[vivekz]

Originally Posted by Trust_In_Thrust

Our city 2011Vmt windscreen exploded today at 11pm when a dumper truck tyre exploded ...It was frightnening . I am just shocked how a tyre burst made whole car ands its parts fly crumple .I am frightend to feel i have no safety in this Honda.

I just stumbled across your post and it reminded me of a similar incident. A BMC dumper's tyre burst beside my car while waiting at a traffic signal a couple of years back. Fortunately I was driving with my windows up.

I remember the burst noise was deafening and my heart simply skipped a couple of beats. I also felt as if something has hit the driver side rear door from outside, such was the force. So I stopped after the signal and came out to check the damage.
Fortunaltely there was none. The feeling of something hitting the car must have been the high pressure air released from the burst.

I had completely forgotten about the incident. But your case surprises me. This is too much damage. Can you give mkre details how far was the truck and where exactly was it placed with respect to your car. Also if tyre bursts are so lethal, should that not be a part of tyre manufacturing quality assurance to ensure that deflation ia not so rapid.

[Trust_In_Thrust]

I just couldnt take pictures as it is still in my mind the noise and force and we are still frightened thinking about it .The glass is laminated i had option of AIS at Inr 5100. Saint Gobain Inr 4800 and Pilkington at Inr 4500 .Pilkington is Oem choice of the Germans so opted for it .All prices inclusive of labour ,one year replacement guarantee on Pilkington ,urethane tubes 4nos .The truck tyre was about 1meter from copassenger door and we both were heading same direction.Thank god the truck didnot tumbled sideways on us three travelling together else we were history.

[autocrat]

Originally Posted by nakul0888

I think the result would have been the same in any car. Truck tire blowouts are no small matter. Force from the blowout is enough to kill a person standing next to it.

Does any somebody here have any thoughts about this ??

I had such experience twice. Once in my Indica about 5 years ago, where the explosion was very very close, about 6 inches away when I was overtaking the truck, and once when I was in my Linea, about 4 months back in Whitefield. On second occasion I was about 10 feet away and the truck was turning towards CMRIT from Kundalahalli signal.

On both occasions there was a big cloud of dust that followed the explosion and small stone and sand particles also flew. In either occasion the cars did not suffer any damage.

[govindremesh]

Just a thought: Was the shift to the new Rajasthan plant have to do something with the car's quality also? It could be that the Noida plant was not able to handle the volume (a known fact) and thus the quality levels fell when the production targets were being met. Cars rolling out of Rajasthan plant may have better quality. Upto owners of those cars (produced on or after September 2014?) to comment if they too faced major
quality issues.

Further, the issues reported would be more on the forum since the car was in the first year, has more affordable variants (hence larger customer base) and finally, more members on T-BHP who own it as compared to the previous generations!

Cost cutting is obvious, as during the test ride, my brother splashed through some thick mud and the sound from the rear wheel well was like if stone pellets were hitting the car! My 14 year old Alto provides better sound insulation in such cases!

PS: On a lighter note, this post makes me feel better since our V-MT iVTEC is in transit

[geotracks]

Originally Posted by govindremesh

Just a thought: Was the shift to the new Rajasthan plant have to do something with the car's quality also? It could be that the Noida plant was not able to handle the volume (a known fact) and thus the quality levels fell when the production targets were being met. Cars rolling out of Rajasthan plant may have better quality. Upto owners of those cars (produced on or after September 2014?) to comment if they too faced major quality issues.

Curious, is there a way to make out (VIN number, any other identification etc.) to understand which manufacturing facility the vehicle rolls out from?

At the time of booking, wonder if customers have an option to give preference of a vehicle manufactured from a particular manufacturing plant.

[govindremesh]

Originally Posted by geotracks

Curious, is there a way to make out (VIN number, any other identification etc.) to understand which manufacturing facility the vehicle rolls out from?

At the time of booking, wonder if customers have an option to give preference of a vehicle manufactured from a particular manufacturing plant.

In vehicles manufactured by Mahindra, I believe that there is a plant code in the VIN. Dunno about others.

Doen't make a difference in this case as the entire production of City shifted to the Rajasthan plant.

To answer the last question, it depends on the dealer.
We were moving to B'lore and told the SA that while we loved the car, we would take in Kochi if it was delivered within 2 weeks.

Their non negotiable waiting period of 3 months came down to EXACTLY 2 weeks . But when we requested a change in colour, they threw their hands up and said that we either wait for the colour or have the car on time. Not a single rupee discount either, no accessories and as a cherry on the cake: handling charge of Rs. 7000 . The dealing was transparent and clear through and full credit to them for that.

[drjumbo]

Initially when this thread was started I wanted to ignore it because I was in denial but over a year I have had these typical "NIGGLES" 4 times each occuring within a couple of months after fixing the former.

1. Suddenly one day while driving over small potholes I heard a metallic clatter that occured over soft bumps and continuously rough patches. After about 2 weeks of searching and frustration I could find it came from under the codriver seat. It could be easily recreated after banging on the backrest. This occured at about 3000 kms. Problem fixed with a smile at Prestige Honda Chandigarh. They assured me these kind of niggles are commmon. I was happy as it was the first instance and fixed in no time.

2. The dreaded nostalgic sound of my maruti 800 and alto !! A soft knocking at 20-30 kmph mostly while idling over fine potholes and gravel started haunting me. I knew the very first moment it was my rear left shocker. Without second thoughts. However i still searched and found the problem to be much more common than I had thought. BMWs have been haunted by this, nissan, honda accord and civic. Took me two days to convince the Honda Shimla agency. They removed the shocker and the sound was gone. Before that they made assumptions as to the noise came probably from dust in spring and all but at the end they had to accept. Shocker replaced after submitting two recorded knocking sound samples. I was happy and liked their dealership. BUT..... this thread reverberated through my mind. I again didn't want to accept it and moved on. This all haopened at 4000 kms and 6 months.

3. One month later while I was enjoying the silent rear another rattle started from under the dash like a loose nut. Typically occured while taking a turn towards left. I drive in hills so when i visit the agency they are not able to recreate the noises in plains. But they still managed to fix it by tightening the center pillar and bonnet hinges. I again remained calm and convinced myself that they are good servicemen and I don't need to worry.

BUT TODAY .

4. After parking my car I pressed the button to close the OVRMs and the button dislodged and whole setup including adjustment dial has slipped into the dash, although usable. I know its a small niggle and the assembly just has to be pushed back

I finally am a victim and theres no better petrol car in this segment but its not the best city ever..

[nakul0888]

I had a chat with a friend yesterday. He had been using a 2014 city for a couple of days and when we met up he drove my 2012 last gen city. He said he was quite surprised at how good my old gen car felt in comparison to the new one. He said to me the new car city he had been driving around felt like a kit car made in a shed. It had hard plastics, rattles, rackety engine (diesel). Driving my old gen petrol car felt a step up to the new gen even if my car was spartan in terms of equipment. He even asked me to call him first when it's time to sell my car.
Guess quality did take a backseat with the new city.

[drjumbo]

Originally Posted by drjumbo

Initially when this thread was started I wanted to ignore it because I was in denial but over a year I have had these typical "NIGGLES" 4 times each occuring within a couple of months after fixing the former.

1. Suddenly one day while driving over small potholes I heard a metallic clatter that occured over soft bumps and continuously rough patches. After about 2 weeks of searching and frustration I could find it came from under the codriver seat. It could be easily recreated after banging on the backrest. This occured at about 3000 kms. Problem fixed with a smile at Prestige Honda Chandigarh. They assured me these kind of niggles are commmon. I was happy as it was the first instance and fixed in no time.

2. The dreaded nostalgic sound of my maruti 800 and alto !! A soft knocking at 20-30 kmph mostly while idling over fine potholes and gravel started haunting me. I knew the very first moment it was my rear left shocker. Without second thoughts. However i still searched and found the problem to be much more common than I had thought. BMWs have been haunted by this, nissan, honda accord and civic. Took me two days to convince the Honda Shimla agency. They removed the shocker and the sound was gone. Before that they made assumptions as to the noise came probably from dust in spring and all but at the end they had to accept. Shocker replaced after submitting two recorded knocking sound samples. I was happy and liked their dealership. BUT..... this thread reverberated through my mind. I again didn't want to accept it and moved on. This all haopened at 4000 kms and 6 months.

3. One month later while I was enjoying the silent rear another rattle started from under the dash like a loose nut. Typically occured while taking a turn towards left. I drive in hills so when i visit the agency they are not able to recreate the noises in plains. But they still managed to fix it by tightening the center pillar and bonnet hinges. I again remained calm and convinced myself that they are good servicemen and I don't need to worry.

BUT TODAY .

4. After parking my car I pressed the button to close the OVRMs and the button dislodged and whole setup including adjustment dial has slipped into the dash, although usable. I know its a small niggle and the assembly just has to be pushed back

I finally am a victim and theres no better petrol car in this segment but its not the best city ever..

Visited the Courtesy Honda Shimla, found out the housing for the switch broke from one side and now the right piano black panel needs replacement. Its unfortunate and cant be blamed on a "niggle" as the housing for the screw is quite thick. Bad for me it ain't covered under warranty but good news its not that expensive. Will cost me about 800 rupees.
Interestingly they had a similar incident two days back when a tourist from delhi accidentally hit the area with his knee and the switch broke off from the housing. So a word of caution for all. Dont hit your dash hard at the point of OVRM adjustment controls.

[govindremesh]

Originally Posted by nakul0888

I had a chat with a friend yesterday. He had been using a 2014 city for a couple of days and when we met up he drove my 2012 last gen city. He said he was quite surprised at how good my old gen car felt in comparison to the new one. He said to me the new car city he had been driving around felt like a kit car made in a shed. It had hard plastics, rattles, rackety engine (diesel). Driving my old gen petrol car felt a step up to the new gen even if my car was spartan in terms of equipment. He even asked me to call him first when it's time to sell my car.
Guess quality did take a backseat with the new city.

During PDI of my car, I had a chance to compre it with the 3rd gen city and needless to say, the fit and finish of the 3rd gen was FAR better. Panel gaps were tight and the car did not feel flimsy. The SA also agreed that the previous gen was well put together. The bumper on my car seemed to be improperly fitted (joints were visible) but then, I compared with another new car in the yard and found it to be the same.

The newer batch of cities feel better put together, though its too early for me to comment (took delivery 3 days ago). Have gone through some bumps and potholes and the car handled it well.

Originally Posted by drjumbo

Visited the Courtesy Honda Shimla, found out the housing for the switch broke from one side and now the right piano black panel needs replacement.

Uh Oh! That sure is a flimsy switch! Thanks for sharing.
Have you observed a roaring sound while going over roads with interlocking paver blocks? My car makes quiet a racket when it goes over such roads and its very much audiable in cabin. In fact, my 14 year old Alto felt more silent on the same stretch.
My car rides on MRFs, so does it have anything to do with the noise?

[drjumbo]

Originally Posted by govindremesh

During PDI of my car, I had a chance to compre it with the 3rd gen city and needless to say, the fit and finish of the 3rd gen was FAR better. Panel gaps were tight and the car did not feel flimsy. The SA also agreed that the previous gen was well put together. The bumper on my car seemed to be improperly fitted (joints were visible) but then, I compared with another new car in the yard and found it to be the same.

The newer batch of cities feel better put together, though its too early for me to comment (took delivery 3 days ago). Have gone through some bumps and potholes and the car handled it well.




Uh Oh! That sure is a flimsy switch! Thanks for sharing.
Have you observed a roaring sound while going over roads with interlocking paver blocks? My car makes quiet a racket when it goes over such roads and its very much audiable in cabin. In fact, my 14 year old Alto felt more silent on the same stretch.
My car rides on MRFs, so does it have anything to do with the noise?

Your observation is right, the current city does feel flimsy but that doesn't mean its badly built at all. It feels so because of lighter padding all around meant for weight reduction, the dash is way softer than previous gen and so are the door panels, and no insulation near suspension. One can hear whole suspension working over potholes which is kind of scary at times especially if you compare to Verna which IMO is the most well insulated car in segment. Whatever niggles I have come across are clearly refelective of hap hazard manufacturing and NOT poor product quality. The car overall is a charmer and way ahead of 3rd gen which literally feels primitive once 4th gen users get into it after months of using 4th gen. This whole charade is happening because we have a way to discuss and complain and our expectations have exceeded reality, verna is no doubt silent but when it rattles theres a mess fixing it and costs a fortune for spares and so is the case with skodas. I still can't declare my car bad qaulity just because I'm obsessed.
You'll be amazed to see how BMW owners are haunted by same noise insulation issues because they, especially 3 series are having lots of lightweight materials, so much so that even the door panels creak while driving. So rest assured this car is just perfect, this much complaining is bound to happen in initial days especially being so famous.
About roaring sounds you are right! 195 tyres might help. It feels like whole car is made of thin rods and cardboards while driving over rough patches.
What im doing now is just enjoying the lightweight driving dynamics and keeping my incabin insulation expectations to minimum!
And about people praising 3rd gen over 4th, my colleague clearly remarked my car to be way silent and sturdy compared to his 3rd. So this debate will never end. Panel gaps and all reflects poor manufacturing control which is quite expected considered excessive demands but I'm fortunate in this ragards. No such issues here.
And another report about flimsy feeling came from a 3rd gen owner when he silently asked me if the new city also strangly shakes after hitting brakes hard and over rough patches. And I said .." THERE THERE"

[govindremesh]

Originally Posted by drjumbo

Your observation is right, the current city does feel flimsy but that doesn't mean its badly built at all. It feels so because of lighter padding all around meant for weight reduction, the dash is way softer than previous gen and so are the door panels, and no insulation near suspension.

While the city is definitely not "bad quality", I think the overall integration could have been better. Panel gaps are consistent on my car, but they are wider than I expected. Bumper flexes on a firm push and such behavior is not expected form a 10 lakh rupee car.

The interior packaging is fantastic and the instrument cluster looks fabulous! Features are nice and the sound quality of stock audio is good. Anyway, too early for me to comment, have to use it for a month before my verdict.

[drjumbo]

Originally Posted by govindremesh

While the city is definitely not "bad quality", I think the overall integration could have been better. Panel gaps are consistent on my car, but they are wider than I expected. Bumper flexes on a firm push and such behavior is not expected form a 10 lakh rupee car.

The interior packaging is fantastic and the instrument cluster looks fabulous! Features are nice and the sound quality of stock audio is good. Anyway, too early for me to comment, have to use it for a month before my verdict.

True, as we observed the car seems to have been assembled in a hurry.

[rockporiom]

I might be an owner of a 4th gen city only for a few more days(traded in), so i am listing down all the niggles that were faced in the duartion of my ownership.

Year of MFG: 2014
Duration owned: 1 year
variant: SV CVT

Problems faced in chronological order

1) misting headlamps
2) squeaking suspension
3) loose front bumper
4) A/c failure
5) alternator grinding
6) power window intermittent power loss
7) stereo loses BT connection
8) shuddering and squeaking brakes
9) pulsating accelarator pedal
10) suspension thuds
11) dashboard rattles

Apart from this I also felt that the headlights were weak. Later realised that the reflectors aren't good which is why the headlights do not give enough throw.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by rockporiom

I might be an owner of a 4th gen city only for a few more days(traded in), so i am listing down all the niggles that were faced in the duartion of my ownership.

Year of MFG: 2014
Duration owned: 1 year
variant: SV CVT

Problems faced in chronological order

1) misting headlamps
2) squeaking suspension
3) loose front bumper
4) A/c failure
5) alternator grinding
6) power window intermittent power loss
7) stereo loses BT connection
8) shuddering and squeaking brakes
9) pulsating accelarator pedal
10) suspension thuds
11) dashboard rattles

Apart from this I also felt that the headlights were weak. Later realised that the reflectors aren't good which is why the headlights do not give enough throw.

Thanks for reviving this thread and posting your experience. In a way I had left it because there is only so much a non-owner can contribute without being criticised left right and center.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but glad that you didn't incur any loss during the sale now- thanks to the huge increase in prices post your purchase.

Not sure how many such ownerships will bring Honda down to the ground reality of things. They are currently riding on the huge brand value created over a generation and bad experiences such as yours will kill this good-will way faster than it was built.

PS- Almost all the above issues where listed in page 1 of this thread. Some are design defects (eg: Bluetooth in SV variant, and weak headlamps) while most others are build issues.