When purchasing a used vehicle, there are a lot of details to go over before you sign the dotted line. While all the provinces in South Africa have the same laws and regulations in regard to vehicle ownership and sales, there are a few individual aspects to take into account for each province.
If you are considering a used vehicle from North West, listed on AutoTrader, here are a few key areas to look at during the inspection and test drive phases of your vehicle purchase.
Mileage
When you take a glance at the map of South Africa, you will quickly note that cities and towns are less dense in the North West province as opposed to Gauteng. Because of this, one could expect slightly higher mileage on used vehicles for sale in the province. This shouldn't be a deterrent, however, this makes it very important to know the vehicle's ownership and maintenance history.
Even with high mileage, a vehicle that has been taken care of and serviced regularly will still be reliable, however, if the maintenance history is missing a few services or is non-existent, we recommend taking a look at another vehicle.
Climate
While the ultimate condition of the vehicle relies heavily on how well the previous owner kept and used it, many environmental causes can result in specific areas of the vehicle being degraded quicker than others. If we take for instance the weather in the North West, we will know that the province is hotter and dryer than others.
This is good news if you are worried about rust but bad news for the vehicle paint, as a hot and dry climate can cause the hardening and cracks in the clear coat of the vehicle finish. Any exposed plastic trim such as the grille will also suffer heavily in these conditions. Thus, during the inspection process, pay careful attention to the paint as well as all plastic and rubber components, even hoses found under the bonnet.
Road conditions
While the condition of the roads in the North West province can be described as fair to good, you are still likely to find potholes like you would in any other region of the country. Customers also should take note that some of the main economic activities in the North West province are mining and wildlife farming. Thus many of the vehicles in the province would have been exposed to potholes and or gravel roads.
The rough surface of gravel roads can cause premature wear and tear on components such as the suspension system and bushings as well as engine mounts and power steering. Furthermore, the sudden impact of a pothole will add to this effect as well as can cause bending in the wheels and or control arms of the vehicle. Thus, you have to pay close attention to any rattles coming from the suspension or engine bay during a test drive as well as vibrations through the steering wheel and if the vehicle steering is pulling in either direction.
