FAW sells vehicles that are faulty and take months to repair, and have terrible after sales service

In May/June 2015, my father purchased 6 trucks from FAW Vehicle Manufacturers in Kempton Park for his transport company. Within 6 months of my father receiving the vehicles, the breakdowns started. Every single truck has been back at FAW for repairs. My father became very ill with cancer during this period and I then joined the company to manage and take over from him.

Within a year and a half FAW have had to replace 1 engine completely and 3 trucks have had to have cylinder heads replaced. Within 6 months, the batteries ceased to function. This is completely abnormal. FAW are ******** people into purchasing trucks that are not fit for purpose. They are using sub-par parts on the trucks causing the trucks to continuously break down. FAW know that there are problems with the cylinder heads and do not let their customers know of the problem. I have 2 lever arch files of evidence how FAW don’t even record the service history correctly and how I have been fighting to get the correct information, but they simply ignore my emails and calls.

When the trucks go to FAW with cylinder head problems they take 5-6 weeks to repair, and they send it to an external company to repair and this causes our company to lose R 120,000 a week in revenue. I have had a truck stay at FAW for 4 months awaiting repairs. Yet they do not want to compensate for the losses.

I have all the evidence of the continuous breakdowns that occur with trucks that 2 years old. For over a year and a half they been giving me the run, don’t answer my emails or calls.

To date I have incurred R3.8 million in losses due to FAW trucks breaking down and the long standing time waiting for repairs to be done. At times the repairs are so badly done and then the truck goes back in and I then wait for weeks for repairs yet again.

In November 2017, FAW offered to do a voluntary surrender, I agreed in principle so long as they took back the vehicles and that they did not request any of the outstanding payments due. When they sent me the contract, the contract would still allow them to take legal action against me. I told them I could not accept the contract as it was. Of course, no response from FAW. In December 2017 their lawyer contacted me and tried to bully me in to delivering the vehicles to FAW to show “good faith” but could not promise me a contract stating that they would not take legal action against me. I have refused to return the vehicles until they provided a contract that was mutually beneficial.

My father passed away on 28 February 2018 from cancer and FAW continue to refuse to answer my emails but get their lawyer to call me and send me a letter of demand. I billed them for some of my losses, but they don’t want to pay it even though they have made me incur these losses by keeping the vehicles for weeks and not repairing them properly.

We have purchased other makes of trucks (Freightliner and International) that don’t even have 1 breakdown within 5 years and the batteries last 2-3 years easily and no engine or cylinder head replacements.

FAW trucks are made with sub-par parts and have constant issues with overheating due to poor manufacturing.