Roadworthiness is one of those contentious issues that I believe South Africa isn't quite getting right. In other countries, roadworthiness is tested on a regular basis. This ensures that the vehicles on the roads are safe and fit for use in the public space. When you're sharing the roads with other humans, it's only fair that they can trust that your car is safe and not a hazard to others.
Related: Can you sell a car that hasn’t passed a Roadworthy test?
It's our economy that stands in the way. Personal mobility is already rather expensive and adding either an expensive roadworthy test or frequent retesting only hurts the consumer who is already punished with toll fees and exorbitant fuel prices.
Then there's the counterargument; why must our cars be roadworthy when the roads are not car-worthy? It's a valid argument and if we saw our money being used better, we may be inclined to roadworthy testing on a more regular basis.
Can you trade in a car with no roadworthy?
A roadworthy certificate is proof that a vehicle has been tested for a variety of conditions and that the brakes, lights, and hooter all work and that the shock absorbers, tyres, glass and other aspects of the vehicle are fit for use on the roads and don't pose a hazard to other users or the occupants of the vehicle.
In South Africa, this certificate is only valid for 60 days though. After 60 days, the certificate expires but there is no immediate need to retest the car. You will still be able to license the car each and every year without having to retest for roadworthiness and yes, you will be able to sell or trade the car in too. Unsure of the pros and cons of buying a car without roadworthy? Click here.
Dealerships will accept vehicles that do not have a valid roadworthy certificate but they will do an inspection of the car beforehand and access what needs to be done to get the vehicle to pass roadworthy. They will more often than not deduct the costs associated with returning the vehicle to a roadworthy state from the amount that they offer you as a trade-in. More often than not, these are usually just worn tyres that need replacing before the vehicle is sold.
A vehicle can still be licensed on the eNatis system without a valid roadworthy certificate too, but the license certificate will not have the license disc that is necessary for displaying on the windscreen. In order to get this disc, a valid roadworthy certificate needs to be presented. As mentioned before, if a valid roadworthy certificate is on the eNatis system, there is no need to redo the roadworthy test when renewing a license, it's only required when changing ownership.
