{
  "id": 10604442,
  "title": "10 months without new car: KZN man fights over repairs after VW T-Cross crashed while at dealership",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/10-months-without-new-car-kzn-man-fights-over-repairs-after-vw-t",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T03:55:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2026-09-29-10-months-without-new-car-kzn-man-fights-over-repairs-after-vw-t-cross-crashed-while-at-dealership/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Durban man named Sean Rameshar is locked in a dispute over a damaged Volkswagen T-Cross that he has been paying for since it was at a dealership since November 2025. Rameshar bought the nearly new Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line from a Volkswagen dealership in Johannesburg on August 4, 2025. After traveling around 9,800km, the vehicle developed a loud noise and began to shudder heavily. Rameshar took the vehicle to Alpine Volkswagen Hillcrest, an authorized Volkswagen dealership in Durban, for inspection. The dealership initially inspected the vehicle for a mechanical issue and parked it safely while addressing the problem under warranty. However, Rameshar later discovered that his vehicle had been damaged while parked at the dealership. He claims another customer collided with his T-Cross, damaging the rear bumper and fender. Although he received CCTV footage, Rameshar was never provided with a copy of the incident report. Alpine Volkswagen Hillcrest confirmed the vehicle was damaged by another customer while it was in their custody. The dealership's principal, Darryl Chetty, stated that the other driver, a member of the public, had driven into the restricted area and collided with Rameshar's vehicle. Rameshar disputes the position of the vehicle when it was parked and questions how the other driver managed to access the restricted area. The dispute has led to a disagreement over how the damage should be repaired. Rameshar initially wanted the dealership to replace the bumper rather than repair it, as he believed the accident repairs could negatively affect the vehicle's resale value. The dealership proposed different solutions, but Rameshar has not yet received a formal quotation. Chetty stated that the dealership did not consider replacement or cancellation as a valid option, as the damage was cosmetic. Rameshar argued that this was not a valid point, as he had purchased the vehicle from another dealership and the finance agreement was with a separate institution.",
  "summary": "A Durban man says his new Volkswagen T-Cross was damaged at a dealership while awaiting repairs, leading to a dispute over the proposed repairs, its future value and a courtesy vehicle.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}