Grey import car maintenance – international car warranty, adoption packages, insurance warranty?

Grey import car maintenance – international car warranty, adoption packages, insurance warranty?

Not sure if you’ve noticed, but grey market cars have been increasing in numbers lately. It used to be just the Harriers, Muranos, Caldinas, Estimas and Alphards, but grey importers are now using a big chunk of their APs on European premium makes. Audis, Porsches and BMWs from UK now line up alongside the still popular Toyota MPVs in car lots.

As can be seen on our sister site oto.my, some of these recond cars are very attractively priced. Nearly new and with a low mileage, they seem like perfect deals waiting for us to empty our bank accounts.

Take this Audi A5 2.0 TFSI for instance. It’s a UK spec 2009 model advertised for RM197,888. Official Audi importer Euromobil sells the A5 2.0 for RM400k. So there’s no new car smell, but one can buy two recond A5s for the price of a new one!

Attractive as they may be, there are concerns. The car may look good, but what if something goes wrong? Since it is not an official import, where do I go if the car has issues? No warranty, right?

These are not small money purchases and it’s only normal to be apprehensive, so we asked around and found some enlightening info. How does one take care of their grey import car?

International Warranty – sometimes applicable

Did you know that like electronic products, some cars have international warranties? According to an industry source, recond cars from certain marques that fall within the warranty period can be eligible for factory warranty in another country, a UK spec car in Malaysia, for instance.

Customers must of course register their vehicle with an authorised dealer first. From then on, should there be a problem, the replacement of parts are subject to the principal’s approval. The warranty claim may be fully absorbed by the principal, but there are cases where cost of parts (can be full or partial) are absorbed, but labour charges apply.

Principals that honour the international warranty are BMW and Mercedes-Benz, we are told. Depending on the authorised dealer, a one-time registration fee may apply.

Warranty Adoption Packages – pay to play

Warranty Adoption Packages are more common. For example, there have been ads from the local Porsche dealer welcoming grey cars back into the fold. By and large, they work like this. The customer brings the car in for inspection, and the principal will determine the extent of repair work required to meet the adoption requirements. If the customer agrees, the “rehabilitation” work will be carried out.

Once done, the “reborn” car will be given a warranty from the principal, with parts and labour charges varying between brands. Depending on adoption requirements, such packages can start from RM40k. Brands such as Porsche and Ferrari and are known to have such schemes.

“A stand alone warranty is also available for vehicles currently not covered by warranty. On application, all vehicles must undergo a thorough technical inspection by Sime Darby Auto Performance Sdn Bhd and faults must be rectified prior to approval,” says Porsche dealer SDAP on its website.

Porsche’s is called the Porsche Welcome Package, which is competitively priced at RM15,000. It includes a background check, a system update, warranty activation, a scheduled maintenance, and car detailing to top it off. It’s a 2 day job on average. Porsche stresses the importance of the Porsche Welcome Package for acclimatisation in Malaysia because of differences of the environment in our country compared to the country of origin.

For example, the fuel quality in the UK differs from Malaysia. The Engine Management System in a UK spec vehicle has software designed for higher grade fuels. In Porsche terminology, this is known as the “A market”. Malaysian vehicles contain “B market” software which adjusts the engine management system to compensate for fuel quality. According to Porsche, driving with the incorrect software on your Engine Management system may cause long term damage to the engine.

Insurance warranty – outsource the maintenance gamble?

There’s another option for peace of mind, and it’s warranty provided by private companies such as Autoguard, Wheel Guard Auto and Opal Auto Mart – the latter’s tagline is “warranty for cars without warranty”. Think of it as insurance for mechanical breakdown. Some dealers sell recond cars with a such schemes thrown in, making the deal more reassuring.

The premise is simple. The car owner pays the company a pre-determined sum of money in exchange for warranty, and should something fail within the period, the company will take care of the bill. Various packages covering different areas are available. Opal has packages ranging from powertrain-only (engine and gearbox) to a comprehensive package covering everything from electrical components to cooling systems.

As a guide, Wheel Guard charges RM2,262.72 for a one-year/30,000 km warranty for an E90/92 BMW 3-Series. Want to insure your Lamborghini Aventador? That will be RM22,150.37 for a year, sir. Sounds hefty, but you never know when a major disaster will strike.

These companies don’t just serve the grey car market – some of these companies also provide the extended warranty that are offered by new car manufacturers. When we bought our company Peugeot 508, it came with the normal warranty length but we were offered by Peugeot Malaysia an extension to the current 5 year deal for new Peugeot cars through Autoguard.

So there you go, some warranty options for recond cars and grey imports. Nothing beats a brand new official import for peace of mind and hassle-free ownership, but reassurance can be had to some degree with grey imports too, with some effort and ringgit, of course.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • ChrisLai75 on Dec 05, 2012 at 9:08 am

    Thanks for the info

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 1
    • Jimmy on Dec 05, 2012 at 1:32 pm

      Please differentiate clearly yourselves from grey importers because there are still a lot of people want to buy only official Merc/BMWs.
      Your big names please, on your number plates.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 30
  • Sam Loo on Dec 05, 2012 at 9:12 am

    UMW Authorised Dealers are also servicing Recond Toyotas now.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 16
    • Since when? Did rang Toyota Service and they still don’t accept recond cars. So how?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 11
      • koochai on Dec 05, 2012 at 12:15 pm

        sometime last year saw 1 estima being serviced at umw (or maybe dealer SC). looks like major 1…whole engine was taken out. umw won’t entertain reconds but MAYBE SC run by dealer is doing that?!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • Sam Loo on Dec 05, 2012 at 12:48 pm

        http://toyota.com.my/sales-service-locator/

        Selangor/Sg. Buloh/Service Centre

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 5
      • Yea, got one in JB (that i know) can service recon car oso..

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Sam Loo on Dec 05, 2012 at 12:47 pm

      Call Distinctive Model Sdn Bhd, the authorised UMW SC in Sg Buloh 03 6157 3339.

      They do service all CBU grey imports.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 10
      • Loose Sam on Dec 05, 2012 at 1:04 pm

        I think now we know already Sam loo works for which Toyota dealer

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 37
        • Orang biasa on Dec 05, 2012 at 1:19 pm

          People give good info, you run him down like that. Apalah..

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 53 Thumb down 10
      • dugong on Dec 05, 2012 at 2:16 pm

        1st time I see Sam Loo post something relevant to article and not his usual RV crap.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 28 Thumb down 8
  • Orang biasa on Dec 05, 2012 at 9:25 am

    Very informative post. I for one has always been apprehensive about buying recond cars due to the ambiguity of warranty. But this article helps to clear it up a little.

    Again, great post Danny

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 2
  • Odometer Checking on Dec 05, 2012 at 9:27 am

    This still does not address the root of the problem. Because of the AP and crony system, we consumers have to deal with these cowboy AP holders and 2nd hand dealers who tamper with the odometer. Its no secret, 90% of used cars dealers and also grey importers bring high mileage cars in and then tamper with the odometer to show very low attractive mileage. So why should I pay extra for warranty when in the first place, I cannot be sure or certain that I am buying a car with genuine mileage?

    Whilst having these extra warranty packages are good, I think we need to address the matter from the root of the problem. The government must ensure that all 2nd hand cars and grey imports come with service booklets that indicate clearly the service history of the given car. And it strictly must enforce that if a car has zero service history, AP holders must not import the car in and must strictly adhere to this ruling. The problem with the whole situation is that the Government gives all the AP’s to their cronies and it is the consumer that suffers with dodgy importers.

    These AP holders make a huge profit. Because in overseas, high mileage cars are sold dirt cheap. In UK, the price of a car is based on the mileage on the odometer and NOT the year of make. For example, a 2007 Porsche Carrera with 10,000 miles clocked on it is very much cheaper than a Porsche Carrera with 100,000 miles on it. The price difference can even be about 20,000 pounds.

    What our AP cowboys do is very simple. Besides getting hundreds of free AP’s, they buy these high mileage cars, bring them to Malaysia, and then clock down the odometer to say, 8,000KM. And then sell for a hefty sum telling you the cars are hardly used or showroom cars in the UK. In reality most of these cars are ex-rental cars that have been trashed over the years by people who rent them.

    Ask any used car dealers or AP dealers and 99% of the time, they tell you the car has no service history or service booklet. Even if the car is a 2010 model and is still under warranty in Japan or the UK. Surely if it is still under warranty in the UK or Japan, the owner must keep his service booklet and warraty card to service his car in the UK. Bear in mind most cars in the UK have 5 years warranty. So, if the owner int he UK does not give the warranty booklet or service history, something smells fishy.

    So, having warranty packages is an unnecessary additional expense. Already we consumers are paying a huge bomb for the grey import. Bear in mind that most of the AP holders and 2nd hand car dealers buy these cars so cheaply and their profit margin on these cars are nothing less than RM100,000 per car despite the AP holder paying the government duties and taxes. And these AP holders get hundreds of free APs per person.

    The government also must ensure that the buyers of these grey import cars are able to contact the respective previous owner in Japan or the UK to verify the mileage claim and service history. Because of the Data Protection Act in the UK for example, even with your VIN or chasis number, the dealership in the UK will never reveal any information on the car you newly bought in Malaysia, despite you being the new legal owner. And the AP holders know this. They themselves most of the time don’t tell you who they bough the car from.

    So what the government must do is simple.

    1) Ensure ALL grey imports and 2nd hand cars come with service history and their respective service booklets.

    2) Enable the owner to verify the mileage claim on the odometer with the UK counterpart or directly with the UK owner. Here, the AP holders in Malaysia is merely a middle person or an agent assisting you, the buyer buy the car from the seller in the UK.

    Bear in mind that a car that cost RM400,000 may cost you an additional RM200,000 in parts replacement if the parts are worn out if the car has already done over 100,000KM. But you thinking it has done only RM8,000KM on the odometer made you decide it was such a good buy in the first place as it was hardly used.

    So many people have fallen for this trap. After few months, gear box rosak and the they have to cough out another RM100,000 to replace the gearbox.

    Most AP holders sent the cars to the AutoSpa and refurbish the cars to a brand new state. No matter how bad a car can be they just change the tyres and let the AutoSpa work magic. The next thing you know, the car is so shiny and brilliant.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 318 Thumb down 10
    • carlover on Dec 05, 2012 at 11:13 am

      Thanks for this brilliant piece of information.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 32 Thumb down 3
      • Odometer Checking on Dec 05, 2012 at 4:10 pm

        Typo in 3rd Para, For example, a 2007 Porsche Carrera with 10,000 miles clocked on it is much more EXPENSIVE than a 2010 Porsche Carrera with 100,000 miles on it. The price difference can even be about 20,000 pounds.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
      • Jimmy on Dec 05, 2012 at 5:35 pm

        As I said, buy from official sources; if not enough money, go for something cheaper. Don’t smash your cheeks to look fat.
        How do you know your recond car’s gearbox sudah rosak? When you come to my service centre, I can do just a little work, easily rectifiable one, and tell you that you need to fork out RM40OOO to repair your gearbox (or the electronic brain of your car). There are a lot of tricks in business.
        You can buy a toy from grey importer provided that your really love it and it is not available officially; nobody can say anything. A toy is something that is extra and easily affordable.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 3
    • good write up.
      what the G must do is simple but the G is not simple.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 32 Thumb down 1
    • koochai on Dec 05, 2012 at 12:20 pm

      kudos to Odometer Checking…ur comment is longer than Danny’s article…btw good points.

      Fyi…due to “public outcry”, the so-called AP which was once given free now comes with a price tag of merely RM 10,000 each…it’s not free anymore BUT as usual this cost is passed down to us customers…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 45 Thumb down 1
    • tishaban on Dec 05, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      Excellent points Odometer Checking.

      Perhaps Danny or any of the other paultan.org writers can write a follow up article on how to identify high mileage recond cars. For example BMW VIN can be used to identify the year of manufacture and the factory specs the car came with (as opposed to what the recond dealer says the specs are). The BMW key stores mileage info and is readable by any of the local dealers and is much harder to tamper.

      These are some of the tools consumers have against unscrupulous recond car dealers and it should be made more public.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 1
    • Thanks OC for this wonderful piece of information

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • brilliant write up! someone should also write up or do a review on trusted or genuine grey importers and those that scam customers

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
    • not a car enthusiast on Dec 05, 2012 at 7:03 pm

      On a side note: PaulTan.org should introduce a “promoted reader’s comment” section. Any good, informative comments like the above can be promoted up. The promoted comments will appear just below the main article and thus become the most visible comments.

      Besides the thumbs up/thumbs down choice, this will give an added incentive for forummers to write better and more informative responses.

      Below is an example of such system in action.
      http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/12/ca-regulators-new-proposal-could-legitimize-lyft-sidecar-and-uber/

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 1
    • All AP holders ask the workshop to adjust the mileage. M&D World of Car KL did it

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
    • “The government must ensure that all 2nd hand cars and grey imports come with service booklets that indicate clearly the service history of the given car.”
      Sounds good, but how to handle it? Service booklets are not official documents, they are intended for internal use only? There is no international standard for service booklets?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 5
    • You have a very valid point, but the Article has addressed it. Look at paragraph “Warrant Adoption Packages”, it clearly explains that a thorough inspection will be conducted by the official dealer prior to determining the package price.
      Not sure whether you are familiar with this inspection process, but you can bet that the diagnostic ECU analyzer will tell immediately whether the car’s digital odomoeter is genuine or manipulated. In fact, it is among the first items on the list of any detailed used cars inspection.
      So to conclude, if you do end up buying a clocked car with sky high real mileage, the dealership would probably either not want to offer you any extended warranty at all or offer it at equally sky high pricing.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • dugong on Dec 05, 2012 at 10:01 am

    nice and very informative article. now ppl can opt for better conti cars and have some peace of mind.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • Fukuoka on Dec 05, 2012 at 10:12 am

    I understand that there is a new term concerning the insurance package. For 5-year-old car and above, the insurance company will only source a recond parts, instead of a brand new spare. Should we insist on a brand new part, we need to top-up the extra cost involved.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
    • koochai on Dec 05, 2012 at 12:26 pm

      1 of my workplace’s company car is audi a6 bought new from Euromobil with 2+3 years warranty, extension insured with Allianz. Gearbox kaput after about 230,000 km in the 3rd year. It took about 2 months for the whole gearbox replacement process.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 2
    • alldisc on Dec 05, 2012 at 5:59 pm

      Fukuoka,

      That is nothing new. It is approved by Bank Negara.
      – The reason is simple. Lets say i have a 7 years old car.

      The insurance say it is not fair for them to replace headlamp for 7 years old car with a new one. That is only fair for cars below 5 years. Bank Negara agrees with that, and allow insurance companies to deduct a certain percentage or parts price. This is called “betterment”.

      so lets say a headlamp for Persona is RM1,000 (example).

      if the car is 2 years old, insurance will RM1,000 for new headlamp.

      if the car is 7 years old, the insurance will deduct some percentage ( the range is 15-40% from 5 to 10 years and above) and in this case it is 25%. If an owner @ insured wants a new headlamp, he need to top up RM250 while insurance bears the remaining 75%.

      many times, owners refuse to pay (betterment in simpler words is ‘owner’s contribution’) and this is reason why workshops/repairers will get a used part or grade B/C parts (new).

      the reason i know this – i worked 7 years as Motor claims adjuster.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
      • hnizam on Dec 13, 2012 at 11:28 pm

        if what you wrote above is true – why.. my insurance – tokio marine are trying to get me to pay up to 50% cost for parts they change to my Honda Civic car that recently met with small accident and damaged the engine mounting. I renew my insurance using the HIP (Honda insurance package) with Tokio Marine – and part of the package stated- there will be no betterment charges up to 10 years for the age of the car.
        When I oppose this charges – they told me- this is not betterment – it’s wear and tear. My argument is – both of the engine the mounting was damaged (teared apart) in the accident – how can they charge wear & tear for damage part as a result from accident? please help to make me understand this – i really felt cheated by them (honda and insurance) now..! my complaint to tokio marine have been dangling for almost 2 weeks now..
        thanks all…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
        • alldisc on Oct 10, 2015 at 11:12 am

          engine mounting, tyres, absorbers, exhaust pipe – they all fall under wear & tear category.

          headlamps, bumpers, radiators, windscreen, body panels – they are not subjected to wear.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • danedz on Dec 05, 2012 at 11:17 am

    Good explanation from Danny and Odometer..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Datuk Jack. on Dec 05, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    as costumers we always have choice.. either go for new local/ import car or prescriptively go for grey car.. but bare in mind for its outcome.. worry free just go buy new proton preve with 5years warranty or throw the money for a brand new 5series from kah bintang with also 5years warranty..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
  • yus selidik on Dec 05, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    …my first car was accord recond from japan several years ago…when i send to authorized H coz of the problem with aircond system and carburator, they don’t want it….so.. be carefull on buying any recond cars..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • momeng on Dec 05, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    Good article by Danny. The recond/used car dealers must like you a lot by now.

    Respect OdotometerChecking. That is a very very true scenario.

    Anyway, is there any avenue that we can check accident history of a car brought in from the UK?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • In Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore they’re all have their own brand new Alphards or previa. In Indonesia rather cheap merely 600m for Alphard 2.4x and 800m 2.4z. Previa 3.5 much dearer for 1.0b rupiah.

    Only UMW in Malaysia seemingly protect the interest of grey importers by not selling these mpv at much reasonable price.

    I guess everyone knows that the odometer is far from reality.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 1
    • comrade on Dec 05, 2012 at 3:39 pm

      you mean brand new 2.4 Alphard at RM180k in Indon? hmm so how much in Bolehland?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Hadi75 on Dec 05, 2012 at 4:22 pm

        In Bolehland….for rm180k you can only get recond or used Alphard 2.4….mind you not a circa 2010 or 2011 or 2012 but waayyyyyy before that….

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 1
      • 600mil about RM22OK for 2.4x version. The cheapest here is rm179k for 2008 model year.

        Kita sudah kena tipu maa

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 1
    • Jimmy on Dec 05, 2012 at 5:41 pm

      Perhaps you can consider brand new Elgrand from TC, you can get 3 + 3 warranty, longest in Malaysia.
      If you care so much about paying RM180k for old recond vs RM400K for brand new one, then you are not ready for it yet. I wish you good luck.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 7
    • alldisc on Dec 05, 2012 at 6:09 pm

      there is a reason why UMW hesitate to sell official Estimas and Alphards.

      first – those cars are never assembled in Asean countries to enjoy tax savings

      2. those cars need to be imported from Japan and hence, suffer from heavy import tax.
      taxes for new cars are also a lot more than used vehicles.

      3. UMW didnt see these cars will sell in huge volumes, so no point of doing local assembly to reduce price. not worth spending money to buy assembly equipment and jigs worth millions of ringgit.

      4. UMW will still sell to you a brand new Estima or Alphard complete with warranty (Japanese Embassy bought 1 Estima, Denso Malaysia bought 1 Estima as well) provided you are willing to fork such a high amount of money for the car + import tax + sales tax + excise duties. the price for Estima 2.4 range from 300-350K, while for Alphard is around 700K.

      does it worth it or is it a 2 years old Alphard at 230k seems a better buy? many ppl will opt for the reconditioned ones, including those submerged in tsunami wave. no kidding, they are all here already.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 1
      • Sam Loo on Dec 05, 2012 at 8:27 pm

        Many would pay RM250k for a 2year old recond Alphard.

        Would anyone pay RM50k for a 2 yaer old Starex? I would pay only RM30k

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 15
  • alldisc on Dec 05, 2012 at 6:16 pm

    all the info above is from alldisc, the person that many ppl did not believe when mentioning VW Golf GTI landed price was only 49K, while the 1.4 TSI is 2K less at 47K.
    Some search thru the custom papers and did find it true while posting them in emails and FB.

    he he he. chill out.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
    • armandd on Dec 05, 2012 at 8:06 pm

      That may be true, but you can’t get that price anywhere on earth because of:
      1. Dealer profit margin (HUGE one!)
      2. Taxes and duties (slightly less than no. 1)
      3. Storage fee
      4. Transportation costs
      5. Registration fee
      6. Insurance & road tax
      7. etc etc.

      There’s no way you can get out-of-the-factory price even in Germany..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 1
      • alldisc on Dec 06, 2012 at 10:58 am

        that is true my friend,

        but one thing worth noting is…

        Golf GTI landed price 49K, selling 210K.
        Golf TSI landed price 47K, selling 155K.

        the initial difference was 2K only, but why the 55K difference? what is VGM secret for doing so.

        the logic sense will say that the GTI could have been sold at 165K. strategy or greedy?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • NOT TO DISRESPECT TO UMWT but you’ll never expect them to price these mpv reasonably.

    Even Indonesia and Thai can sell at more competitive than UMWT’s CBUed Estima or Alphard only suggest one thing; they’re only good at profiteering.

    If they can sell exactly like Indonesia price 600m, 800m and 1b (roughly 200k, 260k and 320k) definitely buyers will opt for UMWT cars. But what happen to these AP holders?

    I smell fishy things is the reason why UMWT a government GLC never priced it competitively.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • Vodka on Dec 05, 2012 at 8:08 pm

    The A5 2.0T in the picture is a non s-line FWD car, no keyless entry, B&O audio, drive select (based on the pics) while Euromobil sells the s-line package, quattro, with keyless, B&O, drive select, dynamic suspension and things like front/rear parking sensors, electro chromic mirrors, rear sunshade etc which are expensive add-ons which some UK spec cars don’t come with here. I did the calculations, it works out to be the same if you are going with a brand new recond car (zero mileage) vs. dealer car for the Audi. Recond car is older and usually under-declared in terms of year of make e.g. if 2011 manufactured car, they will declare it as 2010 on paper which is a high risk to buy. Factor in depreciation on paper and it works out to be the same. But upfront purchase price is lower with the older “brand new” recond car, but also worth much less when you trade it in vs. the newer dealer car. I ended up with a local dealer car after the big decision.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
  • Forces on Dec 05, 2012 at 8:21 pm

    Being car enthusiasts and blogger for the malaysian community, paul and danny should relook into their sister site oto.my and filter or reject emtries that can cause potential problems like grey imported cars such as that audi a5. Paultan is ofcourse supporting ads to ensure a bigger audience and claim oto to be the best for new and used cars, but paultan should lead for safe selling cars instead of gambling buyers into purchasing recond cars and how recond cars are ultimately cheap and safe to buy.

    I have made a mistake purchasing a so called 12,600 milage 2010 SLK for RM157k from UK. It looked brand new but after a few car wash, realised there was a thin layer of protection that peeled (from auto detailing) and a re-soldered joints as it has been in a side accident before. Ofcourse, the AP holder told it was barely used and it was a weekend car..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • Sam Loo on Dec 05, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    When you see a kimchi used car dealer using a Camry, that immediately tells you a very blunt and strong message about kimchi cars, doesn’t

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 21
    • dugong on Dec 05, 2012 at 10:26 pm

      When you see a sushi used car dealer using a Conti, that immediately tells you a very blunt and strong message about sushi cars, doesn’t it?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 11
    • Sam Loo on Dec 05, 2012 at 10:59 pm

      I have seen one uncle colleague like that.

      But the Euro Sedan he was using was a W123 Benz that gave out white exhaust smoke and he has to refill engine oil and top up his radiator 2X a day.

      He is now 6 feet under because of lung cancer, probably contributed by the good old Benz

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 16
      • Sam Loo Sucks on Dec 08, 2012 at 2:10 pm

        I have seen one auntie colleague like that.
        But the Jap Sedan she was using was a XV20 Camry that gave out white exhaust smoke and handled like a boat.

        She lost a leg and is now on wheelchair for life due to skidding at 70kmh during heavy rain and crashing to a divider.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 2
  • The AP system screwed u everything.. The government gains money from the screwed up system. The rakyat is being told that cost of having a car is the cheapest in the region. The road condition is bad. It is all one screwed up industry.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 2
    • yep, that is right.

      not to mention that its a great front for money launderers.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Datuk Jack. on Dec 06, 2012 at 8:47 am

    correction info:>>>
    1billion rupiah indonesia equal to RM340,000.00 ..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Ronald Soo on Dec 06, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    I wonder why nobody question how easy or hard it is to doctor the odometer. I know it’s probably just a software hack or something but the big boys like Audi, BMW or Merc don’t have a safety mechanism or software security or something in this day and age?

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  • Anything that is man made, can be modified and change, that’s including exterior looks and odometer.

    Any consumer protection mechanisms that are put in place will surely have a loop hole that unscrupulous dealers will take advantage of.

    Grey imported continental cars have mushroomed over the past year. Just take a loot at M.trader. Almost every other page is dotted with continental cars,
    especially for brands like Audi, and BMW.
    The subject matter, not many official importers would like to service grey imports. They are either not well equipped to deal with the models (that was not imported officially) or they are not trained to handle such models, thus they rejected such grey imported cars.
    Buyers of grey imported cars are screwed either way.
    One – the car bought was still exorbitantly priced compared, and service and repairs are also relatively pricey (due to workshop needing some “insurance”of their own).

    So, unless the car is the love of your life, or there are ready workshops to deal with such model, it is best that one stick to a popular model or two until the workshops catches up (in technologies and knowhow).

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    • anti naza on Dec 18, 2012 at 4:42 pm

      Naza Motor is famous for tempering with Odometer adjustment and even change the year of make in the grant. When I first bought a BMW there, they said it was 2005, but when the grant came after the loan approved it was 2002. Somehow only buying from them my loan application got approved. I was screwed up.

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  • ///Mdriver on Jan 19, 2013 at 7:04 pm

    Some of the people commenting here need to learn how to check the car before buying it.

    There are big advantages buying a recond car. You can get many options/specs not available on models in Malaysia at a reasonable price. Some dealers will sell you a BRAND NEW CAR at recond price by falsifying the date of manufacture. Looked at an Audi Q5 with buildplate stating 08/2011 manufacture selling as a 2010. Vin check confirmed as well.

    I take the odometer as a guide when buying from a Recond dealer. Look at the condition of the car first!
    I helped to buy a Cayenne S for a family member and it even smelt brand new. It had some rare options such as GTS seats and PDCC which were not available on an official car. It had leather seats were not even creased yet. I must have looked at over 25 units from dealers all over KL. Some cars were in rubbish condition, low mileage on the odometer but obviously high mileage from the interior and exterior. Even saw some accident cars.

    The interior is part of the car that costs most to fix, exterior issues can be covered with a new paintjob. Inspect the wheel arches for overspray, check the brakes for wear.

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  • Rakyat on Jan 31, 2013 at 5:57 am

    No AP, no grey market.

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