My Bad experience with 2004 Maruti Esteem Lxi - Team-BHP

adit1329 · 26th December 2005, 21:11

My experience with my Esteem Lxi 2004 May.

My first car was a 1997 carb Esteem which I bought around 4 years ago for 1.5 lakhs. It was a used car, one of those which was used and maintained by a company. It had covered around 40k kms and the body line was good. I was very happy with the way the car handled and FE was good and I had spent 0 Rs on the car after I bought it. I was happy. Later I got a fixation for the Sierra (TATA). So, I went ahead and sold my Esteem for around 1.35 lakhs. I had used it for around 8 months and bought a 1997 Sierra for 1.5 lakhs, it was fun to drive the car for sometime, then the problems started, everyday a new part had to be replaced. The parts were not that expensive, but nevertheless paying a visit to the garage was not my idea of fun. Hence I sold the Sierra for 1.5 lakhs after 6 months. Then I bought a 1997 Zen for 1.7 lakhs (funny how I used to come across only 1997 model cars, wonder why??) I used the zen for almost 2 years, I got it painted black and I had to change the front shock absorbers, apart from which I had no other maintenance issues..
I was quite happy with the car, I wanted to add on headers, filter, alloys and a muffler, however fate had other ideas, my colleague hounded me to death to sell my car, this put ideas into my head that maybe it was time to buy my first NEW car, break it in and all that stuff. Soooooo, I sold my car for 1.7 lakhs and bought the new MPFI Esteem 2004 july ar Bimal, Bangalore. I wanted a black color esteem, this was just a week before the new “Come fall in love New Esteem was launched”, the salesman did not inform me that a new model was on the cards, and also the color I wanted was not available, I waited for 15 days to no avail….. So, I went for the next available color..”Pearl Silver”….I got a good deal and the final price was 4.46 lakhs with free Central Locking of Autocop. I got the delivery, went through the break in period, was very happy. 5000 kms completed went for 195/60/R14 Falken tubeless with League alloys. Car looked awesome. Got the K&N Universal Performance Filter fitted. Car became awesome…. I fitted a Muffler.. sounded great extremely happy, good performance, good pickup, good handling, good FE approx 15 in city and 18 in highways…what more can one ask for… I was one happy Maruti customer, I used only Castrol Magnatec engine oil. Regular services on the dot etc etc. let me not bore you and come to the meat of the problem. I have a friend, Ranjit Ballal, a real nice guy, has his Multi Brand service center in Koramangala, and also he is a rallyist, races in a MPFI Esteem, recently upgraded to Baleno. There was rattling in the doors also a whine in 2nd Gear at 2000 to 2500 rpm, so went to him to get it corrected because Maruti was not doing anything about it. The doors started rattling from 2000 km on the speedo. BTW I use only 93 octane fuel. Wellll, he took it for a test and told me that there was a problem in either the gear box/ differential and that I need to take it to the service center to get an opinion of the problem. So off I went to Bimal, where he checked and told me that there was no prob, hotfoot it back to Ranjit, who told me to put some pressure to get it done, if still they do not accept, he will put in a word to the CEO of Bimal who was his good friend. Hotfoot back to Bimal. OK let me tell you that I stay around 50km from Bimal one way. Please do the math of how much I must have spent on fuel…..Well I went back and as suggested, very strongly asserted my problem. OK. We will check was the reply, they told me that it was the bearing…..aaah relief. Well I did something smart this time, I called Ranjit and told him Bimal diagnosis, he told that it was not so. So conveyed this, they put the car on the lift and then eliminated bearing noise. Then they drained the engine oil, and there was filings in the oil. I got a shock, even the engineer was perplexed, and told me that this should not be so, and told me that he would check and let me know. I asked for a replacement car and I was given a Maruti 800 with its pistons fried and would not move faster than 35 at any given point of time. Well being the co operative guy that I am, I adjusted with the car, 2 days later the Service Engineer calls up and tells me that the car is ready and that the filings are a normal scene (Then why was he shocked earlier?) so I asked him if the noise was gone. He said yes. Let me take a minute to explain the noise here. If you wind the windows up and aceelelerate in 2nd gear you hear a whining noise. So when i got the car back they charged me for fuel that they said they had filled up?? Shocking? As I had amost half tank fuel when I gave the car. Well they said pay up. I did. Did a test. Noise still there Exaparated I shouted Bloody Murder. Then the Service Eng.. says it is because of the tyres???corny…I say ok remove tyre and check, if no noise I will go.. So Bimal says will ask the Maruti Tech to take a look. OK. One Mr Ravi of Maruti comes checks and says that the noise is abnormal and will ask Bimal to do some repairs. They take the car back do some repairs and say they will deliver it half way at silk board junction. I say whatever. I am waiting for my car, for something like 3 hours, when our man come up and says that he has crashed the car and there is a 2 inch hole on the rear quarter panel. I check the noise and it is still there…I go fuming to Bimal and got the roof down and told them I have not a scratch on my car and I want a replacement on the car, the CEO comes down and says that he will get the car repaired on Bimals cost and also will replace the Gear box and also will give me a spoiler. I agreed. The car comes after 15 days, as new, noise gone, it is now 5000 km on the Mileage. They tell me that they have replaced the gear box of a 4000 km car…. No noise, I am happy, after 1000 km the noise is back. I change the tyre, I call Bimal and the Maruti service manager, they come and tell me they will check, I am then ticked off very rudely saying that “if you have it in your mind, the problem will never go” actual quote by the Maruti guy, he is supposed to be a top guy at the Cunningham road. I said that it is my right to get it corrected. They take the car and change the differential, and give it back. No noise. 1000 km the noise is back. Disgusted, I go to Bimal, and tell them to take the car back. They offer to buy it back for 3.80 lakhs and give the Baleno for 6.14 lakhs with free remote entry. I say whatever, I say I want it in black, they say sure… then I give my car, and surprise, no black as rains have delayed delivery… I wait and finally in a fit of anger decide that I do not want a Maruti anymore. I say to them to change the booking to a Maruti 800 ac. The car is delivered 2 days after promised date. I am meanwhile without a car for 15 days. I travel to Electronics city which is around 27 kms one way from home where I work. Now that I have the 800, it is a superb car, better than the esteem in handling, suspension ( the esteem rocks like a boat on Bangalore roads). So finally decided will go for the car I always wanted ------- HONDA CITY VTEC (old). The 800 - wife will use.

Jaggu · 26th December 2005, 22:18

what can i say, maruti i supposed to be one of the top scorers in csi ratings and we have stories like this :(

hope the 800 story is a happier one

mclaren1885 · 26th December 2005, 22:47

well have been thru all this myself..really disappointing to see this happen time and time again.. and yet MUL is rated to have stupendous ***..

cnu · 26th December 2005, 22:57

Huh... that was a disgusting service from Bimal. Bimal is treated as one of he best MUL dealers in B'lore but I found that their service is not upto the mark during my last 2 service visits. Now I start suspecting these CSI ratings...

.anshuman · 26th December 2005, 23:07

maruti cars are prone to rattle very early and they have very fragile suspension parts which get damaged easily.FLiPSIDE of peppy engines and good performance.

nitrous · 27th December 2005, 00:07

Well, i think its one of the rare cases and bad luck just showed the car its way to u, adit.We're all sorry for ur bad experience and Maruti owes u big time. Now on,since u're in team-bhp, u know what to get and where to get.

GTO · 27th December 2005, 12:42

Sorry to hear about your experience, but I couldnt really understand what happened. Please do try and post in an organised manner so that the rest of us can follow. Thanks.

Quote:

So finally decided will go for the car I always wanted ------- HONDA CITY VTEC (old).

Well, alls well that ends well

GTO

shuvc · 27th December 2005, 12:57

slightly OT ..
But you do sell your cars at a nice price !
Bought and sold your Sierra at the same price after 6 months
Bought and sold your Zen at the same price, that too after 2 years !!!

adit1329 · 27th December 2005, 18:19

Sorry missed this out... Bimal also changed my Clutch Plate and Clutch Assy and also told me that the car should not be driven in 1500 rpm in any gear..

adit1329 · 27th December 2005, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Sorry to hear about your experience, but I couldnt really understand what happened. Please do try and post in an organised manner so that the rest of us can follow. Thanks.

Well, alls well that ends well

GTO

well sorry if it is a bit muddled, I had to vent my anger out somehow....

adit1329 · 27th December 2005, 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Sorry to hear about your experience, but I couldnt really understand what happened. Please do try and post in an organised manner so that the rest of us can follow. Thanks.

Well, alls well that ends well

GTO

well, tht means tht i will be buying a old honda city vtec, the car i always longed to have...

zulfikar · 17th January 2006, 09:32

well same sort of thing is happening with my Optra...
its done 14K and from day one the car is giving Jerks...

Had complained few timed the come and take the car in the morning and give it back in the evening...
in a day or 2 the jerks come back...
they told me to put speed petrol...
i almost finished my fuel tank and had put in 58L of petrol...
still same issue...
last time when i went to Hyd GM had call my father for knowing how he liked the car...
well i took the phone from him and started giving them left and right...
after 15 min some manager calls me up and says he will take the car and get is serviced and make sure issue is resolved...
well after that i came back to Bangalore so have to check if the issue is resolved or will it come back in few days...

can any one let me know why this could be happening..

shapath · 31st May 2008, 23:29

CAN you kindly specify the reason for this-the car should not be driven in 1500 rpm in any gear..
and
what is the right RPM.?

Quote:

Originally Posted by adit1329

Sorry missed this out... Bimal also changed my Clutch Plate and Clutch Assy and also told me that the car should not be driven in 1500 rpm in any gear..

abhinav.s · 1st June 2008, 23:13

Sad to hear your bad experience with the esteem. I think your used esteem was trouble free when compared to the new one you bought. Well hope you will buy the OHC and enjoy it too!!

26th December 2005, 21:11	#1 (permalink)
adit1329 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 326	My Bad experience with 2004 Maruti Esteem Lxi My experience with my Esteem Lxi 2004 May. My first car was a 1997 carb Esteem which I bought around 4 years ago for 1.5 lakhs. It was a used car, one of those which was used and maintained by a company. It had covered around 40k kms and the body line was good. I was very happy with the way the car handled and FE was good and I had spent 0 Rs on the car after I bought it. I was happy. Later I got a fixation for the Sierra (TATA). So, I went ahead and sold my Esteem for around 1.35 lakhs. I had used it for around 8 months and bought a 1997 Sierra for 1.5 lakhs, it was fun to drive the car for sometime, then the problems started, everyday a new part had to be replaced. The parts were not that expensive, but nevertheless paying a visit to the garage was not my idea of fun. Hence I sold the Sierra for 1.5 lakhs after 6 months. Then I bought a 1997 Zen for 1.7 lakhs (funny how I used to come across only 1997 model cars, wonder why??) I used the zen for almost 2 years, I got it painted black and I had to change the front shock absorbers, apart from which I had no other maintenance issues.. I was quite happy with the car, I wanted to add on headers, filter, alloys and a muffler, however fate had other ideas, my colleague hounded me to death to sell my car, this put ideas into my head that maybe it was time to buy my first NEW car, break it in and all that stuff. Soooooo, I sold my car for 1.7 lakhs and bought the new MPFI Esteem 2004 july ar Bimal, Bangalore. I wanted a black color esteem, this was just a week before the new “Come fall in love New Esteem was launched”, the salesman did not inform me that a new model was on the cards, and also the color I wanted was not available, I waited for 15 days to no avail….. So, I went for the next available color..”Pearl Silver”….I got a good deal and the final price was 4.46 lakhs with free Central Locking of Autocop. I got the delivery, went through the break in period, was very happy. 5000 kms completed went for 195/60/R14 Falken tubeless with League alloys. Car looked awesome. Got the K&N Universal Performance Filter fitted. Car became awesome…. I fitted a Muffler.. sounded great extremely happy, good performance, good pickup, good handling, good FE approx 15 in city and 18 in highways…what more can one ask for… I was one happy Maruti customer, I used only Castrol Magnatec engine oil. Regular services on the dot etc etc. let me not bore you and come to the meat of the problem. I have a friend, Ranjit Ballal, a real nice guy, has his Multi Brand service center in Koramangala, and also he is a rallyist, races in a MPFI Esteem, recently upgraded to Baleno. There was rattling in the doors also a whine in 2nd Gear at 2000 to 2500 rpm, so went to him to get it corrected because Maruti was not doing anything about it. The doors started rattling from 2000 km on the speedo. BTW I use only 93 octane fuel. Wellll, he took it for a test and told me that there was a problem in either the gear box/ differential and that I need to take it to the service center to get an opinion of the problem. So off I went to Bimal, where he checked and told me that there was no prob, hotfoot it back to Ranjit, who told me to put some pressure to get it done, if still they do not accept, he will put in a word to the CEO of Bimal who was his good friend. Hotfoot back to Bimal. OK let me tell you that I stay around 50km from Bimal one way. Please do the math of how much I must have spent on fuel…..Well I went back and as suggested, very strongly asserted my problem. OK. We will check was the reply, they told me that it was the bearing…..aaah relief. Well I did something smart this time, I called Ranjit and told him Bimal diagnosis, he told that it was not so. So conveyed this, they put the car on the lift and then eliminated bearing noise. Then they drained the engine oil, and there was filings in the oil. I got a shock, even the engineer was perplexed, and told me that this should not be so, and told me that he would check and let me know. I asked for a replacement car and I was given a Maruti 800 with its pistons fried and would not move faster than 35 at any given point of time. Well being the co operative guy that I am, I adjusted with the car, 2 days later the Service Engineer calls up and tells me that the car is ready and that the filings are a normal scene (Then why was he shocked earlier?) so I asked him if the noise was gone. He said yes. Let me take a minute to explain the noise here. If you wind the windows up and aceelelerate in 2nd gear you hear a whining noise. So when i got the car back they charged me for fuel that they said they had filled up?? Shocking? As I had amost half tank fuel when I gave the car. Well they said pay up. I did. Did a test. Noise still there Exaparated I shouted Bloody Murder. Then the Service Eng.. says it is because of the tyres???corny…I say ok remove tyre and check, if no noise I will go.. So Bimal says will ask the Maruti Tech to take a look. OK. One Mr Ravi of Maruti comes checks and says that the noise is abnormal and will ask Bimal to do some repairs. They take the car back do some repairs and say they will deliver it half way at silk board junction. I say whatever. I am waiting for my car, for something like 3 hours, when our man come up and says that he has crashed the car and there is a 2 inch hole on the rear quarter panel. I check the noise and it is still there…I go fuming to Bimal and got the roof down and told them I have not a scratch on my car and I want a replacement on the car, the CEO comes down and says that he will get the car repaired on Bimals cost and also will replace the Gear box and also will give me a spoiler. I agreed. The car comes after 15 days, as new, noise gone, it is now 5000 km on the Mileage. They tell me that they have replaced the gear box of a 4000 km car…. No noise, I am happy, after 1000 km the noise is back. I change the tyre, I call Bimal and the Maruti service manager, they come and tell me they will check, I am then ticked off very rudely saying that “if you have it in your mind, the problem will never go” actual quote by the Maruti guy, he is supposed to be a top guy at the Cunningham road. I said that it is my right to get it corrected. They take the car and change the differential, and give it back. No noise. 1000 km the noise is back. Disgusted, I go to Bimal, and tell them to take the car back. They offer to buy it back for 3.80 lakhs and give the Baleno for 6.14 lakhs with free remote entry. I say whatever, I say I want it in black, they say sure… then I give my car, and surprise, no black as rains have delayed delivery… I wait and finally in a fit of anger decide that I do not want a Maruti anymore. I say to them to change the booking to a Maruti 800 ac. The car is delivered 2 days after promised date. I am meanwhile without a car for 15 days. I travel to Electronics city which is around 27 kms one way from home where I work. Now that I have the 800, it is a superb car, better than the esteem in handling, suspension ( the esteem rocks like a boat on Bangalore roads). So finally decided will go for the car I always wanted ------- HONDA CITY VTEC (old). The 800 - wife will use.

26th December 2005, 22:18	#2 (permalink)
Jaggu Team-BHP Moderator Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,633	what can i say, maruti i supposed to be one of the top scorers in csi ratings and we have stories like this :( hope the 800 story is a happier one __________________ The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference. -Calvin

26th December 2005, 22:47	#3 (permalink)
mclaren1885 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bangalore (the city of modded cars) !! Posts: 3,796 View My Garage	well have been thru all this myself..really disappointing to see this happen time and time again.. and yet MUL is rated to have stupendous ***.. __________________ I am proud of you, binzy boy !!! Keep up the good work.

26th December 2005, 23:07	#5 (permalink)
.anshuman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dlf V Gurgaon Posts: 1,026 View My Garage	maruti cars are prone to rattle very early and they have very fragile suspension parts which get damaged easily.FLiPSIDE of peppy engines and good performance. __________________ Anshuman Bishnoi Hyundai Elantra CRDi 2.0 Mahindra Scorpio VLX 2.2 Suzuki Swift VDi ABS

27th December 2005, 00:07	#6 (permalink)
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Motorcity Madras Posts: 4,131 View My Garage	Well, i think its one of the rare cases and bad luck just showed the car its way to u, adit.We're all sorry for ur bad experience and Maruti owes u big time. Now on,since u're in team-bhp, u know what to get and where to get. __________________ The Road less travelled, is less travelled for a reason

26th December 2005, 22:57	#4 (permalink)
cnu BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / HYD Posts: 204	Huh... that was a disgusting service from Bimal. Bimal is treated as one of he best MUL dealers in B'lore but I found that their service is not upto the mark during my last 2 service visits. Now I start suspecting these CSI ratings...

27th December 2005, 12:57	#8 (permalink)
shuvc Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 1,715 View My Garage	slightly OT .. But you do sell your cars at a nice price ! Bought and sold your Sierra at the same price after 6 months Bought and sold your Zen at the same price, that too after 2 years !!! __________________ PIGZILNKILJBSCOMB

27th December 2005, 18:19	#9 (permalink)
adit1329 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 326	Bad experience continued... Sorry missed this out... Bimal also changed my Clutch Plate and Clutch Assy and also told me that the car should not be driven in 1500 rpm in any gear..

17th January 2006, 09:32	#12 (permalink)
zulfikar BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 475 View My Garage	well same sort of thing is happening with my Optra... its done 14K and from day one the car is giving Jerks... Had complained few timed the come and take the car in the morning and give it back in the evening... in a day or 2 the jerks come back... they told me to put speed petrol... i almost finished my fuel tank and had put in 58L of petrol... still same issue... last time when i went to Hyd GM had call my father for knowing how he liked the car... well i took the phone from him and started giving them left and right... after 15 min some manager calls me up and says he will take the car and get is serviced and make sure issue is resolved... well after that i came back to Bangalore so have to check if the issue is resolved or will it come back in few days... can any one let me know why this could be happening.. __________________ I live my life a Quarter Mile at a Time...

1st June 2008, 23:13	#14 (permalink)
abhinav.s BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 91	Sad to hear your bad experience with the esteem. I think your used esteem was trouble free when compared to the new one you bought. Well hope you will buy the OHC and enjoy it too!!

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