Thread Starter
#1
Here’s a copy of the letter that I wrote to Maruti Suzuki expressing my grievances with their authorized service center that goofed up with the brakes of my car.
Drive Safe,
350Z
On 12 May 2012, I took my Maruti 800 DX (Done around 35,000 Kms by then) to T.R Sawhney for a usual paid service but I wish if I knew that a single experience with them is going to become a nightmare for me. As soon as I went to T.R Sawhney, I was asked to park the car facing on the main gate (It was the only gate open for entry and exit) until the service advisor comes to prepare the checklist and estimate.
Meanwhile, I was waiting the security guards were continuously moving the car back and forth in order to allow other cars to enter in and out, rather than parking my car at one place in a corner. This kept happening for over 15 Minutes and I was still waiting. Similarly, another 15 Minutes passed and alas, no signs of any service advisor coming around to attend my car. I asked the receptionist and she hazily advised to wait for a few more minutes. I was upset and decided to service the car from elsewhere.
Surprisingly all of sudden a lady from their staff came from nowhere and told me to wait, while she was ringing another person (Mr. Sharma). He came up to attend. I briefed him about whatever minor work my car required (apart from servicing) like fixing a door lock, replacing fused parking bulb etc. After taking test-drive together, he prepared the service estimate.
While the car was being serviced, he informed the rear (right) wheel brake cylinder is leaking and therefore needs replacement. I accepted and told to proceed. It was evening by now and the car was still in the basement (workshop) with no work was being carried on. After pursuing the staff to rather utilize the time and bring it to the floor for washing and cleaning, it was finally there. Since it was already evening, the labor was in hurry to leave and did a “quick” (Literally quick) washing and interior cleaning. Anyways, I paid the bill (which was more than the estimate for unexpected items) and left back to home.
Misery Begins:
After parking the car at home, I smelled a slight burning odor from the rear wheel. Yes. It was the same wheel whose cylinder was just replaced. Next day, when I was driving, I realized that the brakes have become extremely weak and the pedal was making weird noise upon depressing. Thankfully, there was a fuel station in front and I parked the car there for the local mechanics to inspect. Guess what? The brake fluid reservoir was EMPTY. There was no indication of it on the instrument cluster either. Though that didn’t entirely solve the issue.
Since I was extremely busy that week, I left the car parked in its own state. The weekend arrived and I observed that the brake fluid reservoir was again empty. Moreover, the new wheel cylinder that was fixed to prevent ‘leakage’ was also itself leaking. I was thoroughly disappointed. After making several calls to T.R Sawhney (a few were unattended), I filled up the brake fluid and decided to take the car back to the service center.
The staff as usual was making excuses by counting the ‘age’ factor of the vehicle and what not. But I knew that I definitely did not receive the car in the condition in which I left it. However, Mr. Sharma inspected the vehicle and accepted the burning smell issue as well as the weak braking ability that could have translated into a serious mishap if I had just relied on T.R Sawhney with a perception in mind that they are highly ‘qualified’ and professional’.
After a few hours of check up and repairs, I was assured that the car is now fit and fine. I also found that the brakes were functioning better too this time. But hey, how can I miss that a visit to T.R Sahwney remains incomplete if the car returns back without a fault? This time I found that the handbrake lever plastic was damaged. This happened while the mechanics were hammering inside near the handbrake. Nevertheless, I was still glad that the brakes were working well but that happiness short lived.
I noticed the wheel cylinder was still leaking again albeit slowly. I used to check under the hood on brake fluid reservoir every day before driving the car. Soon, finally decided to get it fixed from a local mechanic instead who replaced the wheel cylinder. Voila. It has been around a month and the car is working flawlessly without weak braking or leakage whatsoever, except for the loose brake pedal which I plan to fix only at a local workshop and definitely not at T.R Sawhney.
I am loyal customer of Maruti Suzuki from about a decade now. However, such incompetent as well as unprofessional attitude at after sales raises certain questions in my mind.
> Are the so-called fully equipped authorized workshops so incapable that it takes them hours to work on an issue and still return the car back without resolving it? On the other hand, a roadside mechanic fixes exactly the same thing in less than an hour.
> What if I had trusted T.R Sawhney second time too when they assured the problem was fixed although the fact is that the cylinder was still leaking? If I had not kept a check on the brake fluid reservoir in spite of their assurance, my car could have been a serious hazard on the roads not only for me but also for other road users.
Sorry to say but it was the most bitter experience ever in servicing my Maruti, which was already not so delightful lately (Reason: Link). It is certainly one of the reasons why I did not even consider any Maruti Suzuki car as my second vehicle. Please excuse this long E-mail but I thought I must share this experience with the manufacturer that I have trusted for years. Hope you would consider and work on it appropriately because I really do not wish other customers who have spent their hard-earned money on their Maruti to end up being disappointed in future like me.
Meanwhile, I was waiting the security guards were continuously moving the car back and forth in order to allow other cars to enter in and out, rather than parking my car at one place in a corner. This kept happening for over 15 Minutes and I was still waiting. Similarly, another 15 Minutes passed and alas, no signs of any service advisor coming around to attend my car. I asked the receptionist and she hazily advised to wait for a few more minutes. I was upset and decided to service the car from elsewhere.
Surprisingly all of sudden a lady from their staff came from nowhere and told me to wait, while she was ringing another person (Mr. Sharma). He came up to attend. I briefed him about whatever minor work my car required (apart from servicing) like fixing a door lock, replacing fused parking bulb etc. After taking test-drive together, he prepared the service estimate.
While the car was being serviced, he informed the rear (right) wheel brake cylinder is leaking and therefore needs replacement. I accepted and told to proceed. It was evening by now and the car was still in the basement (workshop) with no work was being carried on. After pursuing the staff to rather utilize the time and bring it to the floor for washing and cleaning, it was finally there. Since it was already evening, the labor was in hurry to leave and did a “quick” (Literally quick) washing and interior cleaning. Anyways, I paid the bill (which was more than the estimate for unexpected items) and left back to home.
Misery Begins:
After parking the car at home, I smelled a slight burning odor from the rear wheel. Yes. It was the same wheel whose cylinder was just replaced. Next day, when I was driving, I realized that the brakes have become extremely weak and the pedal was making weird noise upon depressing. Thankfully, there was a fuel station in front and I parked the car there for the local mechanics to inspect. Guess what? The brake fluid reservoir was EMPTY. There was no indication of it on the instrument cluster either. Though that didn’t entirely solve the issue.
Since I was extremely busy that week, I left the car parked in its own state. The weekend arrived and I observed that the brake fluid reservoir was again empty. Moreover, the new wheel cylinder that was fixed to prevent ‘leakage’ was also itself leaking. I was thoroughly disappointed. After making several calls to T.R Sawhney (a few were unattended), I filled up the brake fluid and decided to take the car back to the service center.
The staff as usual was making excuses by counting the ‘age’ factor of the vehicle and what not. But I knew that I definitely did not receive the car in the condition in which I left it. However, Mr. Sharma inspected the vehicle and accepted the burning smell issue as well as the weak braking ability that could have translated into a serious mishap if I had just relied on T.R Sawhney with a perception in mind that they are highly ‘qualified’ and professional’.
After a few hours of check up and repairs, I was assured that the car is now fit and fine. I also found that the brakes were functioning better too this time. But hey, how can I miss that a visit to T.R Sahwney remains incomplete if the car returns back without a fault? This time I found that the handbrake lever plastic was damaged. This happened while the mechanics were hammering inside near the handbrake. Nevertheless, I was still glad that the brakes were working well but that happiness short lived.
I noticed the wheel cylinder was still leaking again albeit slowly. I used to check under the hood on brake fluid reservoir every day before driving the car. Soon, finally decided to get it fixed from a local mechanic instead who replaced the wheel cylinder. Voila. It has been around a month and the car is working flawlessly without weak braking or leakage whatsoever, except for the loose brake pedal which I plan to fix only at a local workshop and definitely not at T.R Sawhney.
I am loyal customer of Maruti Suzuki from about a decade now. However, such incompetent as well as unprofessional attitude at after sales raises certain questions in my mind.
> Are the so-called fully equipped authorized workshops so incapable that it takes them hours to work on an issue and still return the car back without resolving it? On the other hand, a roadside mechanic fixes exactly the same thing in less than an hour.
> What if I had trusted T.R Sawhney second time too when they assured the problem was fixed although the fact is that the cylinder was still leaking? If I had not kept a check on the brake fluid reservoir in spite of their assurance, my car could have been a serious hazard on the roads not only for me but also for other road users.
Sorry to say but it was the most bitter experience ever in servicing my Maruti, which was already not so delightful lately (Reason: Link). It is certainly one of the reasons why I did not even consider any Maruti Suzuki car as my second vehicle. Please excuse this long E-mail but I thought I must share this experience with the manufacturer that I have trusted for years. Hope you would consider and work on it appropriately because I really do not wish other customers who have spent their hard-earned money on their Maruti to end up being disappointed in future like me.
350Z