‘Polished turds’: Former OzCar mechanic blows whistle on used-car inspections
Lyndall thought she was buying peace of mind when she spent $49,000 on an Audi backed by OzCar’s 191-point “safety check”.
She might have bought the car three years ago, but it barely leaves her driveway.
Lyndall thought she was buying peace of mind when she spent $49,000 on an Audi backed by OzCar’s 191-point “safety check”. A Current Affair
An independent mechanic found 25 engine faults and declared it completely unsafe to drive.
Her nightmare is one of many surfacing after the dealership’s demise, as customers and insiders claim OzCar cleared defective cars and sold them to unsuspecting buyers.
When A Current Affair inspected Lyndall’s Audi, the car shook while running, and smoke poured out after the oil cap was removed.
“Lyndall, it looks like you bought a lemon,” reporter Steve Marshall told her.
She replied: “I think I bought the whole tree!”
OzCar had promoted its pre-sale checks with the claim its “rigorous 191-point certified inspection catches everything”.
OzCar has long touted: “We sell great cars to great people”. A Current Affair
Former OzCar mechanic Jake Brown, who ran the workshop at the franchisee-owned Wodonga dealership, claims cars arriving at the site had supposedly already been inspected and were ready for sale.
The franchisee running the dealership is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Former OzCar mechanic Jake Brown. A Current Affair
When asked what he found, Brown replied: “Polished turds.“
”Basically, a lot of things that should have been done that weren’t,” he said.
Brown said he re-inspected every car sent to the Wodonga site by head office because “what was getting fed down to me wasn’t good enough”.
His claims follow allegations previously aired by former OzCar salesman Ahmad, who told A Current Affair that “they did their best checking the car, but it wasn’t 191 points”.
NSW Fair Trading has fined OzCar head office and its directors for illegal sales practices, including conduct involving customers with special vulnerabilities and selling cars that were not of acceptable quality.
Four of OzCar’s largest dealerships, owned by founder Brett Dale, later entered administration, costing 90 jobs.
Twelve independently operated franchises remained open.
Lyndall says she returned her Audi to her nearest OzCar dealership several times.
“They were going to try and charge me $6000 to pay to get the engine replaced, even though the car was under warranty,” she said.
She borrowed $49,000 at 18.5 per cent interest, leaving her facing about $39,000 in interest payments.
“So add those two together, and you’re up for $89,000, almost 90 grand for this car,” Marshall told her.
“I know. I’m gonna cry,” Lyndall replied.
Independent mechanic Jim Hull later inspected the Audi.
A Current Affair previously confronted Brett Dale outside his multi-million dollar mansion. A Current Affair
“When we first scanned this car, it had 25 engine-related fault codes … it’s a bloody mess,” he said.
Hull also found oil leaking across the engine and said the car was not safe to drive.
“This car, in the state it’s in, is not safe to drive … this car has got some serious engine issues.“
OzCar has long touted: “We sell great cars to great people.”
But Lyndall has a different assessment.
“They don’t," she said.
“They sell shitty cars to great people, and Brett Dale needs to be held accountable.”
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