The first signs that a car has done its time may be the state of its lights, windshield, grille, the rear and sometimes the registration number.

However, mechanics, salesmen and motorists argue that the lifespan of a car comes down to usage, maintenance and a few other minute details.

David Nyoike of Motorcare Uganda notes that a vehicle is as old as the owner perceives it to be, because what generally wears it down is the lack of maintenance.

“A vintage car is one that is well-maintained and it turns out priceless. You can have a priceless Mercedes, as well as a priceless Toyota. It all depends on how you have looked after the vehicle,” Nyoike explains.

He adds that an automobile that has hit 1,000,000km (which is rare) will generally attract the ‘how?’ question because if you hit that mileage without having overhauled the engine or gearbox, and it has good paint work and upholstery, it becomes vintage.

He contrasts that with one of about 250,000km but that is weather-beaten and poorly maintained. In such a state, a buy will perpetually keep the owner in a garage.

“One with low mileage and rugged, even at sh10m, will not be bought easily because customers will calculate how much they will need to restore it to good mechanical condition,” Nyoike says. Derrick Lwanga, a car mechanic also agrees the condition of a car depends on maintenance. That there are newer cars, whose parts are worn out.

How important is the odometer?
The odometer is another issue Lwanga says some people base on to tell the mechanical condition of vehicles. According to him, odometer reversal is quite a popular practice, especially in markets like Uganda’s where most of the vehicles are imported as used.

That said, Joel Katongole, a mechanic says using a car’s mileage to determine its mechanical condition is a bad idea because some car odometers stop working early because of mechanical issues.

Therefore, basing your decision on those figures can be misleading. He owns a Toyota Starlet with a UAA registration number that he uses in his rallying adventures, but is fixing a Toyota Hiace of UBB series that got an engine knock.

The argument that age will show with increased fuel consumption, loss of power, wear of some parts, and loosening of areas that should be tight, he says, can happen to any vehicle. Cars are generally said to be in their youth at anything below 50,000km or three years because, other than routine servicing, there is no need to replace parts.