[coolkid]

Hello!

Things you must know before you start reading this thread:
1. I’m angry.
2. I’m very angry.
3. I’m typing this the moment I got access to a computer after leaving Renault Service, Coimbatore.
4. I love cars.
5. I love cars more.
6. I’m in the automotive component manufacturing business.
7. I attended a M.E., Automotive Engineering course for two years and have my degree certificate.
8. This is infuriating.
9. Danke!

I’ve grown up around cars and currently have the Vento, i20, Duster and the Kwid.

I was looking for a replacement for the ‘aging’ Alto at home and ‘Kwid’ seemed an okay choice considering the sort of relationship I had with Renault service in Coimbatore. I have a very good experience with the sales team and got the car (Kwid RxL Outback Bronze) allotted in the first lot. Pre Delivery Inspection was done sometime in the first week of October and the car was delivered on 30/11/2015 as the RTO had to give clearance. I was asked to take delivery first but asked them to give it to me second, so my car is technically the second car in Coimbatore.

The Duster 85 PS has done 33000 kilometres since 2012, my friends see that as a surprise as the first fifteen thousand kilometres rolled in the first year of ownership. Renault’s well equipped service facility in Coimbatore ensured that they had a faulty wheel alignment machine which made sure the inside edges of the front wheels wore out prematurely. The Duster has become my gym car and is rotting away to glory! Thank you Renault.

The Kwid’s episode started after a ‘grand’ delivery ceremony organised at par with their service standards, took the car straight home removed the garland and the plastic covers. I love running in new cars and wanted to hit the 1000 kilometre mark as soon as possible and also I make it a point to read the instruction manual of even a toy. The car had 229 kilometres on the odo when I saw it last.

Now the part where I had to take the car to Renault’s service center
I started noticing a peculiar noise coming from the hood when power was delivered to the drive shaft. It was most prevalent in Gears 1&2 on taking the foot off pedal C.

I called the service manager at eight thirty this morning, I have known him for eight years from my Swift days. He asked me to come in.
Nine forty I was attended to by a well knowledged person from service, I explained the problems in detail and we had a wonderful exchange of knowledge.

The car was up on the ramp and after a long time the problem was narrowed down to, this was when I along with the other sapiens in the facility heard a huge thud. Wow! Thanks to the immaculate condition of the ramp, I now have dents on my car. So this so called support rod on top of the ramp fell on the roof across the length made a dent in between pillars A and B on the left and also on the other side.

This is a new low for you Renault! What if that had fallen on an earthling? What would your answer be? My car now has a dent on it even before it could have a number plate. I was told only a temporary registration could be done and I have to wait for a month for the permanent registration as my proof of address is fifteen kilometres from the sales facility. Add a hard earned four thousand rupees to it Renault.

Now comes the Assistant General Manager who tries to console me by asking me what shoes the Duster’s wearing and how many kilometres it has done. He also blamed MRF and said they manufacture poor tyres compromising quality. He also mentioned that he would repair the Kwid and also compensate with ‘accessories’. He wants me to calm down! Seriously?

Accessories my foot! Where is my floor mat Renault? Whom are you cheating?

I have an eye for detail and I love keeping things in order, how can you expect me to be okay with this Renault?

I really wish I could type more! I’ve attached photos for more clarity. What should I do? I’ve asked them not to do anything till I make a decision.

I want a new car Renault, ask your dealer to buy my car and give me a new car! Please pay this as a price for your half cooked awesomeness. How could I be

Ask me anything!

P.S – Please cancel bookings of your Renault till they sort issues with their service.
And it has been raining like crazy in town so please excuse for not washing the car.

What should I do Team-BHP?

Yours infuriated ,
Cool Kid

[revintup]

It is very sad that you are having to go through such a difficult situation during your 'honeymoon' period of ownership.

Repairing at their own cost is the least the service centre could do for you. However it is next to impossible to expect them to provide you with a new car.

The only way forward is to get it repaired by them and be firm that you will not accept any shortfalls in the repairing process.

And the Duster, all I can say is, get new tires and get the alignment done outside since that seems to be your only problem with the vehicle. This also saves money as most service centres charge more than independent garages.

[coolkid]

Originally Posted by revintup

It is very sad that you are having to go through such a difficult situation during your 'honeymoon' period of ownership.

Repairing at their own cost is the least the service centre could do for you. However it is next to impossible to expect them to provide you with a new car.

The only way forward is to get it repaired by them and be firm that you will not accept any shortfalls in the repairing process.

And the Duster, all I can say is, get new tires and get the alignment done outside since that seems to be your only problem with the vehicle. This also saves money as most service centres charge more than independent garages.

True! But it's their attitude towards handling the situation is what pisses me off. How can they not get their basics right?

Imagine the support rod falling on the car when it is suspended mid air, terrifying.

How could I be lethargic about their lethargy?

I want an explanation from Renault, sent their regional service manager an email hope to hear from him soon.

I kept calm throughout the cojoling, pah! What words.

[vsathyap]

I guess the best thing you can do now is to ask for them to repair/replace all the dents and dings on the new car and deliver it to you in "showroom" condition, i.e., the condition it was in when you drove it out of the dealership.

Whatever panels need to be replaced should be - and remind them to not do any hash jobs like tinkering work and blotchy patch-painting. Fitting the roof panel will be a mighty tough task to get done with factory precision - so watch out for the minutest of gaps and angular fitting jobs that may be "hammered" into position and tell them you'll have none of that nonsense.

Also make sure all this does NOT come up in your car's service records as a future buyer (lets say you decide you want to sell the car in some point in the future) may cross check service records and "body work" on a 2 day old car is something that no one wants to see while going for a used car.

Also, no insurance claims to be done - you should be getting your fully eligible percentage of NCB next year (God forbid and assuming you don't claim it yourself at a later stage).

[Zappo]

I empathize with you. A new car, even before the permanent registration is done, suffers a damage to its body by the callous authorized workshop is something of an intense pain. However this is just one of the many different ways the bigger malady shows up.

Since you have opened up a thread on this I will say something that I have said so many times this year in various closed fora. By virtue of my ownership of a Duster earlier this year I have started experiencing their "fabulous" service centers and technical support. First thing I realized is that they don't value people's time. They make time commitments again and again and then renege on them without batting an eyelid. They give you an appointment and then simply return you back once you land up at their SS. This they do again and again, week after week. I have had issues pending solution for more than 4 months at a stretch when they will give me an appointment and then send me back on the day of the appointment with some silly reason or the other and ask me to take another appointment.

Second problem is their weak service centers. For every problem beyond the regular service their only solution is to make a video on their mobile and upload it to some central Renault server. And then wait for some "expert" to suggest a way out or a workaround. Often this leads to other problems besides throwing the customer at the mercy of the above expert who is least bothered with customer's side of things.

At times they provide you reasons and logic which are very difficult to fathom. Sometimes they negate even what their own documentation says. I have had a case where my 4x4 does not disengage its 4wd mode even after 60 kph speed although the manual and many other documentation says that's how it should be. After much back and forth they came back and told me that this is how it is in all AWD Dusters and the disengagement only happens post 80 kph to 90 kph speeds but again depends on multitudes of factors. This does not affect the transmission!!! I finally insisted that they should give that to me in writing and they actually sent an email to me on that!

I have seen many such instances where the quality of service and/or their response left me frustrated. And this is coming from someone who has owned and maintained Tata vehicles as well. Unless they manage to ratchet up their service levels and the workshop quality by a few big notches they will soon find out that all the exciting products fail to excite the market and they are not doing substantially better although Kwid seemed to have produced such a buzz initially.

[drsingh]

Escalate this to Renault customer care and write an honest email. I'm sure they would do their bit to satisfy a loyal customer.

The dealership will fight tooth and nail to avoid expenses. You'll get a better outcome if Renault is involved.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Sorry to know about what your car suffered coolkid.

As other have pointed out, getting the repairs done at ASS cost without compromising your NCB is a reasonable solution.

Secondly, you can check if they have any ISO certification for quality system or safety. If they do have, please check when they need to renew. After the renewal, report the matter to the certifying agency directly. This will bring it on the record if they hide this incidence from the certifying agency.

You can also inform this to your contacts across India, with brief and precise message on Whatsapp, accompanied by the pictures. Repeat the message once every month or once in two months, for next 6 months.

Hope that your car is restored to good condition. Wish you the best.

[RJ411]

Originally Posted by drsingh

Escalate this to Renault customer care and write an honest email. I'm sure they would do their bit to satisfy a loyal customer.

The dealership will fight tooth and nail to avoid expenses. You'll get a better outcome if Renault is involved.

+1.

If you are not seeing any positive signs from dealer please take this to FB and Twitter. Tag the Renault support team and from there I believe things will move faster.

Hope all the problems will be sorted out quickly,for you to enjoy the car.

[fiestarry]

While I commiserate with the victim and condemn the Renault outlet, I think coolkid should stop sounding so uncool.
Am sure everyone sympathises with the damage to the Kwid, it was certainly not a deliberate act. Negligent attitude of the local SC cannot immediately be ascribed to the Company. Besides, the tyre wear on the Duster isnt the same as being stranded on a lonely highway due to a kaput Duster engine.

It isnt a perfect world and it will never be; rants not withstanding. Get the tyres changed and the Kwid touched up and go on with your life. No one has died...yet !

Far poorer people than us have lost home, hearth, limb and dear ones and borne their loss with more fortitude.

Be cool kid !

[coolkid]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

While I commiserate with the victim and condemn the Renault outlet, I .............................our life. No one has died...yet !
.........
Far poorer people than us have lost home, hearth, limb and dear ones and borne their loss with more fortitude.

Be cool kid !

Thank you fiestarry, I have had a very good relationship with the executives here. I'd be happy to host you if you're available at Coimbatore to see the state of affairs at their facility. I've been associated to the facility as a customer for the past three years and have had a lot more to chew than I could digest. The facility has gone from bad to worse.
And yes, to each their own! Thanks for your time.

Originally Posted by RJ411

+1.

If you are not seeing any positive signs from dealer please take this to FB and Twitter. Tag the Renault support team and from there I believe things will move faster.

Hope all the problems will be sorted out quickly,for you to enjoy the car.

Originally Posted by drsingh

Escalate this to Renault customer care and write an honest email. I'm sure they would do their bit to satisfy a loyal customer.

The dealership will fight tooth and nail to avoid expenses. You'll get a better outcome if Renault is involved.

I was asked by the dealer not to escalate this to Renault, I did and also have spoken to the Area Service Manager. The Regional Service Manager and the Area Service Manager are visiting the facility tomorrow on another agendy, I was assured that this would be attended to on top priority.

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

Sorry to know about what your car suffered coolkid.



As other have pointed out, getting the repairs done at ASS cost without compromising your NCB is a reasonable solution.



..............

Hope that your car is restored to good condition. Wish you the best.

Thanks Rahul. The sad state of affairs in this part of the country being all paper work gets done a week before they are audited! They are certified, on a certificate.

Originally Posted by Zappo

I empathize with you. A new car, even before the permanent registration is done, suffers a damage to its body by the callous authorized workshop is something of an intense ........... will soon find out that all the exciting products fail to excite the market and they are not doing substantially better although Kwid seemed to have produced such a buzz initially.

I'm with you Zappo, thank you.

Originally Posted by vsathyap

I guess the best thing you can do now is to ask for them to repair/replace all the dents and ..............., no insurance claims to be done - you should be getting your fully eligible percentage of NCB next year (God forbid and assuming you don't claim it yourself at a later stage).

Thank you vsathyap, I've asked them to detail what would be done to get the dent rectified. Since the RSM is visiting tomorrow, I've asked them not to work on the car till I meet them.
Hope it goes well.

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

It isnt a perfect world and it will never be; rants not withstanding. Get the tyres changed and the Kwid touched up and go on with your life. No one has died...yet !

Far poorer people than us have lost home, hearth, limb and dear ones and borne their loss with more fortitude.

Be cool kid !

No one has died? Should we wait for that before we complain?
Agreed that there are many who suffered much more unfortunate situations. Does that mean we shouldn't expect anything perfect?
Guess you seem to indicate that after purchasing a Renault you'll only have to think about much more unfortunate people (skoda owners? ) and get satisfied for being in one full piece.

@coolkid, this wasn't the kind of first report we expected on the most talked about Kwid. I see some sense in the above statements about your duster. For your Kwid the most you can expect from the dealer is to fix the car at their cost. Involving Renault here can help speed up things.
However please be careful they might try to dupe you into using your insurance! There is a similar case reported in the forum where the dealer tried to claim the customer's insurance after an accident in the service centre. Not sure which manufacturer that was.

[aswin ajith]

Sad to hear about your ordeal coolkid. I think you should go ahead with the repairs on the car and move on but ensure they do a neat job like others have mentioned. It's particularly sad to see irresponsible people like these get to sell and service cars. Hope you get your car back in showroom condition.
About the Duster, please please do not get the wheel alignment done from your dealer. As has always been mentioned here please go to a reputed tyre shop in your town, he will certainly do a 1000 times better job on your car. I would also advice you to move to better rubber and ditch the MRF. You could go for Bridgestone or Michelin depending on your budget with the latter being on expensive side.

[::CMS::]

Sorry to hear your ordeal. The dent seems to be only on the sides of the roof, that can be easily repaired (paintless with proper tools) by removing the roof lining. Never ever agree for changing the panel as it needs to remove the welding at several places, the service centers cannot achieve the precision of the factory fit.

In Duster's case, I would suggest you get the alignment done at a reputed service center or a good tyre shop (provided they have the correct specs specified by Renault). Many are having wrong specs, so even though the alignment report shows ON-Spec \ Green, actually it will not be as per the manufacturer's recommended values.

[Jeevith]

Originally Posted by hybridpetrol

However please be careful they might try to dupe you into using your insurance! There is a similar case reported in the forum where the dealer tried to claim the customer's insurance after an accident in the service centre. Not sure which manufacturer that was.

It was Nissan. Runs in the family I guess

[coolkid]

I met the ASM at noon, he's very professional and acknowledged their shortcomings. He's being followed by people from France and also the senior management team in India, I had sent an email to their top management across the globe.

I was briefed on the challenges they are facing and the rate at which their network is expanding.

I was offered two new tyres for the Duster as the vehicles in the initial lot faced problems with the tyres and had it replaced. Plus I was also told all the other problems with my Duster overlooked by the dealership would be rectified, more of that on a separate thread.

And the Kwid would be restored to how it left their factory with specially trained body shop technicians available locally.

I left with a smile, thank you Renault.

P.S., - Carlos Ghosn! You're the boss, would love to host you in Coimbatore! Or, you host me in France.