Tokunbo cars in Abuja
Tokunbo, the clean kind
Tokunbo means foreign-used: a car that had a life abroad before it reached Nigeria. Where it spent that life, and how it left, decides whether it is a bargain or a problem. We only bring in the first kind — from US dealerships, for buyers in Abuja and across Nigeria.
What you are really buying
Same model, same year, same price. Not the same car.
Many of the used cars for sale in Abuja are tokunbo, and most foreign-used cars in Nigeria come from the United States. They arrive by one of two routes. Some were traded in to a US dealership by their owner, inspected and resold. Many others were bought at a salvage auction after an insurer wrote them off — collision, flood, hail or theft recovery — then repaired quickly enough to look sellable.
Both arrive as tokunbo. Both can be polished to look identical on a lot in Abuja. The difference sits in the history: a title that was once branded salvage, a flood line under the carpet, an airbag that was never replaced. It is exactly the part a buyer standing in front of the car cannot see.
That is why we buy only from dealerships, and why every car comes with its VIN before you commit, so you can check it yourself.
Dealership or auction
Where your tokunbo came from
| Franchised US dealership — how we buy | Salvage auction — how most importers buy |
|---|---|
| Franchised US dealership — how we buy Taken in as a trade-in from a retail owner | Salvage auction — how most importers buy Sold after an insurer has written it off |
| Franchised US dealership — how we buy Inspected and reconditioned to a retail standard | Salvage auction — how most importers buy Collision, flood, hail or theft recovery |
| Franchised US dealership — how we buy Title accepted by the dealership itself | Salvage auction — how most importers buy Repaired quickly to look sellable |
| Franchised US dealership — how we buy Named previous owner and service record | Salvage auction — how most importers buy History gaps the seller cannot explain |
| Franchised US dealership — how we buy Clean title, never an insurance write-off | Salvage auction — how most importers buy Salvage or rebuilt brand on the title |
| Franchised US dealership — how we buy Costs more at source, and holds its value | Salvage auction — how most importers buy Cheap at source, expensive to own |
The auction car is cheaper at source. It rarely stays cheaper once it has been repaired, registered and driven on Abuja roads — and it is far harder to resell.
Auction titles are explained in detail in Copart vs dealership cars.
Buying from Abuja
You never pay in full for a car you have not seen
Tell us the make, model, year and budget. We search licensed US dealerships, send you the VIN and an independent history report for every match, and buy only what you approve.
You pay 40% to start sourcing. We buy, ship and clear the car. The remaining 60% falls due only after it has landed, cleared customs and you have inspected it yourself.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| When Days 1 – 3 | What happens Specification and quote |
| When Days 3 – 10 | What happens Sourcing and verification |
| When Days 10 – 14 | What happens Inspection and loading |
| When Weeks 3 – 8 | What happens Ocean freight |
| When Days 3 – 10 after berth | What happens Duty and clearing |
| When On release | What happens Inspection, balance, delivery |
Every stage is set out in how it works.
Most requested in Abuja
The tokunbo models buyers ask us for
- Toyota Land Cruiser, Prado, Camry and Highlander
- Lexus RX 350
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class and GLE
- Honda Accord, CR-V and Pilot
If it was sold new in the United States, there is usually a clean, dealership-held example to be found. Browse the showroom for the specifications buyers ask for most, or tell us exactly what you want.
Visit us
Our office in Wuye, Abuja
Dhabi Automobile Limited, Suite 1F5, Plot 976 Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Wuye District, Abuja, Opposite Wetland Hotels. Call 0806 744 8969 before you come and we will have options ready.
Not in Abuja? We deliver to Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Ibadan, Enugu, Kaduna, Benin City, Jos, Uyo, Warri and Abeokuta, and anywhere else in Nigeria on request.
Questions
What buyers ask us
Tokunbo is the Nigerian word for foreign-used: a vehicle that was owned abroad before it was imported. It tells you where a car has been, not what condition it is in — which is why the source matters more than the word.
We source to your specification rather than selling whatever happens to be on a lot. You tell us the car; we find a clean, dealership-held example in the United States and send you its VIN before you commit.
No. A clean title means the car was never declared a total loss, so it was never branded salvage, rebuilt or flood. A minor accident can still appear on a history report without branding the title. That is why we send an independent history report as well as the title itself.
Sourcing and verification take days. Ocean freight is the longest stage, at three to eight weeks, and clearing follows within days of the ship berthing. The full timeline is on the how-it-works page.
Yes — that is the point of how we work. You pay 40% to start, and the remaining 60% is due only after you have inspected the car in person in Nigeria.
Tell us the car you want
Send the make, model, year and budget. We come back the same day with dealership options and a written landed cost.