to return the vehicle for a 1,000 km post-installation service to maintain the warranty on the replacement engine. According to the dealership, Joubert did not return the vehicle for the required service, a statement which Joubert denied.
“Based on the documentation and assistance already provided, the dealership believes that it has acted reasonably and in good faith in addressing the concerns raised,” it said. “The dealership does not believe further liability rests with it.”
WesBank said dealerships contracted with the bank are responsible for ensuring the quality of vehicles sold and for properly disclosing material information to customers.
“Contracted dealers are responsible for ensuring the quality, suitability, and proper disclosure of all material facts relating to the goods to the consumer,” the bank said.
WesBank said it was not aware of any allegation that the vehicle had previously been involved in an accident at the time the finance agreement was concluded. The bank said disputes regarding vehicle condition or possible misrepresentation fall under the scope of MIOSA.
“As the appropriate industry dispute resolution authority, MIOSA is best placed to independently assess allegations relating to vehicle condition, repair work, and possible misrepresentation,” WesBank said.
Regarding Joubert’s instalment obligations, the bank said a dispute does not suspend the contractual obligations under a finance agreement.
“The dispute does not suspend the contractual obligation under a finance agreement, which remains in force,” WesBank said. “However, we attempt to assist customers where possible, and each case is assessed individually.”
It has been more than a year since Joubert filed a complaint with MIOSA, and a ruling has not yet been made. MIOSA had not provided a response at the time of publication.
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