[Stribog]

Originally Posted by robincsamuel

However, the problem is when you need some clarification or confirmation from the manufacturer when the dealership isn't able to do that. For example, the E20 fuel compatibility and confirmation on warranty. How can a dealership confirm that especially when the owner's manual says otherwise? Here is another case where the dealership is clueless and needs a response from the manufacturer:

Originally Posted by bijims

So In my opinion, Your worries are not justified as they have done the needful in the first case, and the matter is mentioned in the owner's manual in the second.

If it were some other grave issue without any known solution as such, I am sure you would have gotten a convincing resolution.

@OP, the manual clearly says no e20. e20 is barely even available in India. In percentage terms of normal vs e20 sold, e20 is in the single digit % point.

As @Bijims said, what even is your objective here? Like why even bother about something that's made categorically clear in the owner manual + is mostly irrelevant at this juncture?

[dextor]

I had similar experience with Kia care. I had booked Carens at the time of launch and the dealer was playing around with the delivery delays. The promised delivery date was not honoured and even the 2nd delivery schedule went by.

When I tired reaching out to Kia care they just redirected me to dealer. After repeated mails/messages, there were no responses (at all), I understood I am with the wrong company.

I immediately cancelled my booking and booked another car. Few months down the lane, I still get calls from Kia dealers if I want to buy the car. I am sure until they change their attitude, I am not going back.

[rrsteer]

Kia Care is useless. Please see below the email interactions I have been having with them since February. E-mail is just one channel. I have also interacted with them over phone and Twitter. Their response and attitude is same across channels. I fee their solitary purpose is to make the customer feel that they are listening to the complaint. But they will not or probably can not act. I have been requesting them to look into my case, where due to wheel alignment related problems in my car, I was forced to buy 2 new tyres. All they have done so far is, acknowledge my complaints. The conversation has not moved beyond that.

Customer service is a huge component of car ownership. In my experience at least, Kia is no where near industry leaders Maruti Suzuki & Toyota.

[robincsamuel]

Originally Posted by Stribog

@OP, the manual clearly says no e20. e20 is barely even available in India. In percentage terms of normal vs e20 sold, e20 is in the single digit % point.

As @Bijims said, what even is your objective here? Like why even bother about something that's made categorically clear in the owner manual + is mostly irrelevant at this juncture?

Okay, I was trying to keep this thread limited to discuss the customer care interaction, rather than the specific question I asked. I strongly believe that customer care should respond to customers no matter what they're asking, as long as it's about their product. However, since a few people asked why I'm asking this, let me explain that.

• While E20 may not be widely available at this point, many pumps are dispensing E12 fuel already. The manual says, "Do not use gasohol containing more than 10% ethanol".

Originally Posted by Xaos636

Indian oil confirmed the percentage of ethanol blending of their higher RON fuels the XP95 and XP100 to me via Instagram.

• I honestly don't think E20 compatibility is an irrelevant topic at this point. In fact, it's one of the most relevant ones. We have a 15-page thread discussing the same and many are trying to find out if their car is compatible. Recently, officials from Honda and Toyota confirmed that their older vehicles are compatible with E20 fuel.

• A fellow community member contacted Kia ASS and got confirmation that the vehicle is E20 compatible (quoted below). After reading about this, I also emailed Kia to confirm, and I received a similar response. Please note that this response is not from a random service advisor but from someone@kiaindia.net. However, considering the points I mentioned in my initial post, I had a feeling that it might have been a misunderstanding. Additionally, the responses didn't mention anything about what happens if the engine gets damaged or how it would impact the warranty. Thus I wanted to double-check and confirm that as well. Maybe, call it my curiosity.

Originally Posted by ptaneja

With regards to Carens / Kia, though the manual says E10 compatible, but when I opened up a case with SC, and eventually with lot of escalations etc got a reply from Kia directly stating this -

"our gasoline vehicles are tested and certified for use of E20 mixed fuel, so there will be no damage/adverse effect to the engine"

Of course this is in contradiction to what they have in their car manual
..

• Even today, Kia's online manual says the vehicle is E10 fuel compatible and should not fill gasoline containing more than 10% ethanol, while their BS6.2 petrol vehicles are E20 compatible. And as I said above, the ASS and Kia representatives say, even the old vehicles are E20 compatible.

I find it very normal to request clarification from the manufacturer considering all these points. I don't understand why people are questioning why I reached out to them. And, I absolutely understand that not everyone may be concerned about the E20 compatibility and related matters. However, even if it's just a single customer, isn't it the company's responsibility to provide clarification when requested?

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by bijims

E20 fuel compatibility is an issue that most manufacturers have kept quiet about, and there is probably no other option than getting E10 fuel.

This makes it sound like OP, or anyone else for that matter, has a choice in the ethanol content in the fuel available in the market. I was reading one of the other threads on ethanol addition / additives to fuel to address corrosion issues, etc. and a member had uploaded photos of the fuel pumps in Delhi (if I recall correctly) already receiving e12 fuel.

Originally Posted by Stribog

@OP, the manual clearly says no e20. e20 is barely even available in India. In percentage terms of normal vs e20 sold, e20 is in the single digit % point.

As @Bijims said, what even is your objective here? Like why even bother about something that's made categorically clear in the owner manual + is mostly irrelevant at this juncture?

To my knowledge, e20 has already been rolled, and it is only a matter of time before it reaches your pump.

I see no harm at all in trying to have the manufacturer address the likely complications of the fuel on one's car, especially in light of the disclaimers in the Owners Manual.

Originally Posted by robincsamuel

I find it very normal to request clarification from the manufacturer considering all these points. I don't understand why people are questioning why I reached out to them. And, I absolutely understand that not everyone may be concerned about the E20 compatibility and related matters. However, even if it's just a single customer, isn't it the company's responsibility to provide clarification when requested?

I agree wholeheartedly.

[robincsamuel]

Originally Posted by dextor

When I tired reaching out to Kia care they just redirected me to dealer.

From my experience, that's the only thing they do.

Originally Posted by rrsteer

E-mail is just one channel. I have also interacted with them over phone and Twitter. Their response and attitude is same across channels.

All they have done so far is, acknowledge my complaints. The conversation has not moved beyond that.

Yes, it's not just that they got some bots to handle Twitter. It's same across all the channels.

Just checking the Twitter replies section of @kiacareindia would be enough for one to understand that this is not a one-off case. Look how they responded to an incident where a Sonet caught fire! That too after a week!

PS: I don't know the owner or any other details about this issue, I just came across this tweet. It seems like the incident happened in April and this tweet was posted the last week.



Take note of how Skoda handled a similar issue.

The owner informs that the dealership staff was very supportive but asked the owner to remove the Tweet on this issue. In fact, even his insurance claim was quick to be processed. He reports that the dealership staff was supportive throughout the entire process. What’s even more heartening to see is that Zac Hollis assured support in spite of being at the end of his tenure.

[torquelover]

I agree with you regarding kia
In 2019 i had called local dealership to ask about carnival, no response. Emailed on their official mail id to complain about their lack of response, no response from company either. Mailed again angrily, still no response. Decided to stay away from kia

[blackwasp]

Little off topic, but all these email, chats, etc. are not the right way to handle customer communications.

In these aspects I would like to applaud Maruti for its service. Be it clue-less dealer staff, or wrongful commitments, the company ensures a satisfactory closure.

I have experienced Skoda, Honda, Mahindra, Fiat, Hyundai, Toyota and Maruti personally. Except for Fiat and Maruti, all other brands needed some sort of industry contacts to get things moving. If this is the status of someone who’s in the industry, imagine the plight of the common man.