Metro Ford suck!! They totalled my Fiesta while testing EDIT: WON the case in court!!

sharad_agl · 23rd July 2006, 15:47

My friend bought a white innova G2 diesel from galaxy toyota, New Delhi. After about a week of delivery we discovered uneven paint colour on one of the rear doors. On careful examination we found that the entire door and roof was painted. We went to dealer to report this but were told that everything was all right and it was just our illusion. I refused to accept this and asked that they should call their body works manager. I explained him the difference in colour and texture of the painted surface. He went to the showroom manager and came out telling me that even if it is painted then they are not responsible after delivery of the vehicle and this accident and repair work was carried out after the delivery.
Me and my friend lost our cool and called another friend whom we pretended to be from autocar editorial. The showroom manager called us in is office and tried to convince us that that the car was not painted.We told him that we need a new piece if we prove that the car is painted. He agreed after learning that our friend was from " Autocar Editorial".
He came with us to examine the car and by matter of chance he pulled the rear seat belt. The backside of the belt had clear and large patches of paint which we had'nt discovered earlier

. Manager was conviced that the car door was painted and said that he would try to get car replaced after talking to the management.

Our friend from " Autocar editorial" told him that we are not taking the vehicle and he took some picks of the car from his digicam. The manager told us that the replacement might take up some time since he needs to talk to management. We told him that we need the new car immediatley. We left without the car thinking that this would put more pressure on the manager to get the car replaced.

To our surpize the dealership called us the very next day that our replacement car has arrived and we can take the delivery whenever we wish.
My friend took the delivery next day and after seeing the replaced car all of us just couldn't believe that the dealer had replaced the car so easily

.

One thing was sure that the dealer replaced the car because of our 'Autocar friend' and the pics of the painted surfaces.

freakrz · 23rd July 2006, 18:24

Sad to here your story...and its true on your part to fight back...i advice you to write a letter to some editorial ...like the autocar..or motoring or other mag...! people should know whats going on...i think you should contact someone there i dont know if this would be possible...but this would strongly impact the entire ford dealers in india,since its a bad mark on them to act like that with their customers....

'I have seen a similar issue happen,in this case its different..my uncle owns mahindra dealership in small town in andhra...when they had a similar incident on a vehical that came for first service,which met with an accident,where the driver lost control of the vehical and its did a couple of somersaults....and its a compleat loss...but my uncle was very polite with the customer....and they replaced it with a new car...."

Ram · 23rd July 2006, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by irfan

dont u have any pics to show all of us?

People,
Some caution may be appropriate now that the case is in court
i.e. Sub judice.

Posting pics and garnering public sympathy may not looked at favorably by the court. It may be wise to wait for the court to announce their decision.

Ram

ajmat · 23rd July 2006, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharad_agl

.
Me and my friend lost our cool and called another friend whom we pretended to be from autocar editorial. The showroom manager called us in is office and tried to convince us that that the car was not painted.We told him that we need a new piece if we prove that the car is painted. He agreed after learning that our friend was from " Autocar Editorial". .

Is n't this fraud. The dealer was not fair but I think the means were much below the dealer's level. Ever thought of involving Autocar or the consumer forum ?

vigsom · 23rd July 2006, 19:22

Sorry to hear about the case ,Suhas.

I can only wish you Best Of Luck at the hearing tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I heard from a friend in Bangalore that his Ikon 1.6Zxi was damaged by a mechanic when he had turned it in for service.This was minor but the point here is how irresponsible these dealers can get.I know workshops in Surat who have an unblemished 30 year record of not a single damage to any car turned in to them.How is that possible -because of their attitude and concern.

A customer here turned in his Ikon Diesel at the dealer here for a routine service and was handed a bill for Rs.39600 for replacement of shockers and some fuel pump service.Best part is the mileage has dropped to 14 kpl from the pre-service 18 kpl...good improvement !!!!!!

A good private mechanic is anyday better than these thugs..the dealers.I have never turned in any of my three cars to any dealer so far(and do not intend doing so).

The worst part is fordindia.com does not have a customer support email ID.A complaint was posted at Ford Global and the cool reply that came was that they service only north American Customers.At Ford India , a telephone no. where nobody responds and a message left on the answering machine gets you no reply...that is Ford for you !!!!Most rotten Co. this.shudder to think that the automobile was born at their principals.

pjbiju · 23rd July 2006, 22:25

Dear Suhas,

Best of luck in your fight which I am sure you will win. No matter what the dealer makes you sign, it does not have much legal validity and does not absolve him of his faults. It is like you put your baby in a creche and they make you sign a document saying that if your baby gets killed at their hands, they are not to be blamed.

If the dealer cannot give back the vehicle in the same or better condition, he should not take up any repairing service at all.

Biju

shivasuma · 24th July 2006, 10:58

Hey guys,
Just got to know from my lawyer that the hearing has been pushed to 7th August. The court wants some kind of statement from us.

I have written to Autocar, but yet to hear from them.

I wanted to post the pics. (I have taken a set myself and have another from the chartered Engineer which shows the damage clearly). But was advised to hold up until the case is settled. But I surely will(irrespective of the outcome of the case) post those pics and put my experience on the web so that others can be aware of what kind of service they can expect.

Suhas

shivasuma · 24th July 2006, 15:06

Hi Naveen,

The court now is listening to arguments from both sides. Metro Ford has agreed in the court that one of their personnel caused the accident but they are contending that the accident does not warrant a new car. They have also agreed the accident occured at high speed.

We are arguing based on the Engineer's report and our own observation that the chassis has been affected. Metro Ford agrees that the whole front suspension and swing arm has to be changed since it has been hit. Its plain and simple, where does it connect to? To the chassis. But they say there is no damage to the chassis. Also the transmission housing has been dislodged from its boltings (the thick bolt holding it in place has broken due to the accident). And where do they bolt-in the transmission housing? Initially the Metro Ford guys told us that this was new technology and that the transmission housing was not connected(directly or indirectly) to the chassis and hence the chassis would not be damaged.Blah blah blah. But when they got to know that my dad had worked in the auto industry, they changed the story.

Also, Metro Ford has made some contradicting statements(and they realized that in the court) in their response to the court. I don't want to give out more details since there might be some friends of Metro Ford on this forum or browsing thru this forum.

So until 7th of Aug(hopefully), we won't know what the court is thinking.

ajmat · 24th July 2006, 15:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by shivasuma

where does it connect to? To the chassis. .

No, the subframe

Quote:

Originally Posted by shivasuma

But they say there is no damage to the chassis. Also the transmission housing has been dislodged from its boltings (the thick bolt holding it in place has broken due to the accident). And where do they bolt-in the transmission housing? I.

subframe comprises of the suspension turrets. Do an alignment check

I think you need to fight with facts as opposed to mere knowledge

shivasuma · 24th July 2006, 17:22

Hey ajmat,
Thanks for the clarification.
I am not an automobile engineer nor do I know a lot about it. Thats why my dad's going to the court with the lawyer. He probably could have put it in a way that makes sense(or is correct).
Also Metro Ford says my (repaired car) is devalued by only Rs20,000 after the accident which I think is ridiculous.

naveendhyani · 24th July 2006, 18:09

mayb u should consult an automobile engineer alongwith the lawyer, get the facts on paper & then only proceed with the case. u can utilise the time till the next hearing & i m sure this will come in handy. im sure if u can PM some seniors on the structural issues of the car they can certainly assist u with this.

prabuddhadg · 25th July 2006, 09:43

I really hope people like the owners of Metro Ford are members on this forum. If nothing else, at least they shall get to know how much adverse publicity can affect their reputation. Varun Roy's case and now Shivasuma's case are blatant indicators that Indian car dealers and companies are not keeping up the expectations of the Indian car buyer. They still feel they have the imaginary security of the corporate coccoon. What they need to realise is that thousands of ordinary individuals united can bring any corporate to its knees.
Shivasuma, all the best for your case. Hope it ends in your favour soon.

s.prashanth · 25th July 2006, 12:05

I am saying it again wobbling at high speed is only balancing of wheels on a new car or in certain cases the tyre bading would not have been done properly, any experienced work supervisor should know this, this shows incompetence in work on Metro ford part, there was no need to do test at 110km/h, second they should have asked suhas to drive and show, this shows negligence on part of Metro ford,

As with replacement of new car, lets wait and watch, because if it is given by the court this will be major news throughout the country and send ripples down the automobile industry.

If possible ask Metro ford to change the Monocoque itself alog with the suspension and transmission parts, this way you are sure that you have got a nearly a new car except for the electrical, engine, and interior components, and sask them to do this as goodwill towards you and absolve there name in the market. This way both of the parties are happy and job is done, try it....

naveendhyani · 25th July 2006, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by s.prashanth

If possible ask Metro ford to change the Monocoque itself alog with the suspension and transmission parts, this way you are sure that you have got a nearly a new car except for the electrical, engine, and interior components, and sask them to do this as goodwill towards you and absolve there name in the market.

i guess changing a monocoque along with other requisites will b good fall back option. the value of the car remains solid as this no longer will b treated as an accidental car.

naveendhyani · 25th July 2006, 13:27

by monocoque i meant the original frame of the car. the very base on which the other parts are bolted.

23rd July 2006, 15:47	#61
sharad_agl BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: GHAZIABAD Posts: 42 Thanked: 14 Times	My friend bought a white innova G2 diesel from galaxy toyota, New Delhi. After about a week of delivery we discovered uneven paint colour on one of the rear doors. On careful examination we found that the entire door and roof was painted. We went to dealer to report this but were told that everything was all right and it was just our illusion. I refused to accept this and asked that they should call their body works manager. I explained him the difference in colour and texture of the painted surface. He went to the showroom manager and came out telling me that even if it is painted then they are not responsible after delivery of the vehicle and this accident and repair work was carried out after the delivery. Me and my friend lost our cool and called another friend whom we pretended to be from autocar editorial. The showroom manager called us in is office and tried to convince us that that the car was not painted.We told him that we need a new piece if we prove that the car is painted. He agreed after learning that our friend was from " Autocar Editorial". He came with us to examine the car and by matter of chance he pulled the rear seat belt. The backside of the belt had clear and large patches of paint which we had'nt discovered earlier . Manager was conviced that the car door was painted and said that he would try to get car replaced after talking to the management. Our friend from " Autocar editorial" told him that we are not taking the vehicle and he took some picks of the car from his digicam. The manager told us that the replacement might take up some time since he needs to talk to management. We told him that we need the new car immediatley. We left without the car thinking that this would put more pressure on the manager to get the car replaced. To our surpize the dealership called us the very next day that our replacement car has arrived and we can take the delivery whenever we wish. My friend took the delivery next day and after seeing the replaced car all of us just couldn't believe that the dealer had replaced the car so easily. One thing was sure that the dealer replaced the car because of our 'Autocar friend' and the pics of the painted surfaces. Last edited by F50 : 23rd July 2006 at 15:55.
	(1) Thanks

23rd July 2006, 18:24	#62
freakrz BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Visakhapatnam Posts: 176 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	Sad to here your story...and its true on your part to fight back...i advice you to write a letter to some editorial ...like the autocar..or motoring or other mag...! people should know whats going on...i think you should contact someone there i dont know if this would be possible...but this would strongly impact the entire ford dealers in india,since its a bad mark on them to act like that with their customers.... 'I have seen a similar issue happen,in this case its different..my uncle owns mahindra dealership in small town in andhra...when they had a similar incident on a vehical that came for first service,which met with an accident,where the driver lost control of the vehical and its did a couple of somersaults....and its a compleat loss...but my uncle was very polite with the customer....and they replaced it with a new car...."
	(1) Thanks

23rd July 2006, 19:22	#65
vigsom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NSEW Posts: 3,759 Thanked: 25,459 Times	Fiesta TDCi Sorry to hear about the case ,Suhas. I can only wish you Best Of Luck at the hearing tomorrow. Meanwhile, I heard from a friend in Bangalore that his Ikon 1.6Zxi was damaged by a mechanic when he had turned it in for service.This was minor but the point here is how irresponsible these dealers can get.I know workshops in Surat who have an unblemished 30 year record of not a single damage to any car turned in to them.How is that possible -because of their attitude and concern. A customer here turned in his Ikon Diesel at the dealer here for a routine service and was handed a bill for Rs.39600 for replacement of shockers and some fuel pump service.Best part is the mileage has dropped to 14 kpl from the pre-service 18 kpl...good improvement !!!!!! A good private mechanic is anyday better than these thugs..the dealers.I have never turned in any of my three cars to any dealer so far(and do not intend doing so). The worst part is fordindia.com does not have a customer support email ID.A complaint was posted at Ford Global and the cool reply that came was that they service only north American Customers.At Ford India , a telephone no. where nobody responds and a message left on the answering machine gets you no reply...that is Ford for you !!!!Most rotten Co. this.shudder to think that the automobile was born at their principals.
	() Thanks

23rd July 2006, 22:25	#66
pjbiju Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 1,357 Thanked: 1,089 Times	Best of Luck Dear Suhas, Best of luck in your fight which I am sure you will win. No matter what the dealer makes you sign, it does not have much legal validity and does not absolve him of his faults. It is like you put your baby in a creche and they make you sign a document saying that if your baby gets killed at their hands, they are not to be blamed. If the dealer cannot give back the vehicle in the same or better condition, he should not take up any repairing service at all. Biju
	() Thanks

24th July 2006, 10:58	#67
shivasuma BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 872 Thanked: 468 Times	Hey guys, Just got to know from my lawyer that the hearing has been pushed to 7th August. The court wants some kind of statement from us. I have written to Autocar, but yet to hear from them. I wanted to post the pics. (I have taken a set myself and have another from the chartered Engineer which shows the damage clearly). But was advised to hold up until the case is settled. But I surely will(irrespective of the outcome of the case) post those pics and put my experience on the web so that others can be aware of what kind of service they can expect. Suhas
	() Thanks

24th July 2006, 15:06	#68
shivasuma BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 872 Thanked: 468 Times	Hi Naveen, The court now is listening to arguments from both sides. Metro Ford has agreed in the court that one of their personnel caused the accident but they are contending that the accident does not warrant a new car. They have also agreed the accident occured at high speed. We are arguing based on the Engineer's report and our own observation that the chassis has been affected. Metro Ford agrees that the whole front suspension and swing arm has to be changed since it has been hit. Its plain and simple, where does it connect to? To the chassis. But they say there is no damage to the chassis. Also the transmission housing has been dislodged from its boltings (the thick bolt holding it in place has broken due to the accident). And where do they bolt-in the transmission housing? Initially the Metro Ford guys told us that this was new technology and that the transmission housing was not connected(directly or indirectly) to the chassis and hence the chassis would not be damaged.Blah blah blah. But when they got to know that my dad had worked in the auto industry, they changed the story. Also, Metro Ford has made some contradicting statements(and they realized that in the court) in their response to the court. I don't want to give out more details since there might be some friends of Metro Ford on this forum or browsing thru this forum. So until 7th of Aug(hopefully), we won't know what the court is thinking.
	() Thanks

24th July 2006, 17:22	#70
shivasuma BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 872 Thanked: 468 Times	Hey ajmat, Thanks for the clarification. I am not an automobile engineer nor do I know a lot about it. Thats why my dad's going to the court with the lawyer. He probably could have put it in a way that makes sense(or is correct). Also Metro Ford says my (repaired car) is devalued by only Rs20,000 after the accident which I think is ridiculous.
	() Thanks

24th July 2006, 18:09	#71
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	mayb u should consult an automobile engineer alongwith the lawyer, get the facts on paper & then only proceed with the case. u can utilise the time till the next hearing & i m sure this will come in handy. im sure if u can PM some seniors on the structural issues of the car they can certainly assist u with this.
	() Thanks

25th July 2006, 09:43	#72
prabuddhadg BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 812 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	I really hope people like the owners of Metro Ford are members on this forum. If nothing else, at least they shall get to know how much adverse publicity can affect their reputation. Varun Roy's case and now Shivasuma's case are blatant indicators that Indian car dealers and companies are not keeping up the expectations of the Indian car buyer. They still feel they have the imaginary security of the corporate coccoon. What they need to realise is that thousands of ordinary individuals united can bring any corporate to its knees. Shivasuma, all the best for your case. Hope it ends in your favour soon.
	() Thanks

25th July 2006, 12:05	#73
s.prashanth BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 365 Thanked: 85 Times	I am saying it again wobbling at high speed is only balancing of wheels on a new car or in certain cases the tyre bading would not have been done properly, any experienced work supervisor should know this, this shows incompetence in work on Metro ford part, there was no need to do test at 110km/h, second they should have asked suhas to drive and show, this shows negligence on part of Metro ford, As with replacement of new car, lets wait and watch, because if it is given by the court this will be major news throughout the country and send ripples down the automobile industry. If possible ask Metro ford to change the Monocoque itself alog with the suspension and transmission parts, this way you are sure that you have got a nearly a new car except for the electrical, engine, and interior components, and sask them to do this as goodwill towards you and absolve there name in the market. This way both of the parties are happy and job is done, try it....
	() Thanks

25th July 2006, 13:27	#75
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	by monocoque i meant the original frame of the car. the very base on which the other parts are bolted.
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