Issues with non-GCC Spec car in Dubai

[aregion]

Hello fellow forumers! I;m a newbie in this forum and i got here because i unknowingly ended up with a non-gcc spec car (an '06 4WD Nissan, US made, US spec) off a private seller in Dubai. since then, i have found out the various risks associated with that purchase and now trying to not panic about it. some of my worries seem to have solutions as i read this forum but not enough detail for me to figure out completely how to get it done. so here goes:

1) I quote from a contributor,"Yes! You can get full insurance..once its registered.". Now, the car is registed with Dubai plate and with a 3rd party insurance (because you cannot get it registered otherwise). But now every insurance company i call refuse to sell comprehensive cover because it is non-GCC spec car. Can someone help me with an insurance company who can?

2) I called the nissan agent here in Dubai, and they tell me they can do all mechanical service and repairs, no problem BUT cannot do full service with computerized/electronic check on non-gcc spec car because thier system cannot link up into the car's computer if its non-gcc spec. My question is; are there other non-agent workshops in Dubai who has the electronic equipment to fully service and do complete health check on the non-gcc nissan car? If not, is this a major problem for repairs and overall safety? then what happens if I loose the key and need to reprogram the immobilizer or something like that sort of trouble?

3) any other major issues i need to fret about - besides that the car could have been a totalled car in the US when it was exported?

thanks in advance for your potential advice and help.

[Brembo]

first off, which nissan 4wd did you buy? if its something they dont sell here insurance companies might not give full insurance else i dont know why a 2006 model wouldnt get full insurance.
the dealer refusing to do a full service is also strange, again knowing which 4wd it is will help.
call and ask another dealer in abu dhabi/ al ain or even Buraimi, Oman.
maybe the dubai dealer is taking you for a ride as you didnt buy their overpriced cars lol

you can get a carfax report to check if your car was in any accident/flood damage. google carfax, it costs $25 i think.

[aregion]

its an armada, which is a common model here in dubai. well, thats what the local dealer's workshop at shk zyd said. cannot do dignostic test on us spec car. will try and call other dealers as suggested.

as for insurance .. again .. i cant understand why they refuse to insure .. or rather they say, unless the car is of above 150K value , they may insure comprehensively but there will be a lot of caveats, such as if the parts are to be imported or the local workshops cant handle, they will not cover.

[root]

Interesting problem! Specially as the Armada sold here I believe comes from the US anyway.

First, to check out the car, get a Carfax and Brembo said on the chassis number. Actually, you could probably google for the chassis number and you'll probably learn a lot about the car, as it might have been put on sale on some US websites before coming here.

Now insurance! These guys normally never ask about the origin of the car. They ask for the number plate, your license, the car and the model. So, how did the discussion of the import and non-GCC come into picture? I would suggest calling an insurance broker to help you out here. Many banks have an insurance brokerage or tie up with one, so just ask your bank you are banking with.

For spare parts and service, I think you are just being given a BS response. I am sure if you call the exact same dealer again and talk to another person, you'll get another answer. This is quite common unfortunately in UAE, that most staff are misinformed and instead of trying to answer you correctly by asking someone, they will just give you a random BS answer.

There is absolutely no reason why an Armada cannot be serviced by them. I would suggest to take the car to the dealership service, and if they say they cannot do it, ask them why, and if you don't like the answer, ask them to let you talk to someone who can explain a good reason why they cannot. Keep on asking "why" until they do it

I have personally registered, insured and serviced US imported cars without the discrimination. It was not a Nissan, but that should not matter.

[Brembo]

exactly what i was wondering, how the insurance people came to know the car was an import?

there shouldnt be a problem servicing an armada here for sure!

[aregion]

thanks for tips guys.

the reason they know it was an import .. was that i told them upfront... as voluntary information .. because you know how they have this whole list of caveats and conditions on insurance policies for them to get out of .. and if you dont disclose .. you might not be able to claim in the end. anyway, i agree .. i'll try and get a quote from a broker and not direct to the insurance company .. better luck probably.

i agree with Nissan's response .. the guy who was on the phone with me didnt sound too sure either .. but i guess the safest thing for him was to say no rather than say yes and then find out he cant do it? ... i'm bringing it in to the dealer and getting the spare key done .. it should be a good test case .. if they can reprogram the keys, i dont see why they would have a problem with the rest of the electronics.

i did the VIN check in US as well. paid 6.99USD ... and i guess the report was consistent with what i expected .. could have been worst. its just that for me .. i was unhappy that the seller gave me one load of bullshit story when he sold me the car and didnt come clean. prob crap con dealer from sharjah. but i guess its a case of buyer beware and i wasnt wary enough.

[root]

How much did you pay for it? and what are the specs?

[Brembo]

what was the problem that showed up when you checked the VIN #?

[aregion]

from the vin report, it was a salvage from US, after an accident ... but i had everything checked .. and fixed .. spent like 3-4K aed. its running fine now. paid like 12K less than market (based on internet adverts) for same year, same milage. i knew i wasnt buying an immaculate used car ... but felt conned when i think about the stories this guy was telling me when he showed me the car. he said he used it a month .. and now his family had to go back to iraq ... and he had to sell the car ... bla bla bla.. all kind of grandmother stories ... a load of BS basically. and worst of all he played the "muslim brother" trick to gain trust and goodwil.

and after much probing post-sales ... i found out he had a lexus and a hummer he is loading off as well .. but of course he stil maintained some fantasy stories about them .. he didnt know i got the vin checked and that i've discovered his ploy.

[root]

What? I am a bit confused now.

Did you know it was a Salvage before you bought it?

Because Salvage cars go for peanuts in the US, literally! No-one would buy them in US, and hence they try to export them as the foreign buyer would not know the history.

[raj29]

I too have experienced a hard time by buying an US Specs Murano 05 Model..the price was around 15K less than the market price and had told the car had met with a small accident.. my car has been servicing from by the dealer ...but each time they come up with a bunch of issues with a quote of not less than AED 20K.. iin the past 16months i must have paid around 6k for the maintenance but still the car has lot of issue and i have totally lost my peace of mind...when i wanted to take the car for a complete inspection he said the car doesnt have a number and i may be fined for driving a car without a number plate and i was forced to take the car to near by inspection center..who confirmed the car is worth the price... later when i gave the car for service they said the car does not have its air bag (estimate 22K)..for the hissing sound it produces when gas is given they wanna replace the whole exhaust (costs abt 3k)..

I would really appreciate if any one of you could please suggest me a garage where i can get the car checked for the hissing noise...bcoz before selling i wanna make the car bit perfect as i dont wanna give a bad time to the buyer ...

Regards,Raj

[aregion]

i didnt originally know it was a salvage. I checked the salvage prices with online traders in the US and i'd say the cost is like half of what i bought it for (so not really peanuts if its a decent insurance write-off car which still generally works). From the research i;ve done ... i;ve realised there are some decent salvage cars which can be resurrected. the main issue is that if you want to make good everything ... its going to cost more than buying an equivalent one off the main market or legitamate used car dealers. things like airbags, sensors and electronics, original mountings, minor fitting alignment issues are very expensive to restore even if the damage is physically minor. Main worry for me is if between the time it was written off and the time it got to me ... how many good parts on it have been swopped for spares on other repairs ... its a big black hole.

if i knew it was a salvage ... or even a US spec car ... i would not have bought it for purpose of daily commute and peace-of-mind motoring. luckily I bought it as a second car... so i could live with the inconvenience.

Frankly, if the seller hadnt tried to fool me into thinking he was using it as a family car and his wife was driving his kids with it ... and the sob story of how they have to leave UAE ... i wouldnt have felt so sore about the deal. now i think i have done enough research ... found the right garage to handle it ... and spruced it up enough to drive in peace and enjoy the ride.

If i was advised correctly when i purchased, I would have been psychologically prepared to make this a project car and do bold stuff with it ... but I would have asked for further discount and checked what i could live or couldnt live without.

Raj - I am in a similar predicament as you ... i cant bring myself to sell off the car (except maybe to a dealer) unless and until i am satisfied it can serve its purpose safely ... to a point my conscience is clear... i'll PM you the garage i used and hopefully they have the kit to handle your imported car.

[T.N.T]

What a sour experience, some people have no conscience.

[geo1400]

Sorry to here about your misfortune, I can relate. I had a bad experience with a Jeep Commander I bought. 2006 limited model, beautiful big car. Got the same BS story from the seller (who was part of a very wealthy family in Dubai) used as a family car bla bla bla. Luckily I managed to negotiate the price and have them pay for a full check from trading enterprise because I spotted some overspray, even though he said it was perfect - no accident. Anyway, after spending a lot of money on things like AC, rustproofing, brakes etc. I decided I had lost my trust in it. Advertised it to try re-coupe most of my money and the eventual buyer ran a car fax report... turned out it had been clocked! It was reading 55,000kms and had actually done more like 120,000kms!!! Let's just say I sold it at a loss...

Moral of my story, do not buy a US import unless you have ran every possible check and pay much less than you would a GCC of the same type. They are simply not worth the same.

But onto the OP's story; I had no problems what so ever with servicing, fixing and insuring my Jeep. Trading Enterprise were fantastic in helping me - I loved the service so much I bought a brand new Durango. My insurance company is AXA, again fantastic service. There is no reason why Nissan should discriminate against your car and as above, keep asking until someone says yes.

Best of luck and take the positives, you won't make the same mistake twice...

[khaloods]

Hi Aregion, really sad to hear your story, all these people in sharjah are sorry to say big cheaters, as I was a part time dealer some time back and had same experience, I bought a car from Japan Merc 230E which was short in the market so I suppose to make good money out of it, when car reached Sharjah , I tried to start but no sound, thought of battery so open the hood to check the battery the car is not only without battery but without engine too....

my complete consignment was like that the 07 model Vectra suppose to have a front light broken and would be ok with 600dhs but it was compressed upto tierod, and I had to spend 13k aed and beauty of it was parts was not available I had to order from Opel as it was not a GCC version..which took 1 1/2 years to repair and sold with loss.

So I totally lost 100k and left the market..

it's part of life, don't worry all will be Ok Inshah Allah.

Regarding the Servicing from Agency I agree with them they can't fully service the car as all parts are same but some are GCC specific specially computer, coolinng and heating system, I had good experience with all these issues.

There are few people in the market who have these computers to check Japanese and American versions, but they also charge a lot and they are also cheaters ( not All ).

Now my brotherly advise is to advertise this car and sell it, 06 model is having a market of around 70 to 80 depending on condition, Just tell the buyer I recently bought it as a second car and now I am willing to sell it, you can check it where you want.
keep advertising and where you met your target sell it immediatelly.

Buy the car which may cost you a little more but have histrory from agency really you will have peace of mind.

And advise to all, never to buy out of GCC standard cars which are expensive, as I said I was dealing for sometime I know that cars imported from US & Canada are either accidented or flooded, just think how can a car from Tax oriented country will be cheaper from Duty free country

cars coming from Japan are much better but these are also accidented sometimes.