If the average price of a new vehicle in Nigeria is N3m and N240billion is reportedly spent on new vehicles annually, it follows that N22.8 billion is the worth of manufacturers’ warranty in the Nigerian automobile industry annually. Used (tokunbo) vehicle warranty should be more! The question is: how much of this is actually disbursed in terms of parts and labour? Where does this huge amount of money in warranty value go to?

Many new vehicles find their way into the country without warranty regulation or check and many Nigerians buy them without the full peace of mind that should normally come with them. Yet, some people nurture many wrong assumptions that are far from the truth. There are 12 of such assumptions that solicit for correction here and now:

ASSUMPTION 1 –Your car automatically comes with a genuine warranty in Nigeria.

TRUTH – You have many choices of cars in Nigeria, there is no guarantee that all come with genuine warranty.

ASSUMPTION 2 – There is extended auto warranty for used imported vehicles in Nigeria.

TRUTH – Automobile warranty in Nigeria is not extended (does not cover used vehicles) and the industry is begging for genuine extended warranty sellers for 200,000 used imported vehicles.

ASSUMPTION 3 – Automobile sales people know the full extent of their manufacturer’s warranty.

TRUTH – Auto sales people are yet to exhibit full knowledge of their products’ warranty packages. Many know the duration but lack the knowledge of the content and composition of their warranty offers.

ASSUMPTION 4 – Bank financing covers your car’s warranty and you don’t have to worry.

TRUTH – Banks may finance the purchase of your car, you are the one to ensure that you are not robbed of your rightful manufacturer’s warranty.

ASSUMPTION 5 – A “mechanical breakdown” warranty offers the same coverage as a “wear and tear” warranty.

TRUTH – The best warranty takes care of wear and tear but we are yet to get it in Nigeria. Even a mechanical breakdown warranty could be denied the car owner by blaming it on “bad fuel,” “bad road”, “harmattan,” “flood” etc. This is in spite of the claim by many automobile distributors that their “vehicles were made for Nigerian roads and condition.”

ASSUMPTION 6 – Auto warranty means you never have to worry about your vehicle.

TRUTH – Whether it’s a manufacturer warranty or a vehicle service contract (extended auto warranty), you’re still expected to care for your vehicle and provide proper maintenance like regular oil changes and others. If you haven’t been caring for your vehicle as outlined in the owner’s manual, your vehicle may end up with a lot of problems that may not be guaranteed by the warranty. Ensure to do the routine service of your vehicle and keep accurate maintenance records and receipts.

ASSUMPTION 7 – I don’t have to pay for labour in effecting my warranty rights in Nigeria.

TRUTH – Many automobile companies in Nigeria, in an unprofessional breach of trust, charge for labour against manufacturer’s instructions.

ASSUMPTION 8 – If new cars come with warranty, tokunbo cars should too, even if it is for a shorter period.

TRUTH – Once your tokunbo vehicle crosses any border to Nigeria, it automatically loses its warranty, whether manufacturer’s or extended service warranty. Thus, it is better to invest in brand new cars with warranty that is guaranteed by tested and trusted automobile distributors in Nigeria.

ASSUMPTION 9 – Insurance covers warranty outside the spheres of accident.

TRUTH – No insurance fully guarantees auto warranty in Nigeria.

ASSUMPTION 10 – There should be a law in Nigeria which guarantees genuine automobile warranty.

TRUTH – No law guarantees auto warranty in Nigeria. Every vehicle owner is at the mercy and discretion of auto distributors and marketers; Consumer Rights Protection advocates would make some noise and keep quiet after some time.

ASSUMPTION 11 – Warranty is easy to understand to the educated Nigerian.

TRUTH – Warranty is easily automated by some unscrupulous auto distributors and marketers in Nigeria to be complicated, reengineered to confuse, revved up to cause dissonance and ultimately extract buyers’ disinterestedness in the same warranty he seeks to understand.