Team-BHP - ARTICLE: What to do if you are stuck with a lemon (Defective car)

Quote:

Originally Posted by scopriobharath (Post 2579175)

smally - please provide some more information to our members on what car you are referring to and why do you feel that is a lemon. There are people in our forum who have restored battered jeeps, beetles and even a VW Microbus so nothing is impossible. kindly share more info so that we can point you to the right thread / make relavent suggestions.

hi guys, the car i am talking about is a 86' honda accord (i know many will think its a fab car and i too am of the same opinion). but since the time i picked this up, i have been only spending money on this car. i have overhauled the suspension (change of shocks, tie tods, links, cross member), brakes - pads, discs, brake lines, new a/c compressor, new batteries, new fuel pump, the steering assembly has been opened up 5 times for hardness and the problem still persists!!!.
the car feels bumpy and rigid. and moreover it stalls after every 20 mins of driving!!! the engine is very responsive, the problem seems to be in the fuel line. we are at our wits end trying to figure this out.
i have gotten it repaired from one of the distinguished mechanics (also reviewed and highly recommended by the forum, would refrain from naming him) in mumbai. its not his fault, i believe, since he has worked on other cars of mine and has been absolutely fantastic. he is of the opinion that we should get rid of this at the earliest, since parts availability and maintenance will be a persistent problem.
all i want to know is should i retain this or let go of it. my heart is stuck on it - the old world charm and a bit of snob value is wot is keeping me away from disposing it off!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by scopriobharath (Post 2579892)

If you are really attached to the car by heart. i would suggest you keep it. If you could maintain it and budget is not a constraint keep it.

80s accords are pretty old and much repair is expected.

If you are really keen on the car, sell this and import one in good condition. There are plenty of examples in UK and USA.

It all depends on the budget. You get all spares for accords in UK and USA. only problem is customs in india, time and money. If this is not a constraint, maintaining it becomes okay.

many thanks scorpiobharath. it is the import and customs part that is becoming a deterrent. so i guess i will have to let go off of this one. thanks once again.

Quote:

found the front passenger seat floor flooded with 4" water. I called up the dealer, said he will send somebody to pick up the car and they will check it out Meanwhile the i emptied the water and tried to find the cause.On lifting the carpet found some dampness on the upper end below the dash.I think the water ingress might be from the windshield.

Hello Joen 23

welcome to forum ! First - don't go on numbers , what if car was manufactured on 13th ?
Are you sure you have closed all windows , maybe in excitement of new car you have left one open partially . 4 Inch of water through windshield is not possible . I don't know about this car but there may be some drainage holes in floor without plugs .

Well guys I need some advice. The post is long, I apologize, kindly bear with me please: – and do give your input.

Last year a close relative of mine (maternal uncle) needed a new bike for local commuting. I had recommended Honda Twister, but for some strange reason he didn't like Twister's (loud!) design. So I recommended the next option - TVS Star City & he bought the bike in November 2010.

Now there were/are two issues :

1.There was no Authorised TVS dealer in my uncle's district (Chamba, HP) – the nearest being 4 hours away at Kangra (HP) or in Pathankot (PB). The Kangra dealer has a sales outlet & service centre thing run by a local guy on his behalf. So for easy A.S.S. the bike was bought from the Kangra dealer. All services /repairs till date have been carried out by the local A.S.S.

2.Uncle's been facing all sorts of problems with the bike since first day.

Chronologically they are:

- The odometer's not been working since the first day, & Within a week the fuel gauge had stopped working; the horn became erratic too. The Economy mode indicator has also stopped working since 3 months. The dealer has adjusted/repaired the things several times in the past one year; but presently only the fuel gauge works.

- About six months both rear shockers leaked (within a week of each other). The dealer replaced them after a months delay and numerous visits.

- The front mud guard does not stay fixed/secured; only one bolt aligns properly with the mudguard / there is NO hole for second bolt. The centre stand does not operate/stays open properly.

- The bike is serviced regularly at the dealer, yet on one instance about four months back, while driving the chain simply came off the rear sprockets.

- Since about two weeks the engine has developed a loud, coarse noise. The dealer checked it and said - “The crankshaft needs to be replaced, take the bike to Kangra”.

This was simply too much & uncle called me and asked about possibility of bike being replaced on pro-rata basis / refund. I asked him to contact TVS directly.

So he filled the contact form on TVS website this Sunday – gave his phone no., email etc. On Monday morning he received a phone call from a TVS representative who queried about dealer, service history, problems etc. The guy said he would call again.

He didn't call, but by Monday afternoon the local dealer/service centre owner called my uncle & did the extra courteous smooth talking – what was the need to complain at the top – we'll fix everything – please withdraw the complaint etc.

Since then the dealer's been calling incessantly, asking uncle to drop the bike at his shop – he even offered pickup - drop back (to & from Kangra), complete repair everything.

Getting no call from TVS rep., today uncle asked the dealer about replacement/refund thing. The guy said that's not possible, offered to get everything fixed and asked for complaint withdrawal.

What would you guys suggest?

Uncle would have to meet the dealer tomorrow for sure – the guy's going crazy with the phone (this afternoon on checking his cell after a meeting, uncle found 41 missed calls from the dealer!!).

Nobody from TVS called again/mailed back, should uncle contact them again regarding replacement/refund. Or would it ok to get the crankshaft / other things repaired. Uncle would prefer a replacement / refund even if on pro-rata basis.

Btw, TVS gives 5 year warranty on the bike (must be subject to T&C though).

Bumping up an old thread. My question is when exactly do you conclude your car is a 'lemon' ?

Is a car classified a 'lemon' if a particular problem crops up repeatedly and n number of visits to service station yield no result.

OR

If the car has multiple breakdowns and pre-mature failure of parts in a relatively short period of ownership ?

Do both the above be called 'lemon' or are these just problematic but not defective cars ?

My case
I bought a Nov '11 manufactured car in Feb 2012. All was fine till may when the car had its first breakdown.

In May, the rear right wheel jammed and it needed a flat-bed. The drum brakes,brake linings were all inspected and the brake shoes were replaced finally. The SA told me its some 'new' and updated design so I won't have a problem again.

In August, the strut bearings were worn out which resulted in steering making a 'krruk' noise everytime i turned at slow speeds. VW replaced the bearings under warranty.

Today, while on the way to attend a function the car broke down on the highway. There were fumes from the bonnet and when it was opened, diesel had spilled all over the engine. There was diesel spray on the outer body of the car as well. VW will get back to me on what went wrong tomorrow, however a local mechanic who looked at the car said it must be due to a broken diesel pipe.

Is this a case of a lemon ?

There is a issue with my Quanto C6 2012 Model. The Check Engine warning glows frequently. The problem started some time back, and the service centre replaced different parts everytime I went with this problem.

First Time - Changed Inter cooler & EGR, saying there is a leak - Total Cost Rs. 13044

Second Time - Replaced Vacuum Modulator & Vacuum Hose - Total Cost Rs. 3011

Third Time - Replaced Filter cartridge and FEO - Cost Rs. 850

Fourth Time - Replaced Vacuum Modulator again, Brake Switch (saying check engine can come if brake switch is not proper and the power will be reduced, also said battery is weak and of 9V power is not given to sensors, all sensors will fail) - Total cost Rs. 3518

Fifth Time - Complained to Mahindra and the ASS took the vehicle and kept kept it with them for 5 days and said thorough diagnosis on the issue was done and they need to replace battery. Replaced the battery but it did not solve the problem. Later called me and said they found out the issue and the issue is with the Turbo and I need to replace turbo which costs Rs. 62000. I asked them how would I trust them from my past experience, if the Engine check lamp warning come again after replacement of Turbo, would they ask me to replace the Engine and Gear Box.

Replaced Battery, Element Air Filter, done 70000 Km service. - Total Cost Rs. 12750.

Now planning to show the vehicle at a trusted Mahindra workshop in my hometown - not ASS. Then will decide on the action plan.

Is the turbo repairable, instead of replacement? Is there any way by which I can get the problem sorted out with out spending a whopping Rs. 62000 + labor charges to replace the Turbo.

I bought a new car in August 2017 and it developed a problem. They have been trying to identify the problem since two weeks now.

So far dealership workshop have sent me only one email stating they are trying to fix the problem with help from Manufacturers technicians.

I saw that car was almost dismantled except engine and body to look for electrical problem. This means factory fitting is tampered.

Even if they are able to fix this problem I am worried that technicians at dealership may not be competitive as technicians in their factory so there could be a possibility of another problem cropping up in future.

I had called consumer forum to ask how do I approach and they advised that after they fix the problem and handover the car, accept it “under protest” that if something happens in future then Manufacturer or dealership is liable.

Do I have legal option to ask for replacement by a new car? I am not feeling confident about the car sold to me.

Thanks your advice was a relief...a light at t he end of the tunnel!
You I've a 2016 model Kwid 800 and there are two manufacturing defects which they just can't repair
1. The front wheels wobble beyond 115 km/h. They've replaced the front hub bearings checked he wheel alignment, balancing, interchanged tyres and what not.
2. The accelerator has a microscopic flat spot at the beginning of the pedal travel. You know its there because the engine pings and shows all the signs of fuel starvation momentarily. After that of course the car takes off without any hassle. But it is very irritating in town when one is going over speed breakers or in slow traffic.

Any one faced this with the Kwid ?