| My Bad experience with 2004 Maruti Esteem Lxi
My experience with my Esteem Lxi 2004 May.
My first car was a 1997 carb Esteem which I bought around 4 years ago for 1.5 lakhs. It was a used car, one of those which was used and maintained by a company. It had covered around 40k kms and the body line was good. I was very happy with the way the car handled and FE was good and I had spent 0 Rs on the car after I bought it. I was happy. Later I got a fixation for the Sierra (TATA). So, I went ahead and sold my Esteem for around 1.35 lakhs. I had used it for around 8 months and bought a 1997 Sierra for 1.5 lakhs, it was fun to drive the car for sometime, then the problems started, everyday a new part had to be replaced. The parts were not that expensive, but nevertheless paying a visit to the garage was not my idea of fun. Hence I sold the Sierra for 1.5 lakhs after 6 months. Then I bought a 1997 Zen for 1.7 lakhs (funny how I used to come across only 1997 model cars, wonder why??) I used the zen for almost 2 years, I got it painted black and I had to change the front shock absorbers, apart from which I had no other maintenance issues..
I was quite happy with the car, I wanted to add on headers, filter, alloys and a muffler, however fate had other ideas, my colleague hounded me to death to sell my car, this put ideas into my head that maybe it was time to buy my first NEW car, break it in and all that stuff. Soooooo, I sold my car for 1.7 lakhs and bought the new MPFI Esteem 2004 july ar Bimal, Bangalore. I wanted a black color esteem, this was just a week before the new “Come fall in love New Esteem was launched”, the salesman did not inform me that a new model was on the cards, and also the color I wanted was not available, I waited for 15 days to no avail….. So, I went for the next available color..”Pearl Silver”….I got a good deal and the final price was 4.46 lakhs with free Central Locking of Autocop. I got the delivery, went through the break in period, was very happy. 5000 kms completed went for 195/60/R14 Falken tubeless with League alloys. Car looked awesome. Got the K&N Universal Performance Filter fitted. Car became awesome…. I fitted a Muffler.. sounded great extremely happy, good performance, good pickup, good handling, good FE approx 15 in city and 18 in highways…what more can one ask for… I was one happy Maruti customer, I used only Castrol Magnatec engine oil. Regular services on the dot etc etc. let me not bore you and come to the meat of the problem. I have a friend, Ranjit Ballal, a real nice guy, has his Multi Brand service center in Koramangala, and also he is a rallyist, races in a MPFI Esteem, recently upgraded to Baleno. There was rattling in the doors also a whine in 2nd Gear at 2000 to 2500 rpm, so went to him to get it corrected because Maruti was not doing anything about it. The doors started rattling from 2000 km on the speedo. BTW I use only 93 octane fuel. Wellll, he took it for a test and told me that there was a problem in either the gear box/ differential and that I need to take it to the service center to get an opinion of the problem. So off I went to Bimal, where he checked and told me that there was no prob, hotfoot it back to Ranjit, who told me to put some pressure to get it done, if still they do not accept, he will put in a word to the CEO of Bimal who was his good friend. Hotfoot back to Bimal. OK let me tell you that I stay around 50km from Bimal one way. Please do the math of how much I must have spent on fuel…..Well I went back and as suggested, very strongly asserted my problem. OK. We will check was the reply, they told me that it was the bearing…..aaah relief. Well I did something smart this time, I called Ranjit and told him Bimal diagnosis, he told that it was not so. So conveyed this, they put the car on the lift and then eliminated bearing noise. Then they drained the engine oil, and there was filings in the oil. I got a shock, even the engineer was perplexed, and told me that this should not be so, and told me that he would check and let me know. I asked for a replacement car and I was given a Maruti 800 with its pistons fried and would not move faster than 35 at any given point of time. Well being the co operative guy that I am, I adjusted with the car, 2 days later the Service Engineer calls up and tells me that the car is ready and that the filings are a normal scene (Then why was he shocked earlier?) so I asked him if the noise was gone. He said yes. Let me take a minute to explain the noise here. If you wind the windows up and aceelelerate in 2nd gear you hear a whining noise. So when i got the car back they charged me for fuel that they said they had filled up?? Shocking? As I had amost half tank fuel when I gave the car. Well they said pay up. I did. Did a test. Noise still there Exaparated I shouted Bloody Murder. Then the Service Eng.. says it is because of the tyres???corny…I say ok remove tyre and check, if no noise I will go.. So Bimal says will ask the Maruti Tech to take a look. OK. One Mr Ravi of Maruti comes checks and says that the noise is abnormal and will ask Bimal to do some repairs. They take the car back do some repairs and say they will deliver it half way at silk board junction. I say whatever. I am waiting for my car, for something like 3 hours, when our man come up and says that he has crashed the car and there is a 2 inch hole on the rear quarter panel. I check the noise and it is still there…I go fuming to Bimal and got the roof down and told them I have not a scratch on my car and I want a replacement on the car, the CEO comes down and says that he will get the car repaired on Bimals cost and also will replace the Gear box and also will give me a spoiler. I agreed. The car comes after 15 days, as new, noise gone, it is now 5000 km on the Mileage. They tell me that they have replaced the gear box of a 4000 km car…. No noise, I am happy, after 1000 km the noise is back. I change the tyre, I call Bimal and the Maruti service manager, they come and tell me they will check, I am then ticked off very rudely saying that “if you have it in your mind, the problem will never go” actual quote by the Maruti guy, he is supposed to be a top guy at the Cunningham road. I said that it is my right to get it corrected. They take the car and change the differential, and give it back. No noise. 1000 km the noise is back. Disgusted, I go to Bimal, and tell them to take the car back. They offer to buy it back for 3.80 lakhs and give the Baleno for 6.14 lakhs with free remote entry. I say whatever, I say I want it in black, they say sure… then I give my car, and surprise, no black as rains have delayed delivery… I wait and finally in a fit of anger decide that I do not want a Maruti anymore. I say to them to change the booking to a Maruti 800 ac. The car is delivered 2 days after promised date. I am meanwhile without a car for 15 days. I travel to Electronics city which is around 27 kms one way from home where I work. Now that I have the 800, it is a superb car, better than the esteem in handling, suspension ( the esteem rocks like a boat on Bangalore roads). So finally decided will go for the car I always wanted ------- HONDA CITY VTEC (old). The 800 - wife will use. | 
26th December 2005, 22:11
