The Motor Industry Ombudsman of SA has ordered the cancellation of the sale of a 2021 Toyota GR Yaris after buyer Moksham Soundarajan reported multiple defects soon after taking delivery of the R600 000 car he bought in July from WP Motors in Cape Town.

The vehicle was found to have worn tyres, a cracked exhaust, and lacked a spare wheel or tyre repair kit.

The Cape Argus reports that Soundarajan lodged a complaint with the ombud in August last year, citing safety concerns after experiencing a strong smell of petrol and exhaust fumes after driving about 420km.

An independent roadworthy inspection conducted on 26 July last year, uncovered additional problems.

Soundarajan sought a cancellation of the transaction and requested reimbursement of his trade-in value, all finance instalments, and insurance premiums paid in connection with the purchase.

WP Motors acknowledged the dispute and said it had initially offered to replace the two front tyres, repair the cracked exhaust, and pay R1 650 to repaint damaged wheel rims.

Soundarajan insisted on cancelling the deal.

After reviewing evidence from both parties the ombudsman found that the defects identified in the tyres and exhaust provided reasonable grounds to conclude that the vehicle did not meet the quality standards required under the Consumer Protection Act and formally endorsed the cancellation.

Dealership owner Phillip van der Merwe confirmed the car was back in their possession.

Full Cape Argus report