Drive In Singapore

What is covered in the car warranty in Singapore? What is not?

Understand the coverage of car warranty in Singapore and the fine print in the car warranty booklet

Drive a car in Singapore, Maintain and service a car in Singapore, Own a car in Singapore

Compared to other products, the warranty of your car is usually more complicated. The coverage of car warranty may vary depending on the dealers/brands and the “timing” you purchased the car.

In Singapore, the pro-business laws and regulations tend to give dealers the advantage in “defining” the terms and conditions of the warranty in Singapore.

This Driving in Singapore guide explains the typical coverage of car warranty in Singapore and the caveats and even traps in the terms and conditions of most Singapore car warranty policies.

Warranty coverage in Singapore: it's more complicated than you thought

If you think car warranty from all car dealers in Singapore is identical, then you are wrong, deadly wrong.

Singapore does not have regulations on compulsory coverage of car warranties except the 3rd party coverage. It is up to the market (and eventually the car dealer) to “offer”.

On the bright side, this creates some sort of competition among car dealers. Some of them may offer better warranty coverage to attract new customers.

But on the dark side, car dealers may use exaggerated words or fine print to mislead car buyers. The lemon law, section 12A-12F of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA), is not a strong weapon for car buyers when disputes on car warranties arise.

In Singapore, there is NO standard (or basic or compulsory) coverage of car warranty:

Each dealer may offer different coverage and terms and conditions of the warranty.
From the same dealer, different coverage and terms may be offered for different cars.
From the same dealer and for the same car, different coverage and terms may be offered at different times.

So, as a car owner, you need to know the coverage and the strings attached.

Some car dealers in Singapore do not give the … Read the rest

What is the Singapore Road Speed Limit?

Get to know the different speed limits of different roads and penalties for speeding in Singapore

Drive a car in Singapore

If you “assume” you know the speed limit on Singapore roads, you may end up spending.

This driving in Singapore guide explains the different Singapore road speed limits to help you drive safely in Singapore.

Why do you need to know the Singapore road speed limit?

Just like many other countries, Singapore imposes the maximum allowed speed on all roads.

All vehicles, except fire engines, ambulances, police cars, SCDF cars, and government cars that are on duty, must not exceed the gazetted speed limit for that road or that section of the road.

Different roads and different sections of a road may have different speed limits. In school zones, the speed limit depends on the time.

The penalty for speeding in Singapore is severe (read on).

Besides, keeping your vehicle within the speed limit can help keep you safe on the road.

To avoid speeding penalties and for your own safety, you need to know the speed limit on Singapore roads. For example, many drivers assume 90km/h is the speed limit in expressways in Singapore. Actually, in some sections, the speed limit is 70km/h or 80km/h. Similarly, some roads in Singapore have a speed limit of 40km/h instead of the well-known 50km/h.

What is the “default” Singapore road speed limit?

By law, the default speed limit of Singapore roads is 50km/h if the speed limit of that road is not gazetted.

But do not assume.

What are the different speed limits of Singapore roads?

In school zones, the speed limit is reduced to 40km/h in the morning ( from 6.30 am to 7.45 am), afternoon ( from 12.00 pm to 2.30 pm) and evening (from 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm) on school days. During this period, you will see the “40km/h When Lights Flash” sign flashing as shown … Read the rest

How to register, collect and use Malaysia Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)?

Drive to Malaysia

Malaysia government has postponed the implementation of the Malaysia Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) several times. But very likely, the implementation will start sometime in 2019 at the Singapore-Malaysia border first. In the future, the VEP may be implemented gradually in other entry points to Malaysia.

Although the VEP is not required as of January 2019 for cars driving from Singapore to Malaysia, all car owners who may drive the car to Malaysia should be prepared.

This Driving to Malaysia guide explains how to register the Malaysia Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP), what to do after the registration, when and how to collect it, and how to use the Malaysian VEP.

What is Malaysia Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)?

When you enter Malaysia, you need a visa or some sort of permission (e.g., visa-free) to cross the border. When your car tries to enter Malaysia, your car also needs similar permission. So, when you drive to Malaysia, you need a visa (or visa-free) and your car needs a vehicle entry permit.

Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 section 66H is the legal base for Malaysia Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP). Currently, the Road Transport Department (abbreviated JPJ in Malay) under the Malaysian Ministry of Transport issues VEP (in the form of an RFID tag glued to the windshield) to foreign vehicles.

Technically, all foreign cars entering Malaysia will require the VEP.

With VEP, the Malaysian authority will have the info on the car and the owner. So, it will be easier for the Malaysian government to settle traffic offences involving foreign cars. For example, they may stop you for outstanding summons when you try to leave Malaysia.

Currently, Malaysia Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) is valid for 5 years. You need to renew it before the expiry date.

Although it was announced that the VEP would … Read the rest

Why are cars in Singapore so expensive?

Own a car in Singapore

The breakdown of the car cost in Singapore

According to the Worldwide Cost of Living Report 2018 by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore has held the title of the most expensive city for the fifth straight year since 2014. The top factor contributing to Singapore's ranking is the cost of car ownership.

Singapore is the most expensive place in the world to buy a car (and maintain a car), thanks to its successful car control policy. When you plan to buy a car, it is important to understand the breakdown of the car price you have to pay. If you are a foreigner and hold a foreign driving license, you need to convert your foreign driving license to Singapore driving license after 12 months.

As a highly populated city-state, Singapore cannot afford a massive traffic jam. So the government invested billions of dollars each year in the public transportation system to make it affordable, reliable (decreasing in recent years), accessible and efficient.

For car ownership, the Singapore government fabricated a complicated, fair, and effective car regulation system. Since 1990, the Certificate of Entitlement (COE), complemented with tax and duties, has been introduced (and tweaked) to regulate the demand, and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) to regulate road usage.

Today, when you pay the “purchase price” to the car dealer, less than 25% of the price is the actual car value. In simple words, for the same money you paid, you probably can buy 3-4 identical cars in the US.

So, why a car in Singapore is so expensive?

When you buy a car, you are not paying only for the car. The purchase also includes at least the following 10 items: