• News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa
Sunday, August 31, 2025
  • Login
Auto Journal Africa
  • News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa
Ask Autojorunal AI
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa
No Result
View All Result
Morning News
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

How mechanics, spare parts dealers swindle Nigerian car owners

David Ijaseun by David Ijaseun
July 20, 2025
in Opinion, Premium
0
Mechanic and spare part market
2.1k
SHARES
14.8k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

When Mikel, a 28-year-old finance professional in Lagos, bought his first car for ₦4.8 million, he thought he had made a smart move. A trusted mechanic had inspected the vehicle and given his nod. But just two weeks later, the car began jerking violently, emitting embarrassing noises, and draining his wallet.

“I spent more fixing that car than I paid to buy it,” Mikel said. “They kept changing parts. I later found out most of them were fake.”

READ ALSO

India’s ethanol fuel drive faces backlash as motorists fear car damage

Blume to quit Porsche CEO role amid investor pressure, shares fall 45% since IPO

Mechanics and spare part dealers

Mikel’s experience is shared by thousands of Nigerian car owners who have fallen victim to a widespread racket involving inflated repair costs and counterfeit parts. These car owners are losing billions of naira to an informal yet powerful alliance between some mechanics and spare-parts dealers. They inflate prices, supply fake components, and pocket illegal kickbacks, all while consumers remain largely in the dark.

Inflated prices, counterfeit parts, and the mechanic-deceit loop

According to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), over 60% of spare parts sold in Nigeria are substandard or counterfeit, putting not just wallets but lives at risk.

In mega-cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, mechanics routinely inflate part prices by 30–50% while secretly replacing genuine components with cheaper imitations, according to the experience of car owners who spoke with Autojournal. These fake parts often fail within weeks, sending unsuspecting drivers back to the workshop, deepening the cycle of dependency and financial loss.

David Olaniyi, an automotive analyst, said the scam is both simple and lucrative. “I once had a mechanic who received a 10–20% commission from spare parts sellers for referring customers. So, they often exaggerated faults or recommended unnecessary replacements,” he said. “While most drivers had no idea, I was an exception. I followed him to the spare parts dealer, and they got into a fight. That’s when the spare parts dealer opened up to me about what was really going on.”

In another experience, Oluwaseun, a young tech worker in Abuja, was charged ₦38,000 for a brake pad change that should have cost ₦12,000. “When I questioned it, the mechanic warned me not to bring my own parts or risk my ‘safety,’” he said.

High demand fuels the fraud as spare parts imports top $1 billion annually

Nigeria’s dependency on vehicle repairs is enormous. The country is home to over 11 million vehicles, many of them second-hand, and each needing frequent parts and maintenance.

This demand feeds a massive market: according to the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Nigeria spends more than $1 billion every year importing vehicle spare parts. Motorcycle parts alone account for $19 million in imports annually.

“The value chain is huge, but mostly informal and unregulated,” said Joseph Osanipin, NADDC’s Director-General. “The cost is not just in naira, it’s in trust, safety, and national productivity.”

In addition, stolen vehicles are often dismantled and resold as parts. In Ondo State, police arrested Rotimi Akinsanoye, who confessed to stealing seven cars and selling them in pieces to dealers in Lagos.

The fight back: Government, startups, and local manufacturing step in

To counter this rising tide of fraud, several initiatives are underway. The NADDC is spearheading the Nnewi Auto Industrial Park, a shared facility designed to boost local manufacturing of spare parts and reduce import reliance. The council is also training engineers using advanced tools like the Midas NFX software to design and produce high-quality, locally-made components.

“We aim to reach 40% local content in vehicle assembly,” said Fidelis Achiv, NADDC’s Director of Research and Development. “Even if we produce just 10 core components reliably, the economic impact will be massive.”

Startups like Fixit45, Mecho Autotech, and Carserve are working to digitise the auto-repair process. Their platforms connect car owners with verified mechanics, standardize pricing, and offer warranties, making fraud harder to commit and easier to track.

Meanwhile, experts urge car owners to take proactive steps:

  • Always demand to see packaging and serial numbers.
  • Insist on taking old parts back after replacements.
  • Use certified repair centers with clear receipts and transparent pricing.

Until enforcement and awareness rise, Nigeria’s car owners will remain vulnerable. But the tools for change are emerging.

Read more on Why roadside mechanics are more valuable than some university mechanical graduates 

Tags: HeadlineMechanicspare parts

Related Posts

E20 Fuel in Indai
Cars/SUVs

India’s ethanol fuel drive faces backlash as motorists fear car damage

August 29, 2025
How Oliver Blume rose to the top from Audi trainee to Porsche CEO
Business

Blume to quit Porsche CEO role amid investor pressure, shares fall 45% since IPO

August 27, 2025
Stellantis
Cars/SUVs

Stellantis has paid $773m in fuel economy penalties since 2018

August 27, 2025
Mercedes-Benz has sold its entire stake in Nissan Motor
Cars/SUVs

Mercedes-Benz exits Nissan stake in $325m sale, piling pressure on Japanese carmaker

August 26, 2025
Suzuki to invest $8bn into India as first EV rolls off Gujarat plant
Electric Vehicles

Suzuki to invest $8bn into India as first EV rolls off Gujarat plant

August 26, 2025
Car loans in South Africa
News

Short relief, long pain: Why car loans cost 36% more in South Africa

August 26, 2025
Next Post
Oleksandr Usyk cars

The story behind every car Oleksandr Usyk has owned

POPULAR NEWS

Inferno at Toyota 1000 Desert Race consumes 49 cars

Inferno at Toyota 1000 Desert Race consumes 49 cars

July 3, 2023
Mobius Motors

Mobius Motors: Rising taxes, competition ends Kenyan SUV maker’s journey

August 7, 2024
Autojournal car race

Get ready for the biggest RACE show this December in Nigeria

August 12, 2024
From style to sustainability: How Geely Auto is shaping the future of luxury vehicles

From style to sustainability: How Geely Auto is shaping the future of luxury vehicles

October 25, 2024
Oyo State Governor gifts Saheed Osupa Toyota Prado SUV worth ₦70M 

Oyo State Governor gifts Saheed Osupa Toyota Prado SUV worth ₦70M 

August 22, 2023

EDITOR'S PICK

General Motors

General Motors leads U.S. auto sales with strong Q2 performance

July 22, 2023
Bizzarini Deremer Studios

Amelia Concours 2025: A showcase of automotive legends, innovation

March 12, 2025
Toyota shares

Uttar Pradesh’s hybrid tax waiver boosts Toyota, challenges Tata and Mahindra

August 12, 2024
The 500,000th G-Class

Mercedes produced 500,000 G-Class in 44 years

April 27, 2023

About

Auto Journal Africa is the leading online and print magazine for automobiles in Africa.

Follow us

Recent Posts

  • India’s ethanol fuel drive faces backlash as motorists fear car damage
  • The last Samurai: Nissan ends GT-R R35 production after 18 years
  • Blume to quit Porsche CEO role amid investor pressure, shares fall 45% since IPO
  • Nigeria opens new auto training center in Lagos to drive electric vehicle growth

Links

  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Events
  • Tools
  • For Sale

© 2023 Auto Journal

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Premium
  • Reviews
  • Events
    • Nigeria
    • South Africa
  • Tools
    • Price Guide
    • Find your idea car
    • Car valuation
    • Sell your car
    • Car insurance quote
    • Locate a dealer
    • Deals
  • For Sale
    • New Cars for sale
    • Cheap Cars for sale
    • Bikes for sale
    • Trucks for sale
    • Boats for sale
    • Jets for sale in Africa
    • Cars under 5m
    • EV in Nigeria
    • EV in South Africa

© 2023 Auto Journal

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In