AAA Mobile Locksmiths

Poor workmanship by AAA Mobile Locksmith, Pretoria

Dear HelloPeter Team,I would like to lodge a formal complaint regarding AAA Mobile Locksmith, following work carried out on our GWM Steed 5 after it was broken into.Our vehicle was broken into on 19 August 2026. On 20 August 2026, we contacted a call centre for assistance. Our case was handled by Riaan ***), who arranged for a locksmith, Gerrie Botha ***), to assist us.Gerrie attended to the vehicle, and the invoice we subsequently received was issued under the name AAA Mobile Locksmith, 209 General Beyers Avenue, Pretoria North.Although Gerrie managed to get the vehicle to start and drive again, the vehicle was unfortunately left with a number of serious problems that were not present before he worked on it.Since the work was carried out, we have discovered the following:There are wires hanging out which appear not to have been reconnected after the work was completed.The hooter no longer works, which is both a safety concern and a legal roadworthiness issue.The vehicle no longer locks automatically after it is switched off.The key is now loose in the ignition.The airbag warning light remains permanently illuminated, which raises a serious concern regarding whether the airbag system is functioning correctly.Most concerning of all, the steering wheel now has to be turned approximately 360 degrees simply to make a normal turn at a stop street.This vehicle is driven by my wife, and our daughter is very often in the vehicle with her. I am currently away for work in the Tsitsikamma, and my wife is dependent on this vehicle. In its present condition, we do not feel that it is safe for her or our daughter to be driving it.Gerrie initially told us that we could take the vehicle to someone to investigate the airbag problem. We therefore took it to MJ Motors in Brakpan, where they performed a diagnostic test and provided us with a report. Gerrie paid for this assessment. We were subsequently advised that the problem could not be repaired by them.While inspecting the vehicle and removing components in order to investigate the airbag fault, they also discovered that certain parts which had been worked on appeared to have been taped together.Gerrie is now asking my wife to take the vehicle, during working hours, all the way from Brakpan to Alberton to someone we do not know, whom he describes as a friend, to try to rectify the problem.We do not believe this is a reasonable solution.My wife works during the day, I am away for work, and she depends on this vehicle for transport. More importantly, given the steering, airbag and hooter issues, we are extremely uncomfortable with her being expected to drive the vehicle any unnecessary distance in its current condition.We paid the invoice immediately and in full. We expected the vehicle to be repaired professionally and returned to us in a safe condition. Instead, we now have a vehicle with multiple faults that were not present before the locksmith worked on it, including faults directly affecting the vehicle's safety.We are not looking for an argument or trying to be unreasonable. We simply want the vehicle restored to the condition it was in before this work was carried out, apart from the original damage caused during the break-in.We therefore request that AAA Mobile Locksmith take responsibility for the problems resulting from the work performed on our vehicle and arrange, at their expense, for the vehicle to be properly assessed and repaired by a reputable and independent repairer. Given the safety concerns, we do not believe my wife should be expected to drive the vehicle to another town to have these problems investigated.We have the invoice from AAA Mobile Locksmith as well as the diagnostic report from MJ Motors and can provide these as supporting documentation.This matter is particularly concerning because it involves the safety of my wife and daughter. We would appreciate urgent assistance in resolving it before someone is placed at unnecessary risk.