[Axe77]

Maybe the affected parties can come together and launch a dignified silent protest outside / near the Skoda stall at the 2010 Auto Expo, requesting that their concerns be addressed and demonstrating the woes they are facing with their vehicles (in some cases brand new vehicles). News channels should take notice of that. It is after all news worthy as far as they are concerned. I mean if the company is seemingly refusing to listen to customers in spite of repeated requests what other choice do they have to make them take notice and solve their problems.

[shrinivasap]

Another way would be take this to social networking...i simply posted this thread on my Facebook with a title - If you are plannning a Superb, read this before your write your cheque". It did get lots of messages from my network of 500+ folks... some funny responses are -
" Skoda Superb has become SODA Superb"
" I would buy 20 Nanos instead"

Most of us have global networking on our facebook/twitter and it is one of the best place to lauch this agitation. This is the small bit i could help our freinds here who have been cheated by skoda...

Btw - Since now google has recommendations on search i simple typed Skoda India and one of the recommendation it gave is Skoda India Complaints which would give your more than 48000 search results...none of other manufacturer serach result would give this... thats shows "SKODA RELIABILITY".

[gagananand]

Well thanks again friends. well Skoda doesnt seem to be bothered about anything. Last they called me up was 22nd evening telling me that the car was ready and also offered me a 6 month warranty extention to reaffirm my faith in the product. Well I told them I am not bartering my family safety for a warranty extention or something. I want a new car or a complete refund. They are silent on the matter thereafter. No calls/mails.

THAT IS THE KIND OF SERVICE SKODA OFFERS TO THEIR FLAGSHIP PRODUCT CUSTOMER.

[diffsoft]

Gagan:

Why don't you seek legal help? Any advice from lawyers in the forum?

Conceptually you can claim that you are not confident that the car meets standard safety and reliability norms. Further the company is not providing information on the test conducted for road worthiness (assuming you ask for it and they fail to provide).

Skoda India will not respond.

All the very best!

[gagananand]

Originally Posted by diffsoft

Gagan:

Why don't you seek legal help? Any advice from lawyers in the forum?

Conceptually you can claim that you are not confident that the car meets standard safety and reliability norms.

All the very best!

Well I dont think will take the legal recourse as of now. Will join Harish in his action. We have to go to press, together maybe protest where ever they hold their shows launches etc. Should give them the worst of publicty possible so that people are scared to buy Skodas in India

[gagananand]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Maybe the affected parties can come together and launch a dignified silent protest outside / near the Skoda stall at the 2010 Auto Expo, requesting that their concerns be addressed and demonstrating the woes they are facing with their vehicles (in some cases brand new vehicles). News channels should take notice of that. It is after all news worthy as far as they are concerned. I mean if the company is seemingly refusing to listen to customers in spite of repeated requests what other choice do they have to make them take notice and solve their problems.

Thanks I completely agree with you

[gagananand]

Originally Posted by shrinivasap

Another way would be take this to social networking...i simply posted this thread on my Facebook with a title - If you are plannning a Superb, read this before your write your cheque". It did get lots of messages from my network of 500+ folks... some funny responses are -
" Skoda Superb has become SODA Superb"
" I would buy 20 Nanos instead"

Most of us have global networking on our facebook/twitter and it is one of the best place to lauch this agitation. This is the small bit i could help our freinds here who have been cheated by skoda...

Btw - Since now google has recommendations on search i simple typed Skoda India and one of the recommendation it gave is Skoda India Complaints which would give your more than 48000 search results...none of other manufacturer serach result would give this... thats shows "SKODA RELIABILITY".

can you please tell me how to link thi thread to search engines so that more and more people get to read this and decide accordingly

[Axe77]

that might actually be the most you can expect. doubt they would replace the car altogether or refund entire purchase price although the failures are indeed disconcerting.

Originally Posted by gagananand

Well thanks again friends. well Skoda doesnt seem to be bothered about anything. Last they called me up was 22nd evening telling me that the car was ready and also offered me a 6 month warranty extention to reaffirm my faith in the product. Well I told them I am not bartering my family safety for a warranty extention or something. I want a new car or a complete refund. They are silent on the matter thereafter. No calls/mails.

THAT IS THE KIND OF SERVICE SKODA OFFERS TO THEIR FLAGSHIP PRODUCT CUSTOMER.

[akj53]

I will also suggest to take the car with the warranty extension and then sell it asap. Else your car will be stuck with Skoda. Sometimes we have to pay for our bad decisions.

This I am suggesting only due to absence of any prompt legal redressal system in India.

[diffsoft]

Gagan:

Another option could be that all of us draft a note with each of our respective complaints , this itself will amount to about 100 A4 pages (we can represent as a group - I think Harish is working on one), signed, and sent to the following:

1. SIAM
2. ARAI
3. Skoda India, its parents, its grand parents
4. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Road and Surface Transport
5. Members of the Press
6. Central RTO /Traffic Police
7. All car insurers / car loan providers

Cheers,

[navin]

Originally Posted by gagananand

They deserve this

Originally Posted by gagananand

This damn thing went kaput. would not start. even they were not able to start it for 10 days.

Gagan, you really need to ensure that all these facts are documted in writing to Skoda. Not for Skoda to pay heed to them but for your own case.

A sudden and complete failure of a car can be very dangerous to the passengers in the car and general public at large. If this happened at 80kmph the car could have killed someone and would Skoda have the responsibility of dealing with the lives of the people who could have been killed and fatally and/or greviously injured? What if the driver of the car was charged with rash and negligent driving and jailed (un-bailable)? Would Skoda be responsible for this?

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

If the engine, gearbox and (power) steering locked up - the common factor connecting all three is the .....yes - ELECTRONICS & ELECTRICALS! Of course, if the DSG box was malfunctioning from day one and sent wrong signals to the ECU and other systems to foul them, then replacement of the rogue DSG box would remove the cause for the electric/electronic failure.

I think you found the solution to your own question.

Originally Posted by gagananand

Last they called me up was 22nd evening telling me that the car was ready and also offered me a 6 month warranty extention to reaffirm my faith in the product. Well I told them I am not bartering my family safety for a warranty extention or something. I want a new car or a complete refund. They are silent on the matter thereafter. No calls/mails.

Gagan, I dont think Skoda will offer you a new car. What Skoda can be expected to do is at best offer you a new warranty that starts from the day you get your repaired car back and includes not only the new parts but all existing parts of the car like it was a new car.

BTW if you are asking for a new car in what way is that new car any safer than the repaired car? After all the repaired car would/should have been throughly checked and would have got a new DSG gearbox. The new DSG gear box would the same gearbox as one found in any new Skoda Superb.

What you want is a reliable car (and you are entitled to this) that you and your family feel safe in. If you do not feel safe in the Superb (after this incident) you can ask for a refund on the grounds of "loss of confidence" but asking for a new car implies that you till have confidence in the product.

[funkydude]

Originally Posted by gagananand

Well I dont think will take the legal recourse as of now. Will join Harish in his action. We have to go to press, together maybe protest where ever they hold their shows launches etc. Should give them the worst of publicty possible so that people are scared to buy Skodas in India

This is absolute rubbish. How can a giant like Skoda even manage to get such defects. Where has the quality control gone?

5 months old vehicle with such defects is just not done.

Gagan, my condolences go out to you. Don't go for any legal activity right away. Plan and then proceed.

Yes!! publicity through media would be the best way to start with. If possible get this done on a national level. Only then you might get attention.

Do let me know incase you need help of any sort.

BTW, do not accept anything less than a brand new car. The repair work done one your car will only give you trouble in the near future.

This Skoda is now a Phoda (pimple)

[vasudeva]

In my opinion, the Indian customer has already realised that Skoda's tagline` obsessed with quality since 1895' is just a marketing slogan with no connect to reality. Just see some figs posted here for Skoda's market share from Jan 2005 onwards. Can you see a sustained upward trend. I can only see downhill.

[akj53]

Skoda's tagline 'obsessed with quality since 1895' itself is the biggest joke. Because till VW took them over about 10 years ago, Skoda's quality was the biggest butt of jokes throughout the world. I have written this earlier also.

It seems nothing has changed with Skoda. They do not seem to be testing the new models before launching for Indian conditions. Hence they are not doing any modifications in their components to suit our environment and thats why car are failing. Customers are being made the Guinea Pigs for their cars. A novel way to cost costs.

I support diffsoft's view in sending the group petition to multiple agencies as mentioned above and may be to more.

[Axe77]

Maybe its just a typo and what they meant to write was "obsessed with quality in 1895"

Originally Posted by akj53

Skoda's tagline 'obsessed with quality since 1895' itself is the biggest joke.