[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by Hayek

.

Clearly, the extended warranty is a no-brainer, it's worth every penny buyers today spend on it. If I were running Skoda, I would introduce a BSI Ultimate type package + a 10 year powertrain warranty - that would clearly establish the vehicle as the best value offering in its class. Don't know what that would do to the brand's profits, though.

The problem is, the companies fail to realise that extended warranty packages should be a challenge to make their products more reliable. The more reliable the parts manufactured, translates to lesser number of replacements within the warranty period (at the cost of the company) hence more profits after the warranty expires. Once they realise that; then they will be reaping in profits like anything.

Which is where Japanese manufacturers tend to score even though their products are far lesser priced and enjoy lesser premium(if at all) than their European counterparts. Japanese make reliable products which serve you year after year.

Coming back to the topic of discussion, among european carmakers in India; Skoda offers extreme VFM proposition even more than its parent company the VAGroup. The lakhs of rupees saved can be utilised for the later service costs of the vehicle.

Mercs and Bimmers cost a lot to buy and a lot to maintain. GTO has a thread about the service costs of the Merc C class. Ive been shying away from preworshipped german cars till now due to the exhorbitant maintenance costs somewhere to the tune of 50k INR per year. Skoda offers a great relief in terms of that and it is always better to have an outside mechanic when buying a Skoda.

After having read lot of threads about Skoda maintenance, many members have opted for an outside mechanic once the warranty expires. the parts imported tend to cost a lot less than buying from the Service centre and lower plus reasonable labor charges altogether make it a better option.

Regards.

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

The problem is, the companies fail to realise that extended warranty packages should be a challenge to make their products more reliable. The more reliable the parts manufactured, translates to lesser number of replacements within the warranty period (at the cost of the company) hence more profits after the warranty expires. Once they realise that; then they will be reaping in profits like anything.

Great point. Actually, this is just what Hyundai did. In the 1990s, Hyundai in America was synonymous with poor quality. They launched "America's Best Warranty" (https://www.hyundaiusa.com/assurance...-warranty.aspx ), a 10 Year, 100,000 mile power-train warranty, to reassure existing customers; which provided the impetus for manufacturing quality improvement. Hyundai now routinely ranks close to the top in the JD Power quality surveys. Clearly something for Skoda India in particular to consider - they have great products, good brand equity but feared service costs. That can change. (Unless VW wants to retain that as the differentiator between it's brands)

[Hayek]

More problems to report. This time, its the Mechatronics. Obviously, I jinxed myself with my small sample statistical data on the lack of failures in my friends' circle, and ended up as the second failure in the pack.

What happened? I parked my car in my building's parking lot one Saturday evening. The car worked normally the previous day - there was the usual occasional shudder while shifting to 2nd gear especially on slopes, but nothing that I noted as being out of the ordinary. The next morning, my wife and I were heading out to meet some friends. I got into the car and switched the engine on, to find that the P indicator on the MFD was blinking. Hoping against hope, I tried shifting to R, N and D - but the blinking continued and there was no drive. It was obvious (given all the time I have spent on this forum) what had happened.

We needed to go out, and so I locked the car and headed out in our Getz. A little later, I called up Autobahn's helpline, and arranged to have a tow truck sent to my building at 4 PM. Incidentally, the tow truck driver was the same guy who had come to Matunga when I suffered my battery failure last year (he must see me as a great customer). We needed to push the car out of my parking lot since the truck was too big to enter it. The only saving grace was that there was space available at Autobahn Sewri, and I did not have to travel all the way to Kurla.

Over that evening, I spent a lot of time browsing various other VW forums to examine the track record of the DQ200. (This is an interesting link http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f112/golf-7-speed-dsg-shudder-clutch-issues-45873.html). Clearly, the points that people have made about the DQ 200 seem accurate - it has a massive failure rate, particularly in markets with high temperatures. Interestingly, some of the posts talk about humidity as an added factor - which seems to be borne out by the number of failures we saw during the last monsoon, and recent instances here. Funnily failure rates are much lower in Europe (but perhaps that is because the European market is largely diesel / manual), even though there is a French group protesting against VW and calling for a recall.

The next day, I was called and given a confirmation that the Mechatronics would need to be replaced. I told the service adviser that I expected it to be repaired under Goodwill Warranty, and pointed out that I was aware of the US / China / Russia extended warranties. He suggested I write to Skoda. Skoda customer care was once again fairly responsive, and got back in a few hours indicating they will work with the dealer to resolve this. It took 5 days for the part to arrive and another two for the warranty claim to be processed. Skoda did not cover labour (Rs. 6000) or provide me with a back-up car - but I was in no mood to waste time arguing.

Have done about 500 km since then - keeping my fingers crossed that the car lasts. If it does not, I will likely take a call to cut losses and pick something else up.

For all the talk that Skodas are built to last and are being let down by poor service, my experience leads me to believe otherwise. I have had no cribs whatsoever with responsiveness from both Autobahn and Skoda - the problem seems to be that their cars are just not reliable.

[Y@SH]

Originally Posted by Hayek

For all the talk that Skodas are built to last and are being let down by poor service, my experience leads me to believe otherwise. I have had no cribs whatsoever with responsiveness from both Autobahn and Skoda - the problem seems to be that their cars are just not reliable.

Glad to hear that Skoda replaced it free of cost and that they have become beter in dealing with such situations. Autobahn is considered better amongst the two others in Mumbai and it just shows why. I had an issue when dust was trapped in between the brake pads & discs which made a horrible sound and after it issue being resolved I got two calls from Autobahn and Skoda wether I was satisfied with the work or not.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Skoda - the problem seems to be that their cars are just not reliable.

Whoaao!! This Skoda DSG is getting on my nerves. So sorry to hear that you too have been struck by the 7DSG ghost. That their after sales and warranty replacement seems to have improved is an understatement. You are quite right based on your own experiences to classify 'all' Skoda cars as unreliable. I on the other hand would say people to stay away from the Skoda Petrol 7-DSG by a bargepole and deem only that as thoroughly unreliable. I do not understand the reasoning of Skoda to continue with that gearbox, at least in Indian conditions, with so many persistent failure rates.

Overall I would still rate Skoda's as quite reliable barring that 7-DSG ghost. Better get rid of it as soon as possible though I would doubt that you would ever buy a Skoda again...

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by dkaile

So sorry to hear that you too have been struck by the 7DSG ghost. That their after sales and warranty replacement seems to have improved is an understatement. I do not understand the reasoning of Skoda to continue with that gearbox... Better get rid of it as soon as possible though I would doubt that you would ever buy a Skoda again...

Thanks for your concern and commiserations. The gearbox is clearly an issue. Incidentally, I read on Briskoda that they are now offering the Superb 1.8TSi after derating it to 151 BHP with a 6 speed conventional automatic in Israel, on the grounds that 7 speed DSG gear boxes are in short supply. With the massive diesel - petrol price differential, I would not be surprised if they dropped this car from their India line up sooner or later and stuck to a diesel only strategy (perhaps when VW allows them to offer the 170 BHP diesel that is in the Passat in India).

Will certainly change it if I have any other problems - seriously debated changing it already and test drove the 320 d and 328 i. But I doubt I'd get more than 10 l for it, and that would be a massive hit to take in just 2.5 years. Its just that the car, when it runs, is still addictive.

Don't know about Skoda, but we are considering a Vento as our second car - so perhaps I am an incorrigible gambler.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by Hayek

More problems to report. This time, its the Mechatronics.

Ouch! Guess you were sitting on a ticking time bomb.

I can't believe Skoda is still selling this variant after all the failures that have occurred with the 7 DSG. Almost all their other models are pretty trouble free today and this one model is causing so much damage to the brand in general.

Good to know that Skoda agreed to replace it under goodwill warranty. I know you were pretty keen on getting the warranty extended and were denied this option. What is the warranty on the new unit?

If I were you, I would get rid of the car as soon as possible. You were lucky the DSG box gave up in your parking lot. What if this had happened when on tour or worse, in the middle of an overtaking manoeuvre?

[RS_DEL]

Originally Posted by Hayek

More problems to report. This time, its the Mechatronics. Obviously, I jinxed myself with my small sample statistical s whatsoever with responsiveness from both Autobahn and Skoda - the problem seems to be that their cars are just not reliable.

[] the saving grace is that you did not have to take a huge financial hit to get your vehicle back into a functional state.

[] The fact that you will suffer a huge capital loss on selling the vehicle suggests to me that you could gamble some more and use the vehicle for a bit. By doing so, you run the risk of an additional loss on the mechatronics if it conks out again during your ownership. However you are able to defer your capital loss and recoup some of it via usage, provided the machatronics ghost does not haunt you again. More or less a "between the devil and deep blue sea" scenario.

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

I can't believe Skoda is still selling this variant after all the failures that have occurred with the 7 DSG.

What is the warranty on the new unit?

Not just Skoda but VW, Seat and Audi also sell cars with this gearbox
If you go to the VW Australia site, this gearbox is highlighted as a selling point. But agree they can drop it in India given our diesel mania. I did not discuss warranty, but as far as I am concerned, I expect to be treated no differently than the Chinese.

Originally Posted by RS_DEL

More or less a "between the devil and deep blue sea" scenario.

Aptly put.

[Hayek]

Posting on this thread after quite a while. Took the Superb for a weekend trip to Fort Jadhavgarh, a heritage resort near Poona, over the weekend.

On the way out, the car was great to drive. I used cruise control, for the first time ever, on the Expressway - fixed the speed at 120 and did not have to use the accelerator for nearly 15 minutes at a stretch. The reduction in load on your right foot is really worthwhile. However, I did feel uncomfortable when approaching other cars with the cruise control on - the reaction time needed to move my foot to the brake was much higher than normal.

To reach the hotel, you need to turn off the Pune bypass on NH 4 (going towards Satara) just before Katraj, and head towards Hadapsar Saswad road. On the Google Map, this road looked like a nice outer ring road to the south of Poona - in actual practice, it had a broken surface, was narrow, and in parts comprised just rubble.

The Hadapsar Saswad road was much better, with a fantastic Ghat section (wide roads, low traffic, good surface and brilliant curves) just before we reached the hotel. Overall, the journey was great fun.

The hotel itself is worth a visit. Reviews on Tripadvisor were mixed, but we found our room extremely nice, the food great, and the grounds beautifully maintained. The property also has a museum with loads of antiques collected by Vithal Kamath of the Orchid Hotels chain, which runs the place. Overall, a great place for a quick weekend break out of Bombay or Poona.

Some pics:

My Superb - Parked on the Way



Views of the Ghats




The Entrance to Fort Jadhavgarh


Another view of the property


Scenic Grounds - great place to play if you are with kids and friends






The Museum


At the end of it all, we did wish we had booked a 2 day stay instead of just one.

The journey back was more interesting. We had just gotten back to the NH4 Pune bypass and were on a flyover (I think the one over the road to Sinhagad) when the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light came on. As I descended from the flyover, there was a tyrewallah near by. I stopped and asked him to check the air pressure. The pressure on the left rear tyre was low. I asked him to check for a puncture. He took off the tyre, and very quickly, with just a visual inspection spotted two nails. The nails were removed, and the said punctures were repaired. He then pointed out that the valve had also been damaged - he claimed this was likely because I had driven without air for a while. That surprised me, but I got him to change that. After this, he put the tyre in water, and discovered 4 more punctures, on the side walls. These were duly repaired. Damages came to Rs. 1300.

When I got back home, I discovered this thread (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-alloy-wheel-section/125149-puncture-frauds-how-do-they-work.html)

I suspect I have been scammed. More importantly, I now need to replace my tyre. Have posted on this thread (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...dilemma-5.html) asking for help in this regard. Inputs would certainly be appreciated.

The car has now covered 23,800 km.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Damages came to Rs. 1300.

I suspect I have been scammed.

1300 bucks for 6 punctures!! I pay utmost Rs. 50/- for a tubeless puncture here in Meerut and that would have made it maximum of Rs. 300 for 6. You people surely live in a costly city or maybe as correctly pointed out by you, these people scam and also a 'luxo' car inflates such costs; though it requires the same effort to repair a tubeless puncture, whether of a Maruti 800 or a Skoda Superb.

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by dkaile

1300 bucks for 6 punctures!! I pay utmost Rs. 50/- for a tubeless puncture here in Meerut and that would have made it maximum of Rs. 300 for 6. You people surely live in a costly city.

You sure live in a low cost location.

Actually Rs 120 per puncture and Rs 500 for a valve are quite standard in South Bombay, though it did seem high for a highway. This guy charged Rs. 580 for the valve. The concern I have is whether nails had been scattered to trigger the puncture, and whether the sidewall punctures were real or triggered. Further, if I had insisted on a full check up before he started repairing things, I may have just switched to the stepney and stopped at the next real tyre shop to buy a tyre.

At any rate, I will likely take your (and other's) advice from the other thread and buy two new NCT 5s, even though I feel they are not great tyres.

Moving back to my drive, the overall distance covered (including some running in Bombay) from tank to tank was 403 kms, which was covered using 37.5 litres of petrol.

One more development, my Superb is shortly going to be joined by its cousin, the VW Vento Petrol Highline AT. I finally bit the bullet and booked that car (after testing everything from the 520D to the Jazz). No clarity on delivery times yet. Will likely start a thread on my booking experience once I get the car.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Posting on this thread after quite a while. Took the Superb for a weekend trip to Fort Jadhavgarh, a heritage resort near Poona, over the weekend.

Thanks for sharing about this place. Have lived out of this city for over 8 years, never heard of this place earlier! Now a must-visit for sure.

Interesting you refer to the city as Poona. Old habits die hard eh? I still refer to Mumbai as Bombay only.

When I got back home, I discovered this thread (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-alloy-wheel-section/125149-puncture-frauds-how-do-they-work.html)

I suspect I have been scammed. More importantly, I now need to replace my tyre. Have posted on this thread (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...dilemma-5.html) asking for help in this regard. Inputs would certainly be appreciated.

As I commented on the other (Skoda Tyre) thread, I have a similar situation for the Vento - three tires in decent condition having done 25k kms, and one non-usable tire with recent punctures (9 in total - 4 on the sidewall, probably a scammed case as yours). Guess I'll be going the same route as you.

Btw I hope the Vento delivery doesn't take too long!

p.s. The puncture bill came to 400 (negotiated) for me. Guess you were over-charged quite a bit!

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Interesting you refer to the city as Poona. Old habits die hard eh? I still refer to Mumbai as Bombay only.

Yeah, I guess am an old fogey (at heart) - or at any rate, completely unwilling to let politicians dictate the English language names of cities. Germans don't insist that the English call Munich "Munchen", the English don't force the French to stop calling London "Londres", so why do we get into this crazy renaming mania. So Bombay, Poona, Madras, Calcutta, Bangalore shall remain, at least on my posts.

As I commented on the other thread, I have a similar situation for the Vento - three tires in decent condition having done 25k kms, and one non-usable tire with recent punctures (9 in total - 4 on the sidewall, probably scammed

p.s. The puncture bill came to 400 (negotiated) for me. Guess you were over-charged quite a bit!

Yeah, as the puncture scam thread shows, there seems to be a major racket on the Poona bypass. Fortunately, the tyre dealer I took my car to in Bombay was a decent bloke. He assuaged my concerns about my spare, and fitted a tube on the tyre with multiple punctures and shifted it to the steel rim so that it can serve as the spare until I am ready to replace all tyres. So my loss was capped at a moderate level.

Btw I hope the Vento delivery doesn't take too long!

Hope so as well. It's already 2.5 weeks and no sign of the car as yet - not even information on an allotted chassis or engine number, which I can use to process the payment.

But guess this gives me some time to get a post monsoon detailing done for my Superb before it welcomes its cousin.

[kedarwalke]

Long time no see Mr Hayek;hope all is well!!!