Be careful when you buy a used car - if it turns out to be stolen, you may find yourself without your wheels and having to repay your loan to the bank.
Even if you bought your car in good faith, the police will confiscate it and you will still have to honour your loan to the bank.
It's a case, says Alan Swift of Good Hope Bank, of "let the buyer beware".
When you obtain finance from a bank to pay for your vehicle, you have a measure of protection because banks blacklist certain dealers whose business practices are dubious.
The danger is greater when buying a car from an individual.
You can protect yourself by obtaining a police clearance certificate which states that the car has not been stolen, or by contacting AA Autocheck, a division of the Automobile Association, on 0861 601 601. Autocheck has a database of six million vehicles against which it can check your car.
You have to provide the car's engine and chassis number and its colour. The cost of the service is R100 including VAT.
A spokesperson from the AA says it is vital that you get a copy of the seller's identity document and the registration certificate of the car.
You should turn down offers by the seller to handle the transfer of registration because he may not be the legal owner of the car.
Only let the seller register the car in your name if you are dealing with a reputable dealer or if you have checked the documents first.
Swift says that if the bank giving you a loan has a good credit policy, it would normally pick up if the car was stolen by checking out the vehicle's documentation.
But the responsibility is still yours and you should be careful when buying a used car, especially if it has had several owners.