My Story
In August 2024 I sent my Range Rover to Wayne Meintjies of Recon Engines, Chamdor, for an engine recondition. I was told it would take three to six weeks. As of the last entry below, the vehicle has been in his workshop for more than a year. This is the dated record.
R100,000
Total paid
6 weeks
Promised turnaround
14+ months
Actual time elapsed, still unresolved
Payments made
| Date | Amount | Reference | Source document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Aug 2024 | R 65,000.00 | Engine recon (FP) | Bank statement |
| 22 Aug 2024 | R 15,000.00 | Engine recon | Bank statement |
| 07 Nov 2024 | R 20,000.00 | Engine recon | Bank statement |
| Total | R 100,000.00 |
Screenshots of the bank-statement entries are on the Evidence page.
The chat record — timeline
The entries below are direct quotes from the WhatsApp conversation with Wayne Meintjies, with one or two events of context added in italics. Times are South African Standard Time. The full transcript is held in evidence.
13 Aug 2024
Initial engagement
Wayne shares his workshop location on WhatsApp. R65,000 paid the same day with reference "Engine recon (FP)". A separate payment to a sub-contractor ("Dean Brit Auto Sport") is also arranged.
15 Aug 2024
Vehicle received at the workshop
"Your car is at our workshop"— Wayne Meintjies, 16:18
"Yes, took 62 photos"— Wayne Meintjies, in reply to whether all parts were present
22 Aug 2024
R15,000 paid
Second payment, reference "Engine recon". Wayne acknowledges receipt.
28 Aug 2024
First "checking in"
"Slow, but winning"— Wayne Meintjies
05 Sep – 07 Oct 2024
Multiple unanswered check-ins
Several "any update?" messages from the owner across more than a month with little or no response.
22 Oct 2024
"Waiting for spares"
"Sorry about delay, waiting for spares, they ran out of stock, i dont want to take any chances"— Wayne Meintjies
07 Nov 2024
R20,000 paid
Third payment. Wayne confirms "Got 20k".
03 Dec 2024
Owner asks for a return date
"Hey Wayne, I need to send my other vehicle in for some maintenance...how far are you guys? It would be ideal if I could get the one back while the other is away..."— Vehicle owner
No date is provided.
15 Jan 2025
Four months on, owner re-asks for a timeline
"Hey Wayne, hope you are having a good week. It's been 4 months since you started with the vehicle... Do you have any idea when it might be done please?"— Vehicle owner
"Willcall you"— Wayne Meintjies. No call follows.
08 Apr 2025
Seven months elapsed — formal demand
"I just wanted to point out we have entered the 7th month from when you collected the vehicle. You told me 6 weeks. I am a patient guy but this is ridiculous.
Please complete the vehicle, or put the pieces together and I will take it elsewhere... and I will expect a refund, since as far as I can tell you literally have achieved nothing with the car."— Vehicle owner
22 Apr 2025
Owner visits the workshop in person
A site visit is conducted. The vehicle is observed in the workshop with the front end still stripped down, as it had been months earlier. Photographs are taken (see Evidence).
11 Jul 2025
Owner gives notice before travelling overseas
"Hi Wayne, I am leaving this weekend for a business trip to the US, and will return at the end of July. I cannot wait any longer for resolution on getting my vehicle repaired. Upon my return I am coming to your facility to either collect my running vehicle, or collect the parts and receive a refund for services not rendered. I am not unreasonable but it is 9 months since our initial engagement and the last time I came to your facility my block was lying on the floor exactly where it was when you received it... and my vehicle was under 6 months of dust... doesn't make me feel confident anything has happened on it at all. Please feel free to let me know if you think I am being unfair in this regard... but my next step failing a resolution on my return will be a legal one."— Vehicle owner
04 Aug 2025
Return from overseas — still waiting on parts
"Great, welcome back, just checking on tensionerz they promised end july, the said on friday they waiting for delivery, i will phone them later today and update you"— Wayne Meintjies
22 Aug 2025
"Almost all sorted"
"I was also hoping so, but hit a series of pbms, parts missing, but not to worry, almost all or all are sorted out, i had extra parts from a car i stripped"— Wayne Meintjies
01 Sep 2025
One full year
"Just letting you know its now been a year since you had the vehicle"— Vehicle owner
"I am aware, and i am busy with it"— Wayne Meintjies
05 Sep 2025
Final ultimatum
"I am going to wait till next week Monday for some pictures showing progress on my vehicle as I honestly am starting to doubt if you have done anything at all on the vehicle. If you don't send me some proof, I am sending someone to pick up the vehicle, and I am lodging a complaint for damages with the vehicle ombudsman, as well as posting what has transpired on hello peter, google etc."— Vehicle owner
08 Sep 2025
"Doing everything again"
"Will sed photos, doing everything again"— Wayne Meintjies. This message implies the work to date had to be redone, more than a year after the job was accepted.
21 Sep 2025
eNCA "Devi" airs an investigation
eNCA's Devi consumer-watchdog show airs an episode titled "Devi | Wayne Meintjies - Recon Engines". See Media.
22 Sep 2025
Heads "back from re-machining"
"Better, got yeads back, just want ti clean it assemble and send photos"— Wayne Meintjies
13 Oct 2025
Last informal contact — and the day the MIOSA complaint is lodged
"Hey wayne, when will my vehicle be ready? Please send me more pictures"— Vehicle owner. No substantive response follows.
A formal complaint is lodged the same day with the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA), case reference 510949.
20 Oct 2025
MIOSA refers the complaint to Recon Engines
MIOSA writes to Mr Meintjies via
[email protected] and [email protected], giving 10 working days to respond. No response is received within that period.20 Nov 2025
MIOSA escalates — second referral, 48 hours
MIOSA reminds Recon Engines that failure to assist the Ombudsman may constitute criminal conduct in terms of section 108(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, and gives a 48-hour deadline.
21 Nov 2025
Wayne's first written admission
"I have spoken to Devlin and his engine is ready to go in, but there are parts missing, we have contacted the previous workshop for these parts. At first they said that they might have them, and now they don't know. Phone recordings are available. Mr Devlin has also asked us to source these parts, which I am now in the process of doing so."— Wayne Meintjies, replying to MIOSA from [email protected]
This is the first time, more than 15 months after the vehicle was received, that the explanation shifts to "missing parts that were not collected from the previous workshop". No documentary proof of the alleged missing parts is provided.
12 Jan 2026
Owner rejects the "missing parts" narrative in writing
"You agreed to collect the vehicle from the previous workshop in a partially disassembled state, specifically because it required an engine overhaul. At the time of collection, you explicitly confirmed that your team would carry out a thorough inspection and validation to ensure that all required components were present, and that this process would be documented with photographs.
To date, no photographs or inspection records have been provided to demonstrate that the front axle and wiring harness were missing at the time of collection. Given that the vehicle then remained in your possession for over 18 months without progress, I have no way of verifying when or how these parts allegedly went missing.
The front axle is not a minor or easily overlooked component. Had it genuinely been absent at the time of collection, I would reasonably expect this to have been immediately apparent to a competent mechanic, not identified many months later. The same applies to the engine wiring harness.
On this basis, I do not accept responsibility for sourcing or paying for replacement parts."— Vehicle owner to Wayne Meintjies and MIOSA
To date, no photographs or inspection records have been provided to demonstrate that the front axle and wiring harness were missing at the time of collection. Given that the vehicle then remained in your possession for over 18 months without progress, I have no way of verifying when or how these parts allegedly went missing.
The front axle is not a minor or easily overlooked component. Had it genuinely been absent at the time of collection, I would reasonably expect this to have been immediately apparent to a competent mechanic, not identified many months later. The same applies to the engine wiring harness.
On this basis, I do not accept responsibility for sourcing or paying for replacement parts."— Vehicle owner to Wayne Meintjies and MIOSA
The owner also notes a fresh broken promise: "you assured me I would receive my vehicle fully operational from you no later than the end of November 2025... more empty promises and no action from your end".
20 Feb 2026
MIOSA requests documentation from both parties
MIOSA writes to Wayne for the job card, invoices, check-in sheet, and the telephone recording he referenced. MIOSA writes to the owner for a written agreement and any towing invoice. Neither party can produce the requested documents.
10 Mar 2026
Owner confirms in writing that no documents exist
"Unfortunately, I am unable to provide the job card, invoices, or any written agreement relating to the repairs, as none have ever been issued to me by the service provider. At no stage since the vehicle was collected have I received any formal quotation, invoice, repair order, job card, or written contract documenting the scope of work, the condition of the vehicle at collection, or any repairs allegedly performed."— Vehicle owner to MIOSA
13 Mar 2026
MIOSA finding letter — Section 54 CPA contravention found, but process terminated
MIOSA concludes (verbatim):
"In conclusion, the respondent failed to repair the vehicle in a timely manner and has therefore contravened Section 54 of the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008. It must be emphasised that for any transaction that transpired between the parties, there should be supporting documentation such as an invoice, job card, or written agreement. Both parties have failed to provide such documentation. Without documentary proof of the allegations made, this office is unable to determine the terms and conditions of the alleged agreement... In the absence of the requested documentation, this office is unable to make an informed determination and hereby terminates the process. Furthermore, the complainant's request for compensation/refund/damages/reimbursement does not fall within the jurisdiction of the MIOSA in terms of Section 17 of the South African Automotive Industry Code of Conduct."— MIOSA Finding Letter, Ref 510949/DB, 13 March 2026, D. Briesies & N. Brandt, Case Managers
The finding letter expressly notes that the complainant may refer the matter to the National Consumer Commission (NCC), and that MIOSA will supply a free copy of the case file for that purpose. See the Lessons Learned page for what every consumer should take from this outcome.
What this record shows
- A three-to-six-week job has run, at the time of writing, more than a year.
- R100,000 has been paid in three tranches across the period.
- Reasons given for the delay shift from "waiting for spares" to "missing parts" to "doing everything again" — these explanations do not converge on a completion date.
- Visits to the workshop have shown the vehicle disassembled in the same state across multiple months.
- Full chat transcripts, payment records and photographs are held by the site operator and available to MIOSA, the courts, and journalists on request.