Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   The Indian Car Scene (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/)

-   -   Rumour: Skoda India to offer 5 year standard warranty on its Cars (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/140233-rumour-skoda-india-offer-5-year-standard-warranty-its-cars.html)

Got this insider news from a reliable source that skoda, due to a lot of complaints for its cars in india, they have planned to offer a 5 year standard warranty program for all its car range. clap:
According to the source Volkswagen will soon follow this with its cars in India.
Skoda should be announcing it anytime this month.

But they were already offering 2+ 2 year of similar service. The problem was not with what they offer but what they honor and how they serviced customers.

Half the warranty requested was rejected and many had their cars in the garage so long that they hated to have owned the car in the first place.

Not random data, but these are my friends who went through the pain of their warranty service.

Skoda's problem is service delivery, not service offering. A 5-year warranty means nothing to a customer if you're stealing parts from their car when a customer entrusts their car to you.

I may sound harsh, but I find it hard to be sympathetic to Skoda after reading the many horror stories associated with them, esp. what Harish went (rather going) through.

Their cars are great, their existing service offering (2+2 years extended warranty) is good too. They need to 'actually' provide the service they're promising customers, not come up with new feel-good schemes that would mean nothing with their existing dealer setup and service attitude.

Going against the tide, i appreciate what Skoda India is doing and would be glad if they and VW together start offering 4 or 5 year standard warranty on their cars. It goes a long way in building brand image and would show that they have confidence in their product's reliability.

After reading on the forum, their service quality is increasing, their MD reverted to a letter written by a member of tbhp, the spare part prices have really come down and off late the number of complaints are reducing.

No, they are no saints but lets give them a chance to improve, Skoda makes wonderful fun to drive cars and if they can improve their service, nothing beats it.

Coolboy I agree. I shall happily join you in swimming against the tide. Anyway let me live up to my generally contrary wise maverick reputation.

Jokes apart, I like what Skoda has done with this warranty of 5 years. Good on yer Skoda! Go at it!

Sudhir Rao, their Indian MD is focussed on consumers and service quality. I think, given time and the right focus, they will come up trumps because their cars are really lovely and all they need to do is look after the consumer care aspect.

Absolutely. Things seem to be improving with the new management.

I for one have no qualms admitting I'd buy a Skoda as my next car anyday over an equivalent model from another brand, if the service issues are fixed. Skoda cars are competent, if not the best in every segment they're present in.

As unsympathetic as I may be right now, i'm not hopeless yet. Their cars deserve better treatment than they're getting right now.

A standard warranty of 5 years looks to be an excellent move. I feel it’s much better than current 2+2 option they have, simply because the +2 is optional. And I think this will help in improving their value in the used-car market.

One more right move from skoda to regain the trust. I appreciate that the management is making visible efforts to improve the image before the launch of their block buster Octavia (hopefully).
So far, I've had a very pleasant experience with Both the dealers in bangalore.

I believe (in my opinion) that longer warranties from manufacturers such as Skoda and Hero are a way to keep the customers stuck with their authorized service centers. In times like these when manufacturers are unable to sell cars and bikes in growing numbers, their only hope would be to sell more spares, and what better way than to offer such warranties? Most people wouldn't risk losing their warranties and would continue to pour in truck loads of cash on OE spares and service.

I'll wait for this before getting a Polo +DSG!

Is your dealer one of the old (original) ones, or a newly appointed one. Does it deal only with Skoda, or other brands as well.

Regards
Sutripta

Even I cancelled my booking for the Polo GT after getting this info. Now i am waiting for VW to announce this warranty so that i can re-book my car.

I bought from Vinayak in Bangalore. An old established Skoda dealer who deals only in Skoda cars as far as I know.

Why ever would anyone compromise on the quality of spares?
If one does, it would be like feeding your horse or your dog or your family sub standard grub. After all the car is as much a family member isn't it?

Welcome news if true! I guess we'll have to wait for official confirmation.

Btw, any other manufacturer which offers 5 years standard warranty on its cars in India? I can't think of any at the moment.

As a Skoda owner, I feel this is a welcome move but I am anxious to know how they are planning to improve their service quality. The last time I visited a Skoda A.S.S, it was a terrible experience and only if I am reassured that I won't face the same again, I'll think of going to one again.

So, dear MD of Skoda India, please let us know!

Amigo, I didn't mean you should be buying second grade spares. Heck, I don't have a single non-TVS item on my bike, except the tires, tubes and oil. Always replaced with OE parts.

I meant, if you take your car to a dealer, there is every chance that they'll pile on unnecessary items to be replaced, regardless of whether needed or not and hence increase sales of spares. If you take the car to an FNG, instead, they would then try to repair or only replace what is really necessary.