A group of friends from Singapore who paid S$64 to rent a Tribecar vehicle to drive in Johor Bahru on Nov. 27 were left high and dry after the car broke down in Malaysia.
Thankfully, a Singaporean living in Johor Bahru stopped to help the group of stranded day-trippers and diagnosed the problem as likely due to a faulty alternator before advising them on their next course of action.
After paying S$407 in total to have the vehicle towed back to a repair shop in Singapore, the group of four women could only manage a late lunch in the city before heading home.
The group is currently appealing to Tribecar to have their booking and towing fees fully refunded.
In response, Tribecar said the car had recently been serviced on Nov. 23, and the vehicle's battery and alternator were found to be working then.
It added that the breakdown "could not have been predicted or prevented" and will be investigating further as part of the refunds process.
Rented car for S$64 to relax in JB
Seah, 28, one of the passengers, shared that she had taken a day off to relax in Johor Bahru with her friends.
They rented a Toyota Vios from car-sharing platform Tribecar for eight hours, paying about S$64.
Image courtesy of Seah.
Tribecar allows customers to drive to Malaysia and as far as Kuala Lumpur, provided they use selected vehicles and have a sufficient booking duration.
It was not Seah's first time using the platform.
Pictures shared by Seah showed that the rented Toyota Vios had a mileage of more than 270,000 miles.
The average mileage of a ten-year-old used car in Singapore is about 120,000 miles.
Warning signs
Seah said there were warning signs after they passed Woodlands Checkpoint on the way to the Malaysian counterpart.
"The aircon started spewing hot air and we had to wind down our windows in order not to suffocate," she shared.
It soon got worse.
The driver, Aq, 32, said the steering wheel felt stiff when turning and the car could not accelerate normally when moving off from a red light.
After stopping the car along a side road off Jalan Dato Onn Utama, the ignition stuttered and Aq tried to restart the engine, but to no avail.
They had been just minutes away from their lunch destination.
Image courtesy of Seah.
Image courtesy of Seah.
Good Samaritan
Thankfully, a fellow Singaporean in his 40s, who was himself living in Johor Bahru, stopped by to help upon noticing the group and the Singapore-registered car.
After examining the vehicle, he told them that the issue was likely due to a faulty alternator, an engine part that supplies electricity to the vehicle.
Screenshot from video courtesy of Seah.
The man went off to check the price of the towing services, and returned to give them an estimate so they wouldn't get ripped off.
He also placed a branch on their car trunk — to warn other drivers about the breakdown — as the car did not come equipped with a warning signal.
Additionally, the Good Samaritan provided them their contact number in case they needed further help, and offered them a lift once he was done with his own errands.
He told them he did it "out of friendship and the love [of] being a Singaporean".
"We are forever grateful to him as we were clearly lost and were scrambling to find help," Aq shared.
Paid S$407 to get car towed back to Singapore
Aq also called Tribecar's customer support for advice on how to proceed.
She was sent an address of a workshop in Singapore, and was told to arrange for the car to be towed there.
The staff also told her that if the vehicle was repaired in Johor Bahru, the group would have to bear the charges.
Image courtesy of Seah.
Image courtesy of Seah.
It cost them RM$550 (about S$157) to have the car towed to Woodlands Checkpoint and another S$250 towing fee from there to the workshop.
The total of S$407 was paid upfront by the group, using most of the cash they had brought along for the day trip.
Appealing for booking refund
Seah and her friends were later told by Tribecar that the refund of the towing fee is pending approval.
Additionally, they are appealing for their S$64 booking fee to be refunded, on the grounds that the breakdown had ruined their trip.
After losing their use of the car, the group cut short their plans to explore Johor Bahru.
Instead, they took a taxi back to the city to grab a late lunch before getting on a bus back to Singapore.
Aq said it was a horrible experience and that she would not rent from Tribecar again.
"We wasted a whole day's leave and had to return back to Singapore earlier to avoid the jam," she elaborated.
Nevertheless, Seah said the group was still grateful for getting help in the midst of the unpleasant experience.
"We are lucky nothing [serious] happened," she added.
Car serviced less than a week ago: Tribecar
In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from Tribecar confirmed that the breakdown was caused by a faulty alternator.
The spokesperson said this typically results in the car's steering assistance being reduced, which caused the steering difficulties faced by the driver.
She clarified that the vehicle was last serviced on Nov. 23.
During the servicing, the vehicle's battery was determined to be charging well at a healthy level, which the spokesperson said indicates that the alternator was working fine.
The company also conducts regular servicing, maintenance and inspections for all its vehicles to reduce chances of breakdowns.
Cannot guarantee vehicle will not break down: Tribecar
Nonetheless, the spokesperson said no car rental company could guarantee that its vehicles would not break down during the rental period.
"In this case, the problem was determined to be a faulty alternator, which could not have been predicted nor prevented," the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson added that as part of the process of refunds, Tribecar will investigate the vehicle's cause of breakdown at an authorised workshop.
This is because vehicle breakdowns could be caused by many reasons, such as wear and tear, the driver's unfamiliarity with the vehicle model or an incorrect diagnostic by a third party.
If the breakdown was determined to not be caused by the hirer, a refund will be given.
Tips for Tribecar drivers
The spokesperson also advised hirers to check their vehicle’s engine oil, coolant and tyres before commencing their trips, especially if heading to Malaysia.
In the event of a breakdown, hirers are advised to call the Tribecar emergency hotline and not attempt to continue driving for safety reasons.
"Hirers do not feel safe driving the vehicle are advised to contact Tribecar, and we will try our best to provide them a replacement vehicle," the spokesperson said.
For breakdowns in Malaysia, hirers are recommended to use Tribecar's appointed Malaysian vendors instead of engaging their own.
Hirers are also advised not to accept unsolicited assistance, especially when outside of Singapore.
"Be wary of such help as historically, we have come across unscrupulous vendors who try to overcharge hirers who are unfamiliar with the vehicle model or vehicle parts," the spokesperson added.
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Top image from Seah.