More than N1billion local dealerships’ investment in service workshops and backups for imported automobiles is feared threatened as motorists ignore them for fairly used parts known as tokunboh.
BusinessWorld Intelligence reliably gathered that motorists including patrons of new vehicles have resorted to local technicians and fairly used parts’ market to source parts for the repair of their vehicles.
Observers have blamed the drift on the prohibitive cost of maintenance and replacement parts charged at the respective dealerships’ shops.
The popular Ladipo market at Oshodi, Lagos has as a result been feeding fat from the resultant negligence of structured workshops – a situation that may cause the dealers to lose some of their investments in automobile business, auto pundits feared.
Seyi Olajide, executive director, Briscoe Motors recently corroborated this assertion when he alerted that only 20% of Toyota vehicle patrons in the Nigerian market take advantage of the free maintenance service offered after 1000 kilometers.
He warned that the need to patronize the workshops have become imperative in view of the investments the company has put in service centers and its commitment to all Toyota vehicles in Nigeria.
Briscoe Motors recently commissioned an ultra modern workshop cum showroom at Victoria Island Lagos to woo reluctant Toyota drivers.
Kia Motors, sole distributors of Kia vehicles has also started losing grip of its market shares in the parts segment as owners have resorted to sourcing the parts from the open market.
The company had until last year enjoyed total monopoly of Kia replacement parts, fetching millions of naira monthly from sales and service.
Kia Plaza’s service manager was though unavailable at press time, we observed depletion in the number of patrons who turn out for service and repairs.
Chemstar Paints Limited, manufacturers of Finecoat paints have upon acquisition of some units of Kia vehicles from the dealer went to source for parts locally and contracted the services of an independent technician that manages its fleet.
The Volkswagen family including VW, Audi and Skoda has similarly lost their shares of the parts’ market to independent marketers and service centers that price their services affordably.
Similar story of how Kewalram, marketers of Mitsubishi vehicles, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) and Coscharis, the BMW dealers lost grip of after sales market have lately made the rounds creating fears among stakeholders on the feature of after sales sector of the automobile business.
