Buying and Selling Cars in Cambodia: Part Three

After successfully selling the Mercedes Benz, it was time to make a plan to select a replacement car. I learned authorized dealers here in Phnom Penh that support up-market name plates like Lexus, Mercedes Benz and Audi (no BMW here) do not stock parts. Too expensive to inventory. Boy, I understand that - last month, when I had the Mercedes Benz, the sophisticated air/gas/ fluid front suspension needed to be replaced. No way around it. Parts not in stock anywhere in Asia. Parts had to come from Germany. $4,600.00. Add another $800.00 for shipping by air (by cargo ship, $150.00 - but would take two-months +). Earlier in the year, I had another problem that generated a similar size bill. I clearly didn't want to have anything to do with these kinds of expenses again.

It was time for me to be more modest and trade-away some back-seat* comfort for something with more reasonable parts and maintenance requirements.

Hands down, the Toyota Camry is the universal car of choice in Cambodia. Parts galore and plenty of excellent independent garages. I decided the Camry was to be my replacement car.

Next, being all vehicles imported to Cambodia one way or another have serious flaws and corrupted odometer readings, I determined only vehicles from the United States were to be considered.

There is a company in the U.S. some may know called CarFax . CarFax, for a reasonable fee, provides true odometer readings for dealer service history, police involved crash/flood/insurance claim history, as well as quality of title and chain of title while in the United States. Very important.

It is common cars come to Cambodia with 175,000-miles, been flooded/repaired and then in a big wreck, sold as 'savage-only' value only to be reborn two-months later in Cambodia looking like a gem with 65,000-miles on the odometer. I must hand it to the Cambodians, they are supreme masters when it comes to putting lipstick on a pig.

To be continued.

*I do not drive in this city. I have a driver. Phnom Penh, Cambodia has the calmest calamity of wacky, anything-go's, road traffic on the planet. Bar none. If I were to sit up front it would greatly hinder my drivers field of view. Particularly being I am constantly reading newspapers that would further hinder my drivers view in a city where red lights, stop signs and double yellow lines are meaningless.