Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Second-hand car engines have become a flourishing market in Jeddah with scores of workshops specializing in the trade, according to a report by Al-Madinah newspaper on Sunday. The report said a large number of vehicles in Jeddah were at risk because of the growing use of second-hand engines and spare parts that are sold with no certificates of origin. The used engines, which are not in compliance with the Saudi standards and specifications, have no fixed price but are usually less than the price of engines sold by licensed car dealers. Some buyers, however, prefer to buy used engines because of their low prices and claim that they are satisfied with them, while other customers consider them completely useless. Meanwhile, owners of some workshops allege that they themselves fall victim to the people who sell them these engines, especially in the United Arab Emirates. "We have no idea about the durability of these engines, so we give the buyers a one-month warranty only," said one workshop owner who preferred to stay anonymous. Fahd Al-Ghuraibi, a Saudi, said he bought a second-hand engine for his Japanese car for SR4,000 from a workshop selling imported engines. "The engine did not work even though I changed it four times and finally I went to the police to complain about the workshop," he said. Omar Al-Afifi, another citizen, said there are many customers who go for used engines because of their low prices compared to those from official car dealers. "There are no fixed prices for used engines, which are sold based on the whim of the salesman," he said. He noted that prices range from SR4,000 to SR5,000, but said there is no protection for the customers as the warranty does not exceed one month. Abdul Fattah, a mechanic, advised people to buy new engines for their cars even though their prices may exceed SR20,000. "This is much better than buying a cheap, used engine that has no guarantee," he said. Abdul Fattah said there is a growing number of customers who buy scrap engines because the cost of maintenance at the dealers' showrooms is very expensive.
