[sabynag]

One of the newest trends in Indian Automotive sector is 24x7 Road-side assistance service which is targeted primarily towards people frequently hitting the highways on a long drive. This service is now often bundled with car insurance (insurance companies) and new car purchase (from manufacturers). The service can be bought directly as well from some of the original service providers like TVS.

Since this service is gaining some traction with Indian car buyers, I am starting this thread to have a live discussion on various aspects, effectiveness and utilities of this service.

[hellmet]

Is there a AAA or Nationwide equivalent provider in India that I can subscribe to separately instead of opting for the package from insurance provider?

[aakash.goenka]

Looks like I am digging up a really old thread. However, it seems to be the best place to share my experience with Nissan Roadside Assistance.

But, oh wait... I don't have one! Yes, just today, the battery of my Nissan Micra drained out, thanks to a valet driver at a Taj hotel. I wasn't too worried. After all, I had opted for the Nissan Extended Warranty with Nissan Roadside Assistance and all.

I called up their number 1800 209 4080. In the IVR System, you're supposed to press 2 for "Roadside Assistance". So, I do that, and nothing happens. I tried it a few more times and with different phones, but it just didn't work. Its just a phone number that plays a recorded message to select one of the 3 options, and that's it.

I would like to believe otherwise, but it seems that Nissan's Roadside Assistance is just like their service, practically non-existent. :P

Well, that's my "experience" with a 24x7, 365 days Roadside Assistance.

I did manage to get myself out of the situation though, thanks to Exide's Batmobile service.

[neoonwheels]

I have a first hand experience with the RSA of FIAT. Couple of weeks back my car Punto refused to start when I had parked it at the shoulder of the Pune-Mbai highway (NH4) around couple of KMs from Chandani chowk.

I tried for 15 mins but the car did not start. The obvious culprit I thought was the battery. I called up FIAT RSA and I was attended in flat 2 mins. The lady on the other side took all details of my car and promised to call me back in 5 mins. Then after around 7 mins, I got a call back from her and I was put into a teleconference with the pickup car driver. I told the pickup van person my whereabouts and he reached the spot within 30 mins. He used his battery to start my car and then drove back to my home which is around 10KMs from this place.

I got the car fixed this week and the culprit was the starter motor. It is covered under the extended part warranty and so I did not have to shell out anything on that.

I know a person who had his tire puncture on the Pune-Mbai expressway at 1-2 AM and then FIAT RSA reached him and fixed his car in 1.5 hrs flat. I totally appreciate FIAT's efforts on their RSA program But I hope, I wont have to use it again

[RevJ]

Attention Moderators- Please approve or transfer to more related post, i didn't know where else to post

Reaching out to all Bhpian's out there, I have a Skoda Rapid 1.5TDI and till date it hasn't popped up any issues. It's gonna be 2 year old next month and has completed 48,000KM. I am perfectly happy with my car, so as anyone will do few of my friends liked my car and went on getting one themselves, 4 of my friends got the new MY2017 Rapid, needless to say mine was looking out dated!

So the reason for this post is one of my very close friend suffered an unfortunate incident with his Rapid DSG. The car itself or the build quality are not to blame. I wanna point out to the people who run these organisations, who doesn't even have any kind of morals! I am attaching an e-mail drafted which will be send to Skoda Auto India today evening.

Kindly go through it, your valuable suggestions and opinions are welcomed.

Skoda Auto- your cars are superb, but your dealers, contractors are ruining your name and reputation.



Hi Team ,

With a heavy heart I am writing this e-mail to Skoda India Auto Ltd.

I am the unfortunate owner of Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI DSG bearing registration number KL01CB11 which I bought in January 2017. Till date the car has only bought me joyful occasions. But last night was a terrifying ordeal for me, my wife and my 9 month old son.

We were returning back from a family function just outside Trivandrum city known as Poovar. By late night 11.00 PM the car broke down in middle of the road in a rural area. Upon primary inspection by me I didn't find anything unusual, the battery terminal seemed to be disconnected on it's own. I tried re-connecting it and starting again. It didn't seem to work after hours of trying. I called up the road assistance number (One of the main reason for buying Skoda, I remember a full page advertisement in a national daily of road-side assistance guaranteed).

The road assistance team answered my call, Mr.Manish- they first agreed to come and take the vehicle away to workshop. After some 30 minutes later I called up again and they blindly replied they are unable to come since it's far away and they will provide a refund if I am able to tow it to workshop. I have explained my situation to them and short after they call went unanswered.

Kindly Understand that I was stuck in middle of a rural area with my family and my son, and the guaranteed road assistance was least interested in showing up! I had to call another private towing service and one of my friend to pick us up. I towed the car to my home from the location of breakdown around 60 Km.

The plain ignorance, arrogance and lack of commitment and more of false commitment of your road assistance is infuriating! Even the lack of human sympathy is unbelievable and makes a man loose trust not in just the vehicle but the whole organization and the people who run them!

I own other three vehicles a Toyota Innova, A Suzuki Swift and a Hyundai Verna. I have never dealt with this kind of situation from any one of them, in fact they responded well and picked the vehicle (Verna) late night.

I need a solid explanation from your Road Assistance Team, the concerned dealer and rectification of the damage occurred to vehicle. Including the towing charge which I paid is to be refunded. It is a full warranty new vehicle with service package and road assistance ( which I don't know why I even paid! ).

I expect a call back / reply from the concerned person not the dealer, from the manufacturer and the road assistance team who was on shift on 11/09/2017. Ignorance of the same will not be treated slight heartedly.

[kalpeshc]

Now that we have a slew of apps around car servicing like Motofyx, GoMechanic, Pitstop etc. I was curious to know if forum users have feedback for these.
Also, is there any app or service for roadside assistance, especially in Mumbai? Basically if you get stuck whom do you call? Not everyone has their regular mechanic and they too are not available all the time. Is there any such paid service where they will help you out and get the car to the nearest affiliated garage?

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

Also, is there any app or service for roadside assistance, especially in Mumbai? Basically if you get stuck whom do you call?

Call your insurance. Most likely they will have a road side assistance add-on in your policy.