8th February, 2017
An auto-mobile mechanic in Ilorin, Kwara, Mr Martins Michael, has lamented the high rate at which car owners abandon their faulty cars at auto- mechanic workshops.
Michael said in Ilorin blamed the action on the current economic situation in the country.
He added that several cars were also being displayed for sale by the roadsides nowadays because their owners could no longer afford the high costs of maintaining them.
The auto-mobile mechanic said that the urge to sell or abandon those cars at the auto-mechanics workshops was because of the high costs of their spare parts and accessories.
Most vehicle owners could not afford them, Michael said.
“The economic situation is really affecting our business, although, every car has different spare parts, the prices of the parts vary and have become very expensive.
“A four -litre gallon of the cheapest brand of engine oil used to service a car now goes for N2,600 as compared to N1,800.
“The price of a Toyota Camry shock-absorber has risen from N4,000 to N7,000 for the four tyres.
“A new Toyota Camry engine costs N280,000 and N90,000 for “tokunbo” and they used to be N180,000 and N55,000 respectively before.
“A 75 amps car-battery has increased from N13,000 to N26,000 while a 62 amps had gone from N10,000 to N18,000.
“I have mentioned the prices of these few items so that you will know the situation of things, and this is why people now abandon their cars with us because they cannot afford the cost of repairs,” Michael said.
He also said that car owners had stopped doing the general repairs and maintenance of their vehicles, rather they only repaired the very essential parts.
Michael said that too many cars were now on sale as a result of lack of funds for maintenance by owners.
“People no longer do maintenance or general repair again, they just ask us to fix the main problem so that the car can keep moving, and this is dangerous for safety on the roads.
“Every corner you go to now, you find cars displayed for sale, and people no longer have money to maintain two to three cars because maintaining only one is a problem.
“This situation is also affecting us because auto-mechanics only have little work to do; car owners prefer to buy spare parts to replace bad ones and promise to pay us for our workmanship is later.
“And some of them do not believe when we say these parts have become expensive, so we ask them to buy it themselves.
“And they will not come back to pick them; they will only abandon their cars at our auto–workshops.
“Some of them have been here for months, we call the owners and they promise to come, but they have not come.
“I just want the government to find a lasting solution to this problem of recession so that things can return to normal.
“If car owners continue to do piecemeal repairs on their faulty cars, this will be dangerous for the safety of lives and properties, especially, on the roads, ” he said.