Summary:  

• I bought a new Mitsubishi Triton which has done only 36 000 km in August 2010.
• The vehicle was in a small accident in Maun.
• I paid R16 000 for the vehicle to be towed to a Mercedes Benz/Mitsubishi  garage.
• I paid for the repairs in full after I waited 3 month for the work to be completed.
• The vehicle broke down only after 250 Km after I collected it.
• Mercedes and Mitsubishi made me pay another R12 300 for the transfer to their next garage which might be able to fix the problem.

Don’t trust Mercedes Benz or Mitsubishi Motors if you are interested to drive a brand new vehicle but don’t want to be exploited or need any form of:

1. customer service
2. honesty

However my horror story continues. I paid Mitsubishi and Mercedes Benz agency to repair the new vehicle and then depart for Cape Town. 

A mere 250 km from Francistown I suddenly heard an enormous knock in the engine. I was stranded halfway between Francistown and Gaborone. I eventually arrived in Gaborone - in an obviously more reliable vehicle than a Mercedes or Mitsubishi Triton namely an Indian manufactured Tata truck - together with my vehicle, at 01:00 the next morning.

I booked myself in for two nights in the Cresta Lodge in Gaborone and experienced excellent service.  However the bill was BWP 1800 or about R2000. I phoned Naledi Motors in Gaborone and was assisted by Richard Schoeman.  They phoned me back the afternoon and explained that they needed more time to sort out the Mitsubishi Triton.  They then informed me that there was water in the oil of the vehicle - something which was corrected according to their previous invoice, however, a few hours later, Mr Schoeman gave me another, completely unconvincing explanation.  According to his explanation there was now apparently no water in the oil.

I went to Naledi Motors the next morning and was advised that the vehicle can only be fixed in January in Gaborone. Mr Schoeman phoned Mitsubishi Motors who assured him that the guarantee still falls under Mercedes Benz South Africa.  Mercedes Benz denied this.

Another major problem is that the dealership only re-opens their doors on the 4th of January 2012. My problem was and still is that I need the vehicle desperately for a tour for school boys from 1 January 2012.

My argument is that a closed Mitsubishi dealer is equal to no Mitsubishi / Mercedes dealer. After more than three months of non-stop problems I desperately need my vehicle and I feel that it must be taken to a service station that can fix it properly and urgently, seeing that the service location where it is now will be closed until the new year.

When I was informed that the Gaborone service agent will be closed until 4 January, I was also informed that, seeing that the vehicle is already with a Mitsubishi/Mercedes agent, they will not pay for the transport of the vehicle to another Mitsubishi/Mercedes agent. 

Eventually I agreed reluctantly to pay for the transport of the Mitsubishi from Gaborone to Johannesburg.  I obviously disagreed with it, but had absolutely no choice on Friday (Christmas weekend). I was now desperate to have the vehicle for my financial and emotional survival! Besides this, ON Christmas day, I was confronted with another surprise.  Naledi Motors and/or Mercedes Benz South Africa never paid the tow truck company for the transfer of the vehicle to Gaborone, even though they arranged it.

André from Rotary Power in Gaborone, the tow-in company, rightfully refused to transfer the vehicle to Pretoria before he was paid for the transport from Palapye to Gaborone.  I, again reluctantly, paid him more than R5000 for this transfer!