I am looking to buy a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado from a garage in Nairobi. However I live 4 hours in Turi north of Nakuru. I would like to get it checked over before purchasing. I know The AA offer this service but they haven't been particularly helpful and keep telling me I need to go to my local branch and not really understanding the fact that we're quite remote and the car is in Nairobi. Has anyone used the AA for this and how did you get on? Or has anyone used any other garages/companies to check vehicles over and verify the mileage?
Many thanks
Tim Hutton
Vehicle Inspection in Nairobi
tahutt81
11 September 2018 09:00:18
4
Longonot62
12 September 2018 06:47:13
1480
We have and you generally take the vehicle to the local AA branch for it to be inspected. They don't tend to go to a garage as they would in the UK, for example. Often the reason for taking a vehicle to the AA is actually to have it valued, rather than mechanically inspected.
Personally, I would never buy a vehicle 'blind' and considering the cost of them in Kenya (especially Landcruisers), I recommend that you see the vehicle yourself, despite the distance and inconvenience.
I am not sure how you would verify the mileage (or Km), especially if the vehicle is an import. However the mileage of a vehicle isn't a big issue in Kenya - I doubt that it would have been 'clocked'.
If its a diesel, check whether it has a DPF, as these can give a lot of trouble and clog quickly, leading to substantial repair costs.
mrenglish
14 September 2018 13:32:52
21
Also, if you don't know at least a fair amount about vehicles, bring a mechanic with you when you inspect the vehicle. As labor costs are not so high in Kenya, you could bring one with you from your location, including room & board, for a tiny percentage of what you will pay for the vehicle.
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