[figo_united]

So here comes my figo ownership thread, after 6 months of figoing!

Buying decision :

The serious thought of buying a car came in about a year ago, and the initial plan was to buy a used car and later may be upgrade.
Used car looked a good decision because I was completely new to driving and of course it doesn't make a deep hole in your pocket.
My initial choice was a used santro, but since the cost for a decent car was close to 2 lakh, I decided to go for a new car itself.

My obvious choice at that time was a red i10! I was so close to booking one. Surfed around team-bhp quite a lot to chose the variant, and had finalized on the sportz variant.
Then came further dilemma that a diesel car would better fit my usage, since I shuttle down to mysore(from bangalore) quite often (atleast twice a month), and my daily usage was also pretty high(around 40kms). After all the excel sheet calculations, comparisons, t-bhp researches, i10 was dropped and the hunt for a diesel car begun.

I had to choose from swift, figo, punto. polo was a late addition, but not really had a chance, and I did not like the ritz.
Figo had released just 3 months ago and was moving quite fast actually, But whoever I spoke to would suggest the swift of course, but I was not too keen on it as I did not really like the shape of the swift (no offences), a long waiting period, and there are way too many swifts on the road!
I did have some concerns about ford and figo, and thanks to all the info on T-BHP, I was convinced about the figo.

Buying experience :

I had enquired about the figo in lathangi ford and metro ford in bangalore, but I wanted my car to be a KA-09 [mysore registration] and I was not aware that I could buy the car in bangalore and get it registered in mysore!
So i went with cauvery ford in mysore, even though I would be losing out on a couple of freebies.
The color was always going to be RED [If you have read my intro thread, you would have noticed Manchester United].
Luckily, cauvery ford had a red titanium and were ready to deliver within 2 days! Since the coming saturday was apparently auspicious, and I can go to mysore only on weekends, 24th July was chosen as the delivery date, after going through the t-bhp PDI of course!
with some minor glitches regarding the payment, the delivery did happen on the promised date.

Ownership :

Just after a week of delivery, I faced a dreaded problem on my figo.
The engine just wouldn't start, and the PATS alarm light on the cluster was ON!
I called up the service number of cauvery ford and a person was sent after about an hour and a half.
He checked everything in the bonnet, tried numerous times with the alternate key as well, connected the IDS[ford diagnostic software] and looked for error codes, but still had no idea whatsoever.
Finally, after hours of trying various options, the car suddenly starts! I did not want to take any chances and asked him to drive it straight to the service centre and do a thorough check of everything. It was done and I was told they would get back to me about the root cause after consulting with ford India.
The next morning, I had to go to bangalore with my family for an emergency, after a couple of failed attemps, the engine did start!
Although I was skeptical about driving with the problem, since it was an emergency, I drove to Bangalore making sure I wont switch off the engine at any point.
The problem was back when I started the return journey to mysore! I tried for so many times with both the keys, but the PATS alarm continued to glow!
It was such a horrible experience within a week of buying my first car. I was told by my dealer to contact the ford service centres in bangalore, which I did. They did turn up, but failed to solve it and I was asked to get the vehicle towed to the showroom for further diagnosis.
There came another shocker to me. I called up the ford RSA through which I was entitled for free towing under such circumstances, But to my shock, I was told that I am not entitled to RSA as I purchased the vehicle in mysore, and it is avalaibe only in major cities like bangalore!
After a fight with my dealer about this, he agreed to reimburse the cost [Which I am yet to get till date, even after 6 months]and I got my car towed to lathangi ford in bangalore.

Even after a day, they had no update regarding the issue and just informed me that they are still trying to figure out the problem!
That's when I felt gutted, and started reading all the "stuck with a lemon" threads on T-BHP. I even wrote a mail to ford India mentioning what I had gone through and asking for a replacement car, But all I got was the standard reply saying "We are looking into it, and will contact the corresponding dealership".
After 3 days, I got a call saying the issue has been resolved and the sensor in the key hole that is supposed to decode the code from the key and enable the PATS system, had a loosely connected power connector and was not functioning.

From then on, its been happy times with my figo, although there were the usual minor issues which have been seen on most figos.
I have done several long drives including pondy, ooty and hampi.
I absolutely love the way it handles both on highways and in the city traffic.

Things I love on the car :

* The bluetooth option is so helpful. To play all my fav songs on my phone, and to speak on the phone while driving!
* The smooth gear shift and excellent driveability [No turbo lag at all]. Although, i would have liked the steering to be a bit more smoother.
* The lane change indicators are an excellent feature.
* highly powerful AC
* Space, space and more space! boot included.
* DTE and the fuel level alarms
* boot open button on the key. Helps when U only want to get someting from the boot.
* Excellent music system

Here's a list of the issues i have faced

* rear noise -> fixed very satisfactorily, thanks to gemi and others who posted solutions
* rear window rolling down -> reversed the direction of the lever as suggested on some threads, but it still exists. Not too bothering though.
* broken mud flaps -> still waiting for the softer mud flaps to replace. got a call from ford india that it is available now. Waiting for my dealer to order it and get it.
* underbody scrapping -> has happened so many times, minor damages underneath. Planning to get the 3M underbody coating soon.
* weak headlights -> fitted fog lamps, but not a great deal of improvement. planning to upgrade soon.
* AC evaporator gone bad -> the latest one! Last week the AC suddenly stopped working! when I went to the dealer to get it checked, they said that the AC gas has gone empty due to a leak and needs to be checked. Since the next two days were holidays, I asked them to refill for the time being and I shall get back when I'm free. Yesterday, I got it checked, and I was shown the leak, and was told that the AC evaporator needs to be replaced and it will take a couple of days since the dashboard needs to be opened up and a full test done after replacement! Will be leaving the car for that tomorrow.
Fingers crossed that it wont result in any other issue cropping up!

Mileage :
The max I have got is 19.5 when I did about 150 kms from mysore to bangalore, at a steady speed of 80 with intermittent AC.
Havent been able to drive like that again :P always rip above 100 and get around 17.5.
Within the city, its much less. My usual usage for a full tank will be about 50% in bumper to bumper traffic in bangalore and rest of it on the highway to mysore, and I get a average mileage of 14.5 to 15 regularly.

Service and A.S.S :

Have completed both the free services. Although I had to revisit the dealer for a couple of unresolved issues during service, Overall service experience was pretty good. The service cost was also exactly same as standard estimates.
I have observed the SA trying trial and error for some issues, which gives a very bad picture. I try to make sure they give a proper explanation for everything they do.
Infact they dont try to take me for a ride as they know I keep myself informed about the issues/solutions through T-BHP.
Thanks to all the figo owners here, I always go prepared with possible solutions myself, whenever I visit them for any issues.
The service manager also keeps asking me the general opinion on the overall service response , and how other dealers are working.

I shall post some pics soon.

[figo_united]

Some pics of my figo

On the D-Day!













With the volvo!


Sunset reflecting on the figo!


Foggy ride on Mysore-Bangalore highway


Ride to melkote after I gave it a nice wash.








At historical Hampi


Near Badami


Before Sunset




Odo on 6666


Odo on 8888


@ doddabetta peak, ooty


On the way to koonoor

[camchennai]

Congrats and thanks for brining up this review.

Figo is a practical car for your daily use and you have made the right choice.

Sad part is that FORD has taken too much time to resolve your starting trouble issue; they should have resolved it in the first visit. Did FORD India do a regular follow up with you for this issue??
Is AC evaporator getting replaced under warranty?? Why did it go bad so soon??

Kindly update the thread frequently

[Sheel]

Congratulations

Does the fog-lamp aid illumination in any which way? I am saving $$$ to swap on alloys on mine.

[figo_united]

thanks camchennai.

There was no follow up whatsoever from ford India regarding the PATS problem. As i've mentioned, a standard template reply is all I got.
There was no proper response upon calling them too!

But recently, they seem to be active on facebook community. They keep responding to our queries and following up with the dealer.

And yes, the AC evaporator will be replaced under warranty. I shall check further details with the SA once I visit, and update.

Originally Posted by camchennai

Congrats and thanks for brining up this review.

Figo is a practical car for your daily use and you have made the right choice.

Sad part is that FORD has taken too much time to resolve your starting trouble issue; they should have resolved it in the first visit. Did FORD India do a regular follow up with you for this issue??
Is AC evaporator getting replaced under warranty?? Why did it go bad so soon??

Kindly update the thread frequently

Thanks Sheel.

I dont see a great deal of improvement in illumination after adding the fog lamps.
Upgrading the headlights would be a better option I guess.

Originally Posted by Sheel

Congratulations

Does the fog-lamp aid illumination in any which way? I am saving $$$ to swap on alloys on mine.

[figo_united]

I checked with the SA regarding the AC evaporator and he says it might get damaged due to vibrations in the dashboard too!
he said they have recieved instruction from ford india to install dampers to avoid this as well.

I am not too sure about this. Can anybody please throw some light on this?

[gemithomas]

Good review. RED ROCKS!!!

The picture with the Fog lamps on surely inspires me to spend some money

[figo_united]

Originally Posted by gemithomas

Good review. RED ROCKS!!!

The picture with the Fog lamps on surely inspires me to spend some money

Thanks gemi, yeah Red truely rocks!
As i've mentioned in another thread, the fog lamp enhances the pictures, but not too effective in improving visibility in my opinion!

[figo_united]

Got the AC evaporator replaced last week. I was told they have installed dampers to avoid vibration as well (as per instructions from ford india).
Havent faced any issues till now, except some noise in the bonnet which was due to a loose pipe, which was fixed.

[figo_united]

How much does the 3M under chasis coating cost?
I checked at the lathangi ford outlet, they are quoting 4500, but I remember reading in some thread that it costs somewhere around 3500.
Could someone who has got it done please let me know?

[SPARKled]

Congrats on your car. I recently test drove a Figo and was mighty impressed. The AC evaporator coil is a pretty expensive piece of kit to replace if not under warranty. Hope yours a is a one of case and not a regular problem. What kind of warranty is Ford offering on a Figo diesel?

[abhinav.s]

Crisp and to the point write up. Loved the pics as well with the car in different backgrounds. Hope the niggles are all sorted out satisfactorily and you have a trouble free ownership experience.

Wishing you many more happy miles with the figo.

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by figo_united

How much does the 3M under chasis coating cost?
I checked at the lathangi ford outlet, they are quoting 4500, but I remember reading in some thread that it costs somewhere around 3500.
Could someone who has got it done please let me know?

I got the 3m thing done for my Gyspy for 3300/- during purchase a few months back.

6 free inspections. They goofed on the application and left a part uncovered. So one free inspection was wasted in the next month and the touch-up job.

Make sure you check on delivery.

HTH

[figo_united]

Originally Posted by SPARKled

Congrats on your car. I recently test drove a Figo and was mighty impressed. The AC evaporator coil is a pretty expensive piece of kit to replace if not under warranty. Hope yours a is a one of case and not a regular problem. What kind of warranty is Ford offering on a Figo diesel?

thanks SPARKled. Mine was indeed replaced under warranty.

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Crisp and to the point write up. Loved the pics as well with the car in different backgrounds. Hope the niggles are all sorted out satisfactorily and you have a trouble free ownership experience.

Wishing you many more happy miles with the figo.

Thanks abhinav

Originally Posted by Ragul

I got the 3m thing done for my Gyspy for 3300/- during purchase a few months back.

6 free inspections. They goofed on the application and left a part uncovered. So one free inspection was wasted in the next month and the touch-up job.

Make sure you check on delivery.

HTH

Where did you get it done?

[lejhoom]

[quote=figo_united]

Congratulations. The photo (1376) posted earlier looks very arresting. Figo looks like a full-sized sedan, well planted.

Cheers.