[Mohitkumaar]

Oh wow, they are recalling already to relocate stuff! In the words of Honorable Jeremy Clarkson:

Ford you imbeciles! If you don't mend it, I'm going to bone your dog!

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by xuv2390

@Nilesh5417: You have to speak to the workshop manager or service adviser who attended to your car at Talera Ford. In my case the dealer gave me a fuel coupon which I could redeem at a fuel station close to the service center. As far as the Rs. 2000 voucher is concerned, he told me that I will receive it through courier this week!

In case your dealer refuses to provide you these benefits then please write to Ford India!

Did you receive the voucher? The service center left it in my glove box when they returned the car. Going to go get the scuff plates installed this week.

[xuv2390]

Originally Posted by lifebuoy

Sorry, hellmet, I got a call from TATA for the free replacement of the wiring harness and the starter motor assemblies, to be done at my place and time ! This, for a car costing 2.1 L on road !

Nothing great on the part of Ford for that "honest' tag there !


Pl see my remark above, nothing great about the call and the recall. I get a free wash each time, every time I go to the service station (TATA - Autolinks) for a nano costing Rs 2.1 L OTR !

@lifebuoy: Sorry, but you cannot compare Tata and Ford Recall procedures! Your nano probably does not have a OBDII port which is required to read and confirm if any DTC codes exists! In case of the EcoSport, the service center's across India were advised to verify if any DTC code is present before and after replacement of the GPCM module!

It is a known fact that Tata Nano had fundamental engineering faults right since the time of launch hence probably the replacement of the wiring harness and other parts was inevitable! So many cars had caught fire on the roads too! Now, if they replaced a critical circuit's wiring harness in your Nano, it is but obvious that they should have checked and cleared any DTC codes via the OBD port (if exists) which they have not done in your case!

Last, the EcoSport's GPCM module replacement was voluntary and was done in regard for superior safety of the vehicle and not due to any engineering fault/defect! It was simply a precautionary measure.

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Did you receive the voucher? The service center left it in my glove box when they returned the car. Going to go get the scuff plates installed this week.

@Nilesh5417: I am yet to receive my voucher! Was your voucher issued by the service center or by Ford India directly?

I will call the service manager tomorrow and follow up!

[jojoinassi]

i was also present there when they were relocating the glow plug control module.The very fact that they let me in to see the whole thing made me comfortable.Even though i had gone there with a lot of apprehension,i came back completely satisfied.

[AUTO_CRAZY]

Ford has done their basic job . once you find a defect proactively fix it. Even after 100% confirmation , there may be a possibility of such issues , but quickly accepting it and fixing the issue is key . Maruti , Honda and Toyota has been traditioanlly doing this even though we do not have a recall policy

[nidhin0816]

Very Professional approach from Ford and transparent too.

Shows that they are focused towards better customer satisfaction, they could have also managed this in first free service without even letting the customer know which is often the case with some other reputed manufacturers.

[siddharthseth]

Originally Posted by xuv2390

Hi Guys,

I took delivery of my Ford EcoSport Titanium TDCi (Diesel) on 07th July, 2013.

Few minutes ago, I received a call from Ford India, Chennai office from a gentleman congratulating me for the purchase! He sounded quite cheerful and composed throughout until he gave me a little shock! He informed me that my EcoSport has been recalled on an immediate basis because the Glow plug control module which is located below the left rear door may face some moisture related concerns hence it needs to be re-located to a higher level.

What I understand in detail is the following:

1. European cars have this module located under the body which poses a concern in India to due the pot holes and high moisture content, maybe if someone really tires to test the 550m water wading capability then it may cause some serious concerns.

2. They will replace and re-locate the entire module to a different location which they claim is a non-intrusive and simple process which will complete in 3 hours time.

3. I have fixed an appointment for 9:30 AM on Saturday and I will update all of you once I understand this even better but as of now I do not think this is a serious concern at all.

In fact I am happy about the honesty and clarity that Ford India is sharing. I am impressed, unlike Mahindra (XUV5OO) where they lied to customers for a very long lime!

Last, I asked him what do I get for all this trouble? He said, "A free car wash"

Wow. That is mighty nice on Ford's part. And frankly, this comes as a shocker. Its true that that the glow plug faces a danger on Indian roads, but that being said, its located below the rear door. And given the high ground clearance, is it really that much of a problem. Unless I'm missing something, it really doesn't sound like Ford to provide such after-sales care. Anyway, goodluck and congratulations on the free car wash!

[sumannandy]

Originally Posted by xuv2390

@lifebuoy: Sorry, but you cannot compare Tata and Ford Recall procedures! Your nano probably does not have a OBDII port which is required to read and confirm if any DTC codes exists! In case of the EcoSport, the service center's across India were advised to verify if any DTC code is present before and after replacement of the GPCM module!

It is a known fact that Tata Nano had fundamental engineering faults right since the time of launch hence probably the replacement of the wiring harness and other parts was inevitable! So many cars had caught fire on the roads too! Now, if they replaced a critical circuit's wiring harness in your Nano, it is but obvious that they should have checked and cleared any DTC codes via the OBD port (if exists) which they have not done in your case!

Last, the EcoSport's GPCM module replacement was voluntary and was done in regard for superior safety of the vehicle and not due to any engineering fault/defect! It was simply a precautionary measure.


@Nilesh5417: I am yet to receive my voucher! Was your voucher issued by the service center or by Ford India directly?

I will call the service manager tomorrow and follow up!

SO when Ford does it its professional and when Tata does it its engineering fault.

While Tata Nano issue was indeed a design fault, the ford ecosport issue is also a design fault. I take my new SUV to middle of nowhere trying to cross offroad trail with water (or even Calcutta roads, some of them, during monsoon, sometimes you get waist length water, the road in front of my house gets waterlogged so badly that sometimes the exhaust pipe at the back of my safari is also under water, so it is easily some 350-400 mm of water I guess) with my family, because it supposedly has 550mm water wading capability and get stuck. And nobody, from design to testing cared to check it.

Lets stop treating Ford like the greatest car maker in the world. In fact in U.S., the country from where Ford is, not many people buy ford cars. Go to any rentals, you will always get Honda cars at a premium, never seen Toyota or Mazda much except Prius. Obviously Mustang and the entry level SUV is a different story. In fact of all autos I drove, I always felt that Ford autos had a lag for sifting and not smooth compared to Japanese autos.

Lets not support any of the car makers, be it Tata or Ford. Let us demand better technology at affordable price. I paid $24000 on road for a 4x4 Honda CR-V in USA but here I have to pay almost double. Doesn't matter what and how, the car makers should offer same brands at comparable price in India. Recalling is a good thing, but it should not happen.

[xuv2390]

Originally Posted by sumannandy

SO when Ford does it its professional and when Tata does it its engineering fault.

Recalling is a good thing, but it should not happen.

@sumannandy: I totally agree on what you are saying but I think that manufacturers should officially re-call any flaws on their end rather than hiding it for the next service or secretly performing the replacement without your knowledge! Anyway, I appreciate your point of view. Thanks

[spkingsley]

While we debate and discuss about the recall as good or bad , any idea what prompted the recall ? I seriously suspect the story of "relocation" of the unit being the only intent.

[Grr7]

Originally Posted by spkingsley

While we debate and discuss about the recall as good or bad , any idea what prompted the recall ? I seriously suspect the story of "relocation" of the unit being the only intent.

Couldn't agree more. All this looks like ford's PR strategy:

1. Toppling of an ecosport with all the emergency calling feature activated: Seems they were trying to portray how safe the vehicle is(trying to address every owner's worst nightmares of what if i meet an accident). This surely had an anti-desirable effect with a row erupting on stability of this vehicle(which is a worldwide model and not a Made for India compromised one)

2. Glow plug replacement: How come they woke up all of a sudden after some 900 vehicles were sold with wrong placement? Do they receive some complaint from the buyer of these 900 vehicles who tried the water wading capacity arriving with failed glow plugs. Or was it their research team which launched it after desired testing and found a missing page from their report later on mentioning glow plug suggestion? I feel, this again is an attempt to show how pro-active Ford is in India(which IMHO is not wrong/bad seeing the competition) and care for even the minutest detail for the customers(establishing much required brand image).

[nijelj]

Originally Posted by xuv2390

Your nano probably does not have a OBDII port which is required to read and confirm if any DTC codes exists!
In case of the EcoSport, the service center's across India were advised to verify if any DTC code is present before and after replacement of the GPCM module!

Now, if they replaced a critical circuit's wiring harness in your Nano, it is but obvious that they should have checked and cleared any DTC codes via the OBD port (if exists) which they have not done in your case!

BTW,The Nano does have a obd II port,I've checked the functioning myself. Regarding the dtc checking,it is a standard job before and after a major service.In above cases,a DTC would normally enter incase the service people left the ignition on when they replaced the wiring harness or they did not connect some wiring connector properly or that the new wiring itself is malfunctioning.It (OBD II) isn't a very exclusive technology for Ford to have and Tata to not.

Regarding the reason behind the ecosport recalls,does anyone think that the GCU would short circuit incase of moisture entry causing a fire?

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by sumannandy

SO when Ford does it its professional and when Tata does it its engineering fault.

While Tata Nano issue was indeed a design fault, the ford ecosport issue is also a design fault. I take my new SUV to middle of nowhere trying to cross offroad trail with water (or even Calcutta roads, some of them, during monsoon, sometimes you get waist length water, the road in front of my house gets waterlogged so badly that sometimes the exhaust pipe at the back of my safari is also under water, so it is easily some 350-400 mm of water I guess) with my family, because it supposedly has 550mm water wading capability and get stuck. And nobody, from design to testing cared to check it.

Lets stop treating Ford like the greatest car maker in the world. In fact in U.S., the country from where Ford is, not many people buy ford cars. Go to any rentals, you will always get Honda cars at a premium, never seen Toyota or Mazda much except Prius. Obviously Mustang and the entry level SUV is a different story. In fact of all autos I drove, I always felt that Ford autos had a lag for sifting and not smooth compared to Japanese autos.

Lets not support any of the car makers, be it Tata or Ford. Let us demand better technology at affordable price. I paid $24000 on road for a 4x4 Honda CR-V in USA but here I have to pay almost double. Doesn't matter what and how, the car makers should offer same brands at comparable price in India. Recalling is a good thing, but it should not happen.

IMHO, the attitude of Indian car/two wheelers is a major dampener when it comes to recalls. If you've noticed, the Nano's starter motor recall was made to sound as if Tata Motors is doing a favour to car buyers. The same was the case with the Mahindra XUV500 and the Bajaj Pulsar 220. Most Indian car and two wheeler makers avoid the term recall and use terms such as "performance improvement measures", etc, which is plain ridiculous. Ford, being a global car maker of certain repute, takes a more mature approach when it comes to recalling cars. Hence, the appreciation for the transparency and quick action.

Cheers,

Jay

[karpusv]

Off topic:: On the OBD-II Port.

Have been reading the few posts above and below are my 2 cents.

As per what I recollect, having or not having the OBD-II port is not a choice. It's a regulation to comply with. So nobody is superior or inferior on this front.
Isn't it?

[sumannandy]

Originally Posted by JayPrashanth

IMHO, the attitude of Indian car/two wheelers is a major dampener when it comes to recalls. If you've noticed, the Nano's starter motor recall was made to sound as if Tata Motors is doing a favour to car buyers. The same was the case with the Mahindra XUV500 and the Bajaj Pulsar 220. Most Indian car and two wheeler makers avoid the term recall and use terms such as "performance improvement measures", etc, which is plain ridiculous. Ford, being a global car maker of certain repute, takes a more mature approach when it comes to recalling cars. Hence, the appreciation for the transparency and quick action.

Cheers,

Jay

Originally Posted by xuv2390

@sumannandy: I totally agree on what you are saying but I think that manufacturers should officially re-call any flaws on their end rather than hiding it for the next service or secretly performing the replacement without your knowledge! Anyway, I appreciate your point of view. Thanks

Agreed. Whatever be the reason for recall, Ford, Toyota etc. are much more mature.

I think it is part of the overall approach. Tata, Mahindra make very good cars, but these are not world class cars. There is no excuse for niggles in brand new cars.