"I Don't Know What to Do": SA Woman Heartbroken After Friend Returns Borrowed Car Damaged

• Bontle Maela lent her car to a friend who said she needed to collect something 10km away
• The friend returned the next morning with the car visibly damaged and rushed off without a full explanation
• South Africans online were divided between sympathy and tough love for Bontle

A South African woman was left in tears after a friend returned her borrowed car in a damaged condition and walked away without a proper explanation.

Bontle Maela shared her story on Facebook on 20 September 2026, describing how her friend had asked to borrow her car at around 17:30 the previous day to collect something from a boyfriend's place, roughly 10km away. Bontle agreed, thinking nothing of it.

By 19:30, she had not heard from her friend. She tried calling twice, once at 19:30 and again at 22:00, with no answer either time. She spent the night worried, trying to stay positive.

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Friend returns with damaged car

Her friend came back the following morning with the car visibly damaged. Rather than offering a full account of what had happened, she told Bontle she had found it that way and said she had to get to the mall, promising to call later. She was gone before Bontle could even respond. Bontle wrote in her post:

"I'm sitting here crying. I don't even know where to start or what to do."

View the Facebook post below:

Mzansi weighs in on borrowing cars

The post on her page struck a nerve with South Africans, many of whom had firm opinions about lending vehicles to friends.

@Zanele Ling-ling Rikhotso wrote:

"You don't borrow anyone your car. A car is like your baby; You don't borrow anyone."

@Elna Legodi advised:

"Tsamaya police station [go to the police station]; she must arrange how she's going to fix your car."

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@Ivy Les suggested:

"Next time, call your tracker and ask about the whereabouts of your car, and after that, Uber to the location and collect it."

@Ophè Noir added:

"A car is like TV guys, can you borrow someone your TV because you're not watching it?"

More Briefly News stories on cars

• SAPS Kimberley warned motorists after three high-value vehicles worth more than R4 million were stolen from shopping mall parking lots in three days.
• A safari vehicle plunged into the crocodile-infested Mara River, forcing tourists and the driver to escape as onlookers rushed to help.
• Mount Fletcher’s “Mother of Broken Cars” graduated as a certified motor mechanic after building her skills and automotive business.

Source: Briefly News