Addis Ababa - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
High clearance SUVs are the best. Mirror thefts are common so we secured our mirrors with some kind of pins. I only park in places with parking attendants. People will do really stupid and desperate stuff here, like steal your Toyota sign or whatever. - Dec 2023
Get a sturdy car with high clearance and if your vehicle is expensive, be sure to get comprehensive coverage (like Clements). Local liability insurance is cheap and mandatory, but not helpful for damage to your own vehicle. Parts availability is limited, sp take your own, or order replacements online (except for motor oil, which cannot come by mail but can come via your consumables shipment). As of this writing, the motor pool mechanics will do small maintenance and repair jobs on your POV for a fee after normal working hours on Friday afternoon, such as oil and filter changes, installing theft protection clips on your mirrors, and installing drive cams, etc. Toyotas are most common here. I suggest bringing an extra tire or two and an extra wheel rim in your HHE, so that when you get a flat tire(s) you have options besides the donut tire. Some people get multiple flat tires on the same trip, so it's safer and not too expensive to just have an extra wheel you can put on the CAR and carry it around with you. Purchasing a duty free CAR here can still be very expensive, and we are happy we brought our trusty family vehicle from the US and it works fine here - Aug 2023
Most people have SUVs. - Aug 2023
