Dealership Ordered To Refund R683K After Haval’s Computer System Crashes During Repairs

The National Consumer Tribunal has ruled in favour of a man who demanded a refund after his brand-new Haval H6 Hybrid suffered a critical software failure during a routine check-up — just four months after he bought it.

The tribunal found that the Kempster Sedgwick dealership must refund Grant Robert Ernest Tucker the full R683,050 purchase price after the car’s computer system crashed while being connected to a diagnostic tool.

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Software Crash Reveals Major Defect in New Vehicle

Tucker purchased the Haval H6 1.5T Hybrid Ultra in November 2022. But by March 2023, the vehicle began experiencing technical issues. He returned it to the dealership for repairs, where mechanics attempted to run diagnostics — only for the car’s computerised system to crash completely, rendering it unusable.

According to email communication presented during the hearing, the issue was linked to the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP). Haval Motors South Africa and engineers from the manufacturer in China were called in to resolve the problem.

Dealership Offers Trade-In, Tribunal Calls It Unsafe

Tucker, unhappy with the prolonged issue and citing safety concerns for his family, demanded the sale be reversed within the Consumer Protection Act’s six-month period. Instead, the dealership — via its attorneys — denied the vehicle was defective and offered a R540,000 trade-in.

Although Tucker was temporarily provided a courtesy vehicle, the dealership later demanded its return, threatening to activate Tracker recovery services. Tucker eventually returned the courtesy car and collected the Haval, but continued to claim the car was unsafe and defective.

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The dealership argued the issues were resolved and highlighted that Tucker had continued driving the vehicle for over 27,000 km and even took it for servicing at another Haval outlet, implying confidence in its performance.

However, during the hearing, it was admitted by the dealership that the car had been imported with software not suitable for South African conditions, and that this mismatch caused the system failure when diagnostics were run.

Consumer Tribunal Grants Full Refund

The tribunal concluded that while earlier faults might not have rendered the car unsafe, the crash of the computer system was a serious hazard, especially since it involved the manufacturer in China and took nearly a month to resolve.

In its ruling, the tribunal stated: “If the car was imported with a computer system unsuitable for South African conditions, then it automatically poses a hazard and is unsafe to be operated on the roads.”

As a result, the tribunal ordered that Tucker return the vehicle to the dealership and that he receive a full refund of R683,050, effectively cancelling the sale.

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