Faults:

Bought the car in May 2013 as a Pre-Reg. 8 months old and 1500 km on the clock. Paid extra for an extended warranty and service plan.

It took nearly a month to get the licence plates from the dealer. There was also no spare key. It took about 3 months to get one with the assistance of Customer Care.

The car would fill up with dust. There was a thick layer all over the boot and interior, even with all vents closed. After a year the rubbers were replaced. The boot was a lot more difficult to close after that and the dust continued. I was told it is because the Tiggo has air vents on the side of the boot. Nothing more was done and the dust continues.

In March / April 2014, I took the car back for the steering wheel noise. They could not find the problem and advised me to keep topping up the steering fluid.

In April 2014 my car was damaged when it was crashed into a pole at the dealership. The boot and bonnet was repaired at Chery's cost, but the original lettering was replaced with a different one and the back wheel sticker was never replaced.

In June 2014 the steering noise was really bad. I took the car in. They advised that the steering column had gone. And that I must pay for it as the warranty on the column expired the previous month. The steering column was eventually replaced by Chery after referring the problem to Customer Care and more fights.

Around the same time the engine maintenance light came on. The computer said it was the oxygen sensors. Once again, Chery said they were not covered by any warranty. I requested a full list of the parts under warranty, but was never given a list.

The maintenance light problem continued. One oxygen sensor replaced in February 2015, but this did not sort out the problem with the warning light. I was told it was probably the catalytic converter. Quoted in excess of R 22 000 for a new one and, once again, it was a part not covered by my warranty.

In August 2015 the car broke down and had to be towed in to a Chery dealership. It broke down again a month later and had to be towed in again. After a full week Chery advised that the fuse box was damaged. As it was a sealed unit, a new one had to be ordered and it would take another 21 working days. I insisted that they bring in a private auto electrician. He fixed the problem in a morning. I had to pay for the work Chery had done on the car as well as the auto electrician - once again, nothing was covered by the warranty I had purchased.

In November 2015, a major rattle started in the car. The catalytic converter had fallen out. I had it removed as I could not afford the replacement cost. The warning light stayed on. Not covered by warranty.

Early in 2016 the ABS brakes started to fail. The car would shudder when I braked, even on tar. I took the car back in again. After paying a diagnostic fee, I was told that I would have to replace both back tyres and only then would Chery look at replacing the bearings. I was advised that the warranty may pay some of the cost, but possibly not all of it.

I took the car into a tyre dealership. I was advised that, although the tyres showed some wear and tear that is normal, they were still good. However Chery said that the worn spots were enough to affect the ABS sensors and I would have to go to the cost of new tyres first. The car is also extremely noisy and the sound of the bearings can be heard when you drive.

The transmission light also started coming on more recently. I took it back to Chery and they told me they could look at it in a week's time. Eventually their mechanic reset it on the computer and tightened up some wiring, but I was advised that, should the problem recur, it is most likely the gearbox. As it is largely electrical, once again, it would not be covered by any warranty and the cost could be in excess of R 30 000.

I have sold the car back to Chery. As a last rip-off they would only pay half of the recommended buy-back book value.

General Comments:

A nice looking car with lots of features but sub-standard parts. Very poor back up from the service centre and extremely limited warranties.

Faults:

Issues with my Chery Tiggo 1.6:

- Slow to overtake other vehicles

- Usually a shortage of parts.

- Resale value is horrific!

- Branch service is shocking and poor. This is the worst part. They are quick to sell but slow to assist. I’ve never experienced such “we don’t care” attitude from staff. Even on the phone; “We are busy”.

The only reason I still drive my car, is because the resale value is shocking and I still owe money on the vehicle.

I also have had problems from other dealers - they either are too scared to trade the car, or they advise that they don’t trust the brand.