Kuga owners trying to ditch their fire-prone SUVs are set to take a beating in the used-car market – but at least one trader in East London says he will not turn his back when the expensive vehicles drop into the trade.
Yesterday there was still some resale value in the Kuga, despite a report in a Sunday newspaper that a R350000 1.6-litre EcoBoost Kuga would only get “R70000” from a Ford trader in Pretoria.
The Sunday Times also quoted East London Kuga owner Praneet Khandoo complaining that Eastern Cape Motors would offer him nothing for his Kuga.
However, a Dispatch check on the Auto Trader site revealed that 42 of the 2013 Kugas are on sale at prices ranging from R200000 to R350000.
In East London Steve Chandler, the new sales manager of Hyundai new and used cars, said despite Ford’s lamentable handling of the problem, he saw good value in them and even better Kuga deals coming soon.
He was selling a 2014 Kuga with 90000km on the clock for R240000.
Competitor Mike Pendock Motors advertised a 2013 Kuga for R250000.
This was cold comfort for Kuga owner Damion De Cruz of Gonubie, who is trying to claw back some money or value from the R330000 he paid for his wife Joanne’s Kuga.
De Cruz said negotiations with his Ford dealer, Eastern Cape Motors, became “heated” when he was offered a R200000 trade-in last week.
De Cruz – a dedicated Ford fan who has bought five vehicles for more than R900000 from the dealership over the years – asked for the R200000 in cash so that he could buy outside of the Ford brand.
This was turned down on Friday and he decided to sell it privately.
He was further irritated when his efforts to snap a photograph of the Kuga, which had been held by the dealership for 13 days awaiting spares and repair, were thwarted yesterday when a promise to take him to a “warehouse” containing Kugas failed to materialise.
Attempts to speak to Eastern Cape Motors dealer principal Chris Theodosiou were rejected, when he declined to take the call.
Questions were then e-mailed to him but no reply had been received by the time of writing.
Chandler said: “I am not scared. I won’t buy 10 of them, but I will put them on the stand and they will sell. I am taking in another one on Thursday.”
He said Ford would do a good repair job.
The Kuga on his lot was bought from a woman who struggled to get a trade-in from her Ford dealership.
Despite Ford “really stuffing it up and damaging their name”, there was still enough loyalty in the market to sell Kugas.
De Cruz, a qualified panelbeater who owns two spares businesses in the Eastern Cape, said that when their Kuga ran out of coolant “the car did not pick up that the engine was overheating.
“There is a problem with the early warning computer system.
“My wife said the car started making a funny noise but no warning lights came on. She said she smelt something burning.”
De Cruz lifted the hood and immediately noticed that an L-shaped pipe connecting the ancillary water bottle had burst. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
Kuga owners battle to get ’reasonable’ resale value
Yesterday there was still some resale value in the Kuga, despite a report in a Sunday newspaper that a R350000 1.6-litre EcoBoost Kuga would only get “R70000” from a Ford trader in Pretoria.
The Sunday Times also quoted East London Kuga owner Praneet Khandoo complaining that Eastern Cape Motors would offer him nothing for his Kuga.
However, a Dispatch check on the Auto Trader site revealed that 42 of the 2013 Kugas are on sale at prices ranging from R200000 to R350000.
In East London Steve Chandler, the new sales manager of Hyundai new and used cars, said despite Ford’s lamentable handling of the problem, he saw good value in them and even better Kuga deals coming soon.
He was selling a 2014 Kuga with 90000km on the clock for R240000.
Competitor Mike Pendock Motors advertised a 2013 Kuga for R250000.
This was cold comfort for Kuga owner Damion De Cruz of Gonubie, who is trying to claw back some money or value from the R330000 he paid for his wife Joanne’s Kuga.
De Cruz said negotiations with his Ford dealer, Eastern Cape Motors, became “heated” when he was offered a R200000 trade-in last week.
De Cruz – a dedicated Ford fan who has bought five vehicles for more than R900000 from the dealership over the years – asked for the R200000 in cash so that he could buy outside of the Ford brand.
This was turned down on Friday and he decided to sell it privately.
He was further irritated when his efforts to snap a photograph of the Kuga, which had been held by the dealership for 13 days awaiting spares and repair, were thwarted yesterday when a promise to take him to a “warehouse” containing Kugas failed to materialise.
Attempts to speak to Eastern Cape Motors dealer principal Chris Theodosiou were rejected, when he declined to take the call.
Questions were then e-mailed to him but no reply had been received by the time of writing.
Chandler said: “I am not scared. I won’t buy 10 of them, but I will put them on the stand and they will sell. I am taking in another one on Thursday.”
He said Ford would do a good repair job.
The Kuga on his lot was bought from a woman who struggled to get a trade-in from her Ford dealership.
Despite Ford “really stuffing it up and damaging their name”, there was still enough loyalty in the market to sell Kugas.
De Cruz, a qualified panelbeater who owns two spares businesses in the Eastern Cape, said that when their Kuga ran out of coolant “the car did not pick up that the engine was overheating.
“There is a problem with the early warning computer system.
“My wife said the car started making a funny noise but no warning lights came on. She said she smelt something burning.”
De Cruz lifted the hood and immediately noticed that an L-shaped pipe connecting the ancillary water bottle had burst. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
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