Independent Servicing & Your Warranty
The Competition Commission's guidelines for the South African automotive aftermarket say manufacturers must recognise, and not obstruct, your choice to have your car serviced, maintained or mechanically repaired at an independent workshop such as Fangio Auto while it is in warranty. Here is what the current guidelines actually say, where they stop, and how we protect your cover while we work.
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The Basics
The current version is the Commission's guidelines dated September 2024, effective from 27 March 2025. An earlier version applied from 1 July 2021. They are not a law passed by Parliament. The Commission prepared them under section 79(1) of the Competition Act to show its approach, and they say they are not binding on the Commission, the Competition Tribunal or the Competition Appeal Court. The Commission can still act against anti-competitive conduct under the Act itself.
The guidelines say manufacturers must recognise, and not obstruct, your choice to have your car serviced, maintained or mechanically repaired at an independent workshop like Fangio Auto while it is in warranty. They also say the manufacturer has no obligation to pay for service and maintenance done at an independent workshop, so that work is paid by you, or by your plan if its terms allow it.
The guidelines link the risk to your warranty to damage. If work done away from the dealer damages the car, certain warranty provisions risk being voided, while other provisions may remain enforceable. The manufacturer may assess the damage at its own cost.
You may choose original or non-original replacement parts. We tell you which is going on your car and why, so you decide with the full picture.
The guidelines say manufacturers must make technical repair and diagnostic information available to independent workshops on reasonable terms, and that manufacturers or their dealers must offer training, or access to it, to independent technicians who ask, at a cost no higher than dealer staff pay. Security-related information can come with accreditation conditions.
A service or maintenance plan can no longer be bundled silently into the car's price. It has to be priced and offered on its own, so you can see what it actually costs before you buy the car.
Worth Knowing
Right to Repair is often oversimplified. Before you rely on it, know the edges:
Why It Matters
Right to Repair is not abstract policy. It changes where you can go and what you can expect once you are here.
Compare an independent quote against the dealer's and choose. No more captive pricing on the routine work that makes up most of a car's life.
Randburg has served Johannesburg since 2009. Hermanus, RMI-approved, has served the Overberg and Garden Route since 2021. Same manufacturer-schedule servicing at both.
Detailed invoices and a stamped service book, so if a warranty question ever comes up, your paper trail is ready.
If a job could touch anything warranty-sensitive, we say so upfront and quote your options, rather than explain afterwards.
Serving Johannesburg & Surrounds
110 Susman Ave, Blairgowrie, Randburg
Contact the Randburg branch - Mon-Fri 07:30 - 16:30
Serving the Overberg & Garden Route
13A Steenbras Road, Hermanus Industrial
Contact the Hermanus branch - Mon-Fri 08:00 - 17:00
Got Questions?
The Competition Commission's guidelines do not say that choosing an independent workshop voids your warranty. They say manufacturers must recognise, and not obstruct, your choice of an independent workshop for service, maintenance and mechanical repair while your car is in warranty. If work done here damages the car, certain warranty provisions risk being voided, while other provisions may remain enforceable. The manufacturer has no obligation to pay for the service itself. Check your own warranty documents for the details too.
Yes. You may choose original or non-original replacement parts. We tell you which is going on your car and why, and quote both options where it makes sense.
No. A warranty covers something that breaks, a service or maintenance plan is a separate prepaid contract for scheduled work, and Right to Repair is the Commission guidance that protects your choice of workshop. Where a plan can be used is set by the plan's own terms, and manufacturer plans can be limited to the manufacturer's network. See our service plan and warranty plan pages for how each works here.
No. It is a plain-language summary of the Competition Commission's published guidelines, the September 2024 version in effect since 27 March 2025. They are Commission guidance rather than a law passed by Parliament. Always check your own warranty or plan documents, and get legal advice for anything you plan to rely on in a dispute. The guidelines say disputes can go to the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa or the National Consumer Commission.
Either. Randburg serves Johannesburg and surrounds, Hermanus serves the Overberg and Garden Route. Pick your nearest branch on the contact page.
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Ready When You Are
Your choice of workshop, your warranty protected the way the guidelines intend. Pick your nearest branch and let's get you booked in.
