[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Havent you read this thread?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...d-3-years.html

It will answer most of your queries. Forget customer satisfaction and full replacement, the thread show the extent to which companies go to resist replacement of cars.

I have read that thread. Hence the question about the fruitfulness of the entire exercise of moving the court.

[Turbanator]

I will say its something to do with the way Dealer handles your problems or how manufacturers co-operate with them on warranties / replacements etc . e.g - Krishna Automotive in Punjab is dealer for Skoda as well BMW both - they are excellent in handling issues for BMW but you will find lot of dissatisfied customers for there Skoda branch . Somehow i feel most of the staff in there Skoda dealership very arrogant - I personally had on more than 3 occasions left Skoda cars just because of attitude of sales staff at Chandigarh , Delhi & Gurgaon & probably that's the reason they are so behind in sales despite having so many wonderful products

[GTO]

And some people still wonder why the Fortuner sells 1000 units a month, double that of Toyota's original target of 500? Heck, the Fortuner is the only 20 lakh rupee passenger vehicle to consistently sell 1,000 units month after month in India. After having been burnt with two European cars, I can completely understand why. Seriously, ask us unhappy European car owners why we suddenly rank reliability so high on our list of priorities. I'm sticking with Japanese & Korean vehicles for a while.

The Yeti is based on the Laura which suffered from poor reliability as well. However, AFAIK, the primary cause of Laura breakdowns was that complicated DSG gearbox. I always thought the Yeti would score a little better on the reliability stakes, thanks to the 6 speed simple manual gearbox.

Originally Posted by ra'ul M

I have read that thread. Hence the question about the fruitfulness of the entire exercise of moving the court.

Going to court is as much about getting even (scare tactic initially, legal fees for them, press coverage) as it is about compensation. Usually results in a very long drawn battle and the higher court appeals only make it worse. That said, would I sue if I was cheated? YOU BETCHA

[asr245]

Originally Posted by mb_jg

May the good lord bless me then I am expecting delivery of my 1.6 Fabia soon!!
However, I am not deterred by the isolated stories. I was called a mad man when I purchased my Palio from Fiat. The car stopped only once in the city when it blew it's alternator. Other than that, it never ever failed us.

After how much time/miles did it blew it's alternator and left you stranded? i.e. was it old enough to ignore? Would you feel the same had it happened when it was new?

I had my car's (WagonR) front suspensions (both) changed about 6 months ago at 58K kms. One of them broke again in 6 months & 4000kms. I went back to the SC (Motocraft Noida) again and after 2 days had the suspension replaced at no cost. (details here -> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2349105). Now that's service!


Slight

Fabia 1.6? which one is this? I couldn't find it on their website.

A close friend of mine has a Palio. Couple of years ago I was considering a Palio and asked him about it. He said it was brilliant but don't buy it. Coz if you ran into trouble with it, you might be spending weeks with the car at the service centre.

[Cesc]

I don't think I have ever heard ANY manufacturer replace or refund money for new car breakdowns. Repair is all what they do. Hence my confusion at some of the reactions on this thread. Agreed Skoda should engage customers in a better manner but IMO saying the customer is entitled to a refund/replacement is pushing the envelope a bit too far. Skoda should repair the car to the customer's satisfaction and bear any financial loss the customer is sufferring because of the breakdown. That's about it.

BTW I own a Skoda (Octy L&K) and have had enough skirmishes with their A**. You can read about the latest here (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2279560). I like the car though so I found better gargages And that is precisely the advise I want to give to any propsective Skoda owner - find good independent garages if you really want to own a Skoda.

[sgiitk]

Maybe our cause celebre should be made mandatory reading for all potential Skoda buyers. I am shocked at the motoring press pushing the Superb. Of course a Journo has far more blackmail value than the hoi polloi.

[mb_jg]

Originally Posted by asr245

After how much time/miles did it blew it's alternator and left you stranded? i.e. was it old enough to ignore? Would you feel the same had it happened when it was new?

Slight

Fabia 1.6? which one is this? I couldn't find it on their website.

Oh, my car's alternator blew in the first year itself, I don't remember the odo reading, but it wasn't too much. The FIAT service was excellent, they towed the car free of charge & replaced the part under warranty, no questions asked (I had an aftermarket sub & amp fitment).
The Fabia 1.6 is there on Skoda's website, we have a couple threads running in here too. It comes only in the Elegance trim (top end).

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by GTO

Going to court is as much about getting even (scare tactic initially, legal fees for them, press coverage) as it is about compensation. Usually results in a very long drawn battle and the higher court appeals only make it worse. That said, would I sue if I was cheated? YOU BETCHA

Point taken. Although if I had one car and it broke down I would certainly look at other options.

OT: Skoda must be spending a fortune on legal fees! Maybe someone should quote the last line of the Docomo commercial to their marketing head

[RS_DEL]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I am surprised by the extreme reactions by members on this, just another newspaper report a car that me discussions here of Mercs that broke down...

P.S-I am not arguing whether Skoda(+VW+Audi) is reliable or not, this is just a reaction to the posts above.

Your response is objective and balanced. Replacements/refunds are not possible and as a matter of fact not justified till it can be proven in a court of law that there was deliberate negligence which resulted in a deficient product being delivered to the customer. That is the fair and honest way of doing things.

Now if we come to the real world, all of us know, companies obfuscate facts. The customer more often than not is in the dark. They use the delays inherent in the Indian judicial system to browbeat the customer. Is Skoda the worst of the lot? I have no knowledge on the basis of which to condemn them while holding the others up to be paragons of honesty.

However if we look at the infamous case of HarishV with which most members of the group are familiar Skoda has not exactly covered itself in glory. So NETT NETT this seems to be a case of a customer playing the game by rules Skoda will probably understand better. He is investing in hurting their name so that they will bend. Will he succeed? Maybe! Maybe not!. However it is going to be an interesting case, since this gentleman seems well heeled and bent on picking a fight in full public glare. Not a very endearing prospect for any business , I am sure you will agree.

[Aroy]

1. The problem is not that Skoda cars fail, a lot of brands fail. It is their attitude. After all, a lot of German vehicle's failures are discussed on this forum. I doubt any one has asked for a refund or replacement from Mercedes or BMW. The wiser course would be to take prompt action, without aggravating the customer further. It seems that the high handed attitude of Skoda Service Personnel is the main reason for the dissatisfaction of the customers (of course cheating and shoddy service just adds icing to the cake!)

2. There is the "Lemon Law" in US The Florida Lemon Law for New Cars – Auto Warranty Enforcement in Florida | Florida Lemon Law Attorneys Blog. In brief if your new vehicles gives you persistent problem, you are entitled to either a replacement of a refund. The law was enacted after the US buyers faced problems similar to what we are facing with Skoda - high handed attitude, bad service and unreasonable repair charges.

[samyakmodi]

and all this discussion over a report which is not clear.

agreed skoda should have a better customer satisfaction approach.
agreed any car shouldn't have these kind of problems OR niggles.
agreed japanese and koreans are more reliable than the europeans as of today.
agreed japs and koreans offer better value for money in most of the cases in long term.

but why so much of a ruckus when none of us are sure about the reasons behind 2 breakdowns of the particular yeti.
if we have to argue about random incidences, there would be no end to it.

i suggest we should stop the arguments here itself, and be more productive and think of a better solution to deal these kind of incidences.

p.s: i got a skoda, and am quiet happy with the after sales service and reliability till date. i got a honda, which has been parked in the service centre for engine overhaul from about 6 months. should i stop buying cars altogether as europeans are not reliable, japs spares are not available, koreans are not long lasting!!!
heck NO!! i live with the old memories, and new hope each passing day.
if i lose hope, i lose sanity. if i lose sanity - might as well start walking!!

[manson]

Originally Posted by MARCUS_520i

Suppose the company agrees to replace the faulty Yeti, what are they gonna do with the one that returned?

Simple, they would mostly sell it in the used car market to minimise losses.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by samyakmodi

p.s: i got a skoda, and am quiet happy with the after sales service and reliability till date. i got a honda, which has been parked in the service centre for engine overhaul from about 6 months. should i stop buying cars altogether as europeans are not reliable, japs spares are not available, koreans are not long lasting!!!
heck NO!! i live with the old memories, and new hope each passing day.
if i lose hope, i lose sanity. if i lose sanity - might as well start walking!!

By a Maruti, none of the above problems will crop up!

[Ravich]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I am surprised by the extreme reactions by members on this, just another newspaper report a car that broke down twice and not much details are shared. Our Scorpio m-Hawk has given up 3+times and my Punto has broken down twice, now is it time i should declare my Punto/Scorpio a lemon, i frequently see brand new Safaris and Vista being towed away, i have seen some threads where Accord and Civic broke down, we have some discussions here of Mercs that broke down...

P.S-I am not arguing whether Skoda(+VW+Audi) is reliable or not, this is just a reaction to the posts above.

Agreed. Skoda does evoke extreme reactions. I had a brand new Esteem (when it was introduced in the market as an 'expensive luxury' model) break down on the trip from the dealership after taking delivery! It never occurred to me to go to court as the service was not too bad.
It is not clear if this specific incident is a complaint against the poor reliability or after sales service.

Since most of these cars share global platforms and software, I think this forum should assist in reporting safety related issues such as breaking down on the expressway to transport safety boards of countries where the model is sold. It will serve the interests of safety and lend strength to the feeble voice of customers in India. At best a Root Cause Analysis report will have to be filed in response by the manufacturer.

I mention this without prejudice to the interests of the buyer or the manufacturer in this case.
My personal experience with the After sales service and reliability of the Laura has been very good but one swallow does not make a summer !

[shortbread]

Lol...for the Yeti's money one should've got an Aria, its got 4x4, well specced, seats two more.....par reliability

Just kidding, yet to see a broken down Aria!!!