A written-off Mark X triggers heated debate after it’s repaired and advertised as accident-free @ma3route

A totalled Toyota Mark X has brought down social media after it was sold on insurance auction, repaired and advertised as accident-free for  Ksh 1.2 million.

The Ad continued that the 2012 Mark X had original paint and that the car had leather seats, fog lights and alloy rims. 

The Mark X was le written-off state after ramming into an electricity pole in Kisumu.

Kenyans on Twitter -KOT raised alarm about the advert and the safety of the vehicle after the restoration. 

One of the things that stood out was the that a huge a majority of cars in the used-car market were those involved in road accidents.  

Below are some of the comments:

“Most Mark X being sold as second-hand cars in Nairobi have been involved in an accident. You find a 2010 model with new headlamps and fog lights yet marketed as accident-free! What a shame”

“I can say that our mechanics and repair shops are doing a good job restoring salvage units.. but the dealers are messing it up by pasting the “Accident-free” tag on them,” 

KEBS is very strict on the quality and age of second-hand vehicles entering the country.

Car importers are expected to submit certificates of road-worthiness as issued by authorized agencies appointed by KEBS while importing used cars. The government has an elaborate guideline to evaluate the quality of cars  vehicles entering the local market. 

However, the government is quiet on the procedures for buying and selling locally used cars. This loophole leaves local buyers at risk of falling into the trap of purchasing vehicles that otherwise belong to the scrap yard. 

Below is part of an earlier KEBS statement;

“Vehicles that are exported to Kenya shall be expected to comply with KS 1515:2000 – Kenya Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles while vehicles from countries where KEBS has an inspection Agency (Japan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Thailand and South Africa) shall be expected to be accompanied with a Certificate of Road-worthiness (CoR) issued by the Agency appointed by KEBS,”

Auction Sheet 

Buyers are encouraged to request an auction sheet which provides fine details about a car, from scratches, major dents, rust and accident history.

Different grades are assigned to cars, based on their overall quality.

These grades are as follows:

S – New.

5 – Same as New.

4.5 – Excellent grade with almost no issue.

4 – Great grade with minor issues only.

3.5 –  Good grade with some issues that may need repair.

3 – Average grade with issues to fix.

2 – Bad grade.

* – Non-running car needs a forklift to be moved.

R or O – Accident history/repaired. Repaired parts are mostly mentioned in the auction sheet. 

RA – Minor accident repaired.

RB – Heavy repair.

RC – Pillar or frame has been changed/repaired. 

R2 – Accident history and mostly rust or corrosion issues.