Vehicle recalls SA: Hidden dangers of second-hand cars

With the news about vehicles that have been recalled in South Africa. We look at the impact this could have on second-hand cars.

May 15, 2025 - 15:00
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Vehicle recalls SA: Hidden dangers of second-hand cars

While the vehicle recalls in South Africa have become a clear issue, this publication delves into how this impacts the second-hand car market. Because this speaks to the majority of our nation.

The ripple effect on used cars is very significant. Because right now the South African second-hand cars are experiencing a surge in vehicles that have been written off before due to an accident or they were just not fixed properly.

These cars are then sold again without the new owners having knowledge of what had previously happened to the vehicle. Which will come with safety risks to the buyers.

The National Consumer Commission said that they received up to 300 complaints on a monthly basis from consumers who had discovered something wrong with their recently purchased used cars, according to IOL.

Transparency and information access

The thing that could possibly help, is if each used car has a database where the full history of each used car was uploaded for buyers to check out. The South African Insurance Association’s (SAIA) VIN lookup website is available but it has a limit to the information available. Especially data on Code 2 vehicles, which are too expensive to repair but can still drive legally, as per Bizcommunity. 

So this type of information is important because now buyers are unable to make well informed decisions with regards to the purchasing of second-hand cars.

Who is regulating used cars?

There are bodies in the industry like South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (SAMBRA). Who want legislative changes to protect the buyers. They want a tracking system for all cars. Which would ensure that any history of accidents or significant repairs is recorded and accessible to potential buyers.

Here is a list of the recalled vehicle brands and models for you to consume.

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