[digitaldeepak]

Longterm ownership -
Purchased -- September 7,2015
ODO-67125

Overall - 9/10

No particular issue except some lag of power sometimes otherwise happy. Time to change stock tyres now.

Took gold service pack so overall cost of service was quite low.

[kunal1983]

Originally Posted by perty

You could try one of the following:
1] Change the air filter. The service center guys will insist that the life of the air filter is 40,000 km but you can insist back and ask for it to be replaced with a new one. Might cost you around 200-300 rs at worst.
2] When you start the car, leave it idling in neutral for *atleast* 2 mins before you engage the gears and move it forward.

I got the air filter replaced as well but the problem is still recurring. I was already idling the car for 1-2min till the RPM needle used to stabilize.

The car has become pretty much unusable and I am contemplating next steps. The car runs fine for 2-3 days after coming from workshop and then the problem reoccurs. Concorde Motors though helpful is just not able to solve the problem.

Truly regret buying Tata :(

[low_rider]

Got the battery replaced today. The stock battery conked off after 2.5 years of use. Got an Exide sonic for INR 4500, with a 24+24 months warranty. But while replacing the battery, the software updates got deleted and some features like auto relock setting and drive away lock setting is gone now. The software version date is shiwn as June 2014. How to get the latest version installed niw?

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by low_rider

Got the battery replaced today. The stock battery conked off after 2.5 years of use. Got an Exide sonic for INR 4500, with a 24+24 months warranty. But while replacing the battery, the software updates got deleted and some features like auto relock setting and drive away lock setting is gone now. The software version date is shiwn as June 2014. How to get the latest version installed niw?

My battery too was gone. It survived for 33 months
and 59,000 km, with AC on all the time.

Got an Amaron 24+24.

Removing the battery put back the clock to 2013. Had to set date and time. Basically, reset to factory setting once the battery is removed. Not sure about updates being deleted, though.

Even if updates are deleted, they can be updated when the car is serviced.

The battery on XM QJD 90 was of 47.5 Ah. I went for 55 Ah one this time. Even a 60 Ah one would have been a perfect fit in the battery compartment but the dealer preferred the 55 Ah one.

The service manual stipulates the timing CHAIN needs to be replaced at 60,000 km. Service centre guy quotes Rs. 4,500/- for the chain and Rs. 2,800/- plus taxes for labour. Total cost would be around Rs. 15000/- for the 60,000 km service, including the usual oil and filter changes, change of coolant, timing chain. Mine is due in about 1000 km, so I would know the exact figure very soon. Incidentally, this will be the first time I will be shelling out from my pocket as the car was, like all of the first batches, was covered under standard 45,000 or 3 year company maintenance scheme (which covers scheduled maintenance).

So far no issues other than AC being not being effective once. A simple cleaning of the filter put it back. Quite satisfied with the car, its linear delivery of power, silent cabin, very effective AC, plush ride, good handling, very comfortable seating and most relevant, no niggles at all. Concorde, Uppal service was competent, though their washing could do with a lot of improvement.

[perty]

Originally Posted by simplyself

AC being not being effective once. A simple cleaning of the filter put it back.

Was the filter cleaning done at the ASS ? Or did you do it yourself ?
If it was DIY job, could you point me to a video or a guide that demonstrates how it can be done

[srvm]

Originally Posted by perty

Was the filter cleaning done at the ASS ? Or did you do it yourself ?
If it was DIY job, could you point me to a video or a guide that demonstrates how it can be done

+1 to that. I have the same query. Recently the effectiveness of AC in my Zest has reduced. Youtube has video of DIY job of AC filter cleaning of a Tiago. Wonder if the location of the AC filter is the same in Zest?!
Can anybody help us out here?

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by perty

Was the filter cleaning done at the ASS ? Or did you do it yourself ?
If it was DIY job, could you point me to a video or a guide that demonstrates how it can be done

The job was done by the TASS. The SA had pointed to that. Any AC mechanic would know the location. It seems a routine job but I didn't know about that at the time.

[coldice4u]

Originally Posted by perty

Was the filter cleaning done at the ASS ? Or did you do it yourself ?
If it was DIY job, could you point me to a video or a guide that demonstrates how it can be done

Originally Posted by srvm

+1 to that. I have the same query. Recently the effectiveness of AC in my Zest has reduced. Youtube has video of DIY job of AC filter cleaning of a Tiago. Wonder if the location of the AC filter is the same in Zest?!
Can anybody help us out here?

I have uploaded a small video of the location of the AC filter in my Bolt, i believe this will be the exact same for the Zest as well. This does get quite dirty here in NCR and needs to be cleaned every 2-3 months. Makes a world of difference.

I think the model of the AC filter is the exact same as the one in Tiago and the DIY guide for Tiago can be followed.
Please excuse the inorrect orientation of the video !! Happy motoring !

https://youtu.be/CtatQIwxBk8

[Added_flavor]

Keeping my budget in mind and the fact that we do not want to look at a pre-owned vehicle, we've shortlisted Toyota Etios Petrol and Tata Zest Petrol. I test drove both along with my family. This is about the Tata Zest Petrol TD we did today.

Likes:

• The vehicle looks and feels premium both outside and inside. The plush interiors, good space, excellent looking dash, great music system, decent boot etc.
• Petrol Top end is under 9L on road.
• The specs look great on paper. 1.2L petrol Turbocharged engine, 90 hp and 140Nm flat torque.

Dislikes:

• Tall stance.
• Tata reliability. (Have proof..Read on)
• Iffy Tata ASS.

Test Drive Experience:

Walked in to Tata showroom today, mind you on a weekend morning. Empty showroom and scant number of staff greeted us. On display was a diesel Zest and the entry level variant at that (Who displays a bare bone entry variant?!). After checking on prices, warranty, AMC etc., we decided to TD the car.

I also had the Diesel AMT mid-variant in mind, but I was told that they do not have a diesel AMT for TD at all. In fact, the sales manager claimed that no dealerships have a diesel AMT for TD. He even claimed that the diesel AMT is only made to order now! Anyway, Tata doesn't even provide ABS and Airbags on the diesel AMT mid-variant now (XMA) and the top end is out of my budget, so that's out of my equation.

Meanwhile, the TD car arrived after about 5 mins. It was a petrol top variant. Just when we were about to get into the car, we hear a resounding "Wait saar" from the security guard and we step back! He started cleaning the dusty TD car with a wet dirty rag.

The TD started with us checking out the music system, pairing bluetooth etc. and then I see the low fuel light on the console. I turn to the sales manager and he sheepishly asks me to drive to the fuel station to fill fuel.

We swallowed all this, filled fuel and started TD. For a while, I drove the vehicle in Normal (city) mode and then checked Economy mode. Then we hit some open roads and I switched to Sport mode at the insistence of the sales manager. I could feel the difference in acceleration for a few seconds and then .. beep, beep, beep.. Check engine light came on and the vehicle started vibrating like crazy. With the engine getting into limp mode and gasping for breath, we limped back to the showroom with the shuddering and struggling engine.

The salesman claimed the vehicle was involved in an accident and since then has this issue. I dont know how genuine this story is as the vehicle showed no signs of being in an accident. He promised to come with a proper TD car to my doorstep, but I have a feeling I won't receive any call from him.

A good product wasted and yet another customer lost for Tata.

This is in stark contrast to my experience at the Toyota showroom. My entire family came out overwhelmed and happy, both with the product and with the service we received.

EDIT: The dealpership is Prerana Motors, Rajajinagar.

[yatin]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

Keeping my budget in mind and the fact that we do not want to look at a pre-owned vehicle, we've shortlisted Toyota Etios Petrol and Tata Zest Petrol. I test drove both along with my family. This is about the Tata Zest Petrol TD we did today.

Likes:

• The vehicle looks and feels premium both outside and inside. The plush interiors, good space, excellent looking dash, great music system, decent boot etc.
• Petrol Top end is under 9L on road.
• The specs look great on paper. 1.2L petrol Turbocharged engine, 90 hp and 140Nm flat torque.

Dislikes:

• Tall stance.
• Tata reliability. (Have proof..Read on)
• Iffy Tata ASS.

Test Drive Experience:

Walked in to Tata showroom today, mind you on a weekend morning. Empty showroom and scant number of staff greeted us. On display was a diesel Zest and the entry level variant at that (Who displays a bare bone entry variant?!). After checking on prices, warranty, AMC etc., we decided to TD the car.

I also had the Diesel AMT mid-variant in mind, but I was told that they do not have a diesel AMT for TD at all. In fact, the sales manager claimed that no dealerships have a diesel AMT for TD. He even claimed that the diesel AMT is only made to order now! Anyway, Tata doesn't even provide ABS and Airbags on the diesel AMT mid-variant now (XMA) and the top end is out of my budget, so that's out of my equation.

Meanwhile, the TD car arrived after about 5 mins. It was a petrol top variant. Just when we were about to get into the car, we hear a resounding "Wait saar" from the security guard and we step back! He started cleaning the dusty TD car with a wet dirty rag.

The TD started with us checking out the music system, pairing bluetooth etc. and then I see the low fuel light on the console. I turn to the sales manager and he sheepishly asks me to drive to the fuel station to fill fuel.

We swallowed all this, filled fuel and started TD. For a while, I drove the vehicle in Normal (city) mode and then checked Economy mode. Then we hit some open roads and I switched to Sport mode at the insistence of the sales manager. I could feel the difference in acceleration for a few seconds and then .. beep, beep, beep.. Check engine light came on and the vehicle started vibrating like crazy. With the engine getting into limp mode and gasping for breath, we limped back to the showroom with the shuddering and struggling engine.

The salesman claimed the vehicle was involved in an accident and since then has this issue. I dont know how genuine this story is as the vehicle showed no signs of being in an accident. He promised to come with a proper TD car to my doorstep, but I have a feeling I won't receive any call from him.

A good product wasted and yet another customer lost for Tata.

This is in stark contrast to my experience at the Toyota showroom. My entire family came out overwhelmed and happy, both with the product and with the service we received.

EDIT: The dealpership is Prerana Motors, Rajajinagar.

I had the exact same shortlist, & only a slightly better experience on a weekend with Prerana, Mysore Road. I know people with Zest ownership, and was willing to try Tata; but my better half started reading T-BHP and noticed the thick A & C pillars. Surprisingly, the good noise insulation was also a negative - it was deathly quiet inside, uncomfortably.

Isn't top-end petrol under ₹8 lakh with discounts? Minus ₹20k after GST?

I am curious, did you do Tata first, then Toyota? I did Toyota first; given the good car & good experience, it was an effort to try anything else after that!

[simplyself]

Done a long trip of 1000 km after a long time. Unlike my normal practice of sedate driving, I pushed the vehicle to about 120 - 130 km consistently. Crosswinds were moderately high and the NH 5 has undulations aplenty. Car handled the conditions very well. For the first 500 km, the FE was 18 kmpl and the return 500 km yielded 19.7 kmpl with a lighter foot ( 100 - 110 kmph).

Total trip took about 17 hours with several breaks but was not fatigued, it's superb NVH levels contributing much along with comfortable seats. Good high speed handling is in part because of its weight, I believe.

Now it's time for 60,000 km service.

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

This is in stark contrast to my experience at the Toyota showroom. My entire family came out overwhelmed and happy, both with the product and with the service we received.

Agreed, Tata Sales is less than good. It may be a one off incident but my experience with a Toyota dealership was inexplicable and inexcusable.

My friend was interested in Etios. The demo was accompanied by the SA and driver. They didn't have a vehicle and said it would take upto a month. But they had a 2016 one and offered handsome discount. Bargain went on for a while and we left the dealership. We received a call next day, and they agreed to extend benefits if we come that day itself and pay some advance. Now, we stay 150 km away and they know it perfectly well. We informed them that we will be paying a lakh then and within three days complete formalities and take delivery of car. They agreed and we went to the dealership three hours later.

They coolly informed that the vehicle was sold and that they couldn't do anything about it. When we questioned why we were made to come 150 km away, they meekly said it was due to some sort of miscommunication in their organisation and that we could book a vehicle.

[ranjithrnath]

My car met with an accident on 7th April 2017 and it was a collision with another Alto.
I gave the car for repair at Focuz Automobiles Edapally Ernakulam. Got the car after repair on 2nd May 2017. Shortly after I received the car while riding at odo 42,244 the steering became hard and ABS light started appearing and gear indicator showed F.

Gave my car back to same service center Focuz Edapally since they were the ones who replaced the abs pump and fittings at the time of accident. They kept my car there for 2 days; the service adviser first said its a wiring issue and then said it is the connector getting loose.
After two days he said error is fixed and returned my car, but the issue is not rectified; I believe he just erased the error logs after connecting laptop to OBD port. I strongly believe it is an issue with steering / alignment / front wheels. Whenever I take a sharp turn / twist the steering / fall in pothole the light starts blinking again. The light stays ON for a short time - that time the F indicator comes up and the odometer stops working.


Today the same issue happened - odo at 43,130. Now the steering has become tight, ABS and parking light stay lit up and are not going off. Also, I would like to mention that the airbags didn't get deployed at the time of the collision in April. When a front impact happens aren't the airbags supposed to inflate ?

[coldice4u]

Originally Posted by ranjithrnath

My car met with an accident on 7th April 2017 and it was a collision with another Alto.

As per the manual, if F comes up on the gear lever indicator, you need to visit a the service centre. F indicates a fault, and is not something which will go away by itself.
A frontal collision does not always cause airbag deployment.Slow speed collisions are less likely to cause airbag deployment.
I hope the TATA guys do a much better job this time around !

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by ranjithrnath

After two days he said error is fixed and returned my car, but the issue is not rectified; I believe he just erased the error logs after connecting laptop to OBD port.

Today the same issue happened - odo at 43,130. Now the steering has become tight, ABS and parking light stay lit up and are not going off.

I was watching this thread to see that tata motors have cleaned up their act in the service side. It seems they still need to make progress. In trivandrum, Focuz is supposed to be among the better ones - i hope you have the customer care phone nos and email id's - escalate until you get a fire burning under their collective bottoms.