How mechanics, spare parts dealers swindle Nigerian car owners

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.”

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