S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members

sam_babushka · 29th October 2018, 14:34

Sorry, this was an incorrect towing method which caused the bumper to rip off. I have towed a Swift with my Bolero during my Mumbai-Leh-Mumbai driving trip, and although it was the first time for me, I knew that I had to ensure the line was taut before attempting to actually pull the Swift. Apologies if this is too direct, but it is the case here

theexperthand · 29th October 2018, 15:43

After observing this thread for the last couple of days, I feel most of the posts are more interested in finding fault with the way the towing happened, than asking why it happened in the first case.

For me, it points to a design failure - these are parts which should withstand abuse and the manufacture have not factored in the amount of force applied to this particular part, which resulted in easy failure. I hope the manufacturer reach out to you and offers an explanation at least.

Leaving the picture of how the part looks on a Punto:

S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members-inkedimg00101201106251546_li.jpg

--Anoop

saket77 · 29th October 2018, 16:15

Forget the broken member, good or bad technique and all that...Lalu sir, just let me know which brand tow-rope you guys used that stood the strength of the brutal Scorpio torque and the heavy SCross with people inside it on the incline and ultimately ripping out the tow hook...still kept itself intact!

On a serious note, has this been brought to the notice of Maruti? If yes, have they put any word with you officially?

Regards,
Saket.

locusjag · 29th October 2018, 16:37

This is why we should have our own desi Clarkson-May-Hammond for our country. This could be an interesting hypothesis - (imagine desi Clarkson saying this) - "Is the S-Cross of inferior build? There's only one way to find out."

The scene cuts to a plush green field, where James May stands with a towing vehicle and a long chain in hand. The blowing wind ruffles May's hair, just as much as it sends the grass in the background into ripples.

He proceeds to hook the tow-truck to a S-cross. Guess who's at the wheel? A grinning Hammond. You know mischief is afoot.

Hammond asks us to imagine that he's a very "green" towing operator. Or that maybe he's tipsy. He lets loose on the towing job - with harsh jerks, sudden turns etc. We get to observe the outcome. The S-cross's front rips off. James May gets very cross at Hammond.

The duo proceed to similarly tow a TUV 300, a Creta, a Yeti, an Ecosport and a Nexon, in that order. We should really get to see what happens then. Man, I'd totally pay money to see such a show and in particular, that episode.

I see people blaming the towing-operator, others blame Maruti. So here's the thing, in Marketing and product design, there's a concept - you don't blame the customer, in ordinary circumstances at least. If the ordinary customer (or his friends) aren't experienced at towing and as a result, they mete out some unintended punishment to the car being towed (which is very likely), a good product designer would build some additional safety margin into the product in terms of material strength of the underlying parts.

In this hypothetical desi automotive holy trinity's episode, we would get to see which products have that additional bit of strength built into their structures. I don't have a dog in the fight and would love to see a comparison of how each of these vehicles fare with similar abuse.

In conclusion of this hypothetical desi top gear segment, James May would reveal to the audience that Maruti never intended for the front tow hook to be used. Clarkson would exclaim that that's absurd. James May would state that no, everyone should read the manual of every product first. Clarkson would ask the in-studio crowd - "how many of you have read your car's manual thoroughly?" The lack of more than a few raised hands in the crowd would prove Clarkson's point. Clarkson would say "And on that bombshell, it's time to end. Good night folks...", as the camera zooms out and the credits come on the screen.

laluks · 29th October 2018, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by locusjag

This is why we should have our own desi Clarkson-May-Hammond for our country. ......

. If the ordinary customer (or his friends) aren't experienced at towing and as a result, they mete out some unintended punishment to the car being towed (which is very likely), a good product designer would build some additional safety margin into the product in terms of material strength of the underlying parts.

Hey buddy, you had me in splits

. That was hilarious, and in the mean time drives home the point

.

locusjag · 29th October 2018, 17:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by laluks

Hey buddy, you had me in splits

. That was hilarious, and in the mean time drives home the point

.

I am sorry for your situation. But I was just bursting with all these pent up thoughts that I just had to express.

And I remain grateful that the automotive industry actually had good designers and engineers. I mean, what if they'd kept on blaming the customer?

ABS-equipped brakes wouldn't have ever happened. We could have had auto manufacturers stipulating that "unless you're a blonde-haired Finnish guy with the surname Hakkinen, thou shalt not brake on roads with loose sand/pebbles, even if it means that thou shalt meet thine maker". All those poor souls and their worldly bodies smashed up because they "weren't supposed to brake hard on surfaces without traction". Phew! You can be sure I am thankful for the few good engineers and product designers that are out there in the automotive industry.

boohooper · 29th October 2018, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by laluks

In my drive, I had to be towed out on a tricky situation.

What do you do when you want to be towed? You will not miss the tow hook given as a part of the tools given with the car and the unmissable opening in the front bumper to attach that tow hook.

You will immediately go for that small opening in the front bumper, attach the tow hook provided and be ready to be towed out.

This is what happens if you do that

Attachment 1810875

The whole member tears apart with the bumper like paper

Hello MARUTI/NEXA, Are you guys seeing this??

You must escalate this very obvious Manufacturer's Design Flaw. BottomLIne. The SCross cannot be towed. I wonder how the Rear Hook is. Maybe we should do this a Part of a Test Drive when we check out Maruti Cars.
THAT would really wake up the dealers and Maruti. Also the Public would be instantly aware of this Little Used but Neverthless, Now declared - Useless feature

R2D2 · 29th October 2018, 17:57

For me, there's a lesson learnt. When I buy my next car I will take note to carefully read the emergency towing section in the manual for any 'gotchas' and caveats. If the towing eyelet isn't meant to tow the car in case of an emergency after a break down either on an incline or with one or more wheels stuck in mud then the part is not fit for purpose.

Leoshashi · 29th October 2018, 18:08

Was watching a Video and this thread came to my mind. Would love to know which part on Brezza did they use to play this game? Was it the axle or does Brezza get a rugged rear tow hook ?

https://youtu.be/JjV3pU-Z9X4

R2D2 · 29th October 2018, 18:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Was it the axle or does Brezza get a rugged rear tow hook?

Looks like the rope was attached to the rear tow hooks on both cars.

sidpunjabi · 29th October 2018, 18:27

Slightly off topic:

This reminds me of the time I witnessed a bike that braked a second too late and brushed the rear of an SX-4 in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Presumably it was so gentle that I didn't see any one get out of the car.

A second or 2 later, the SX-4 pulls ahead, and its entire rear bumper comes off as clean as a loose wrapper.

Sutripta · 29th October 2018, 19:42

Interesting to note that other than the OP, nobody seems to have towed a SCross. Super reliable vehicle?

Regards
Sutripta

laluks · 29th October 2018, 19:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Interesting to note that other than the OP, nobody seems to have towed a SCross. Super reliable vehicle?

Regards
Sutripta

Probably they are all doing duty in cities only, and owners not risking a cross country ride with their cross over

Seems they are all wise

Sutripta · 29th October 2018, 19:57

^^^
Time to update the Flatbed-German cars thread?

Regards
Sutripta

ashis89 · 29th October 2018, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidpunjabi

Slightly off topic:

This reminds me of the time I witnessed a bike that braked a second too late and brushed the rear of an SX-4 in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Presumably it was so gentle that I didn't see any one get out of the car.

A second or 2 later, the SX-4 pulls ahead, and its entire rear bumper comes off as clean as a loose wrapper.

I witnessed a very similar accident but the car was a S Cross (first gen) which was mildly bumped by a bike. Immediately the lower part of the bumper came off and fell on the road. The upper part was slightly dislodged on one side. This was more than 2 years when the S Cross was barely few months in the market.

29th October 2018, 14:34	#121
sam_babushka BHPian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mumbai Posts: 62 Thanked: 104 Times	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members Sorry, this was an incorrect towing method which caused the bumper to rip off. I have towed a Swift with my Bolero during my Mumbai-Leh-Mumbai driving trip, and although it was the first time for me, I knew that I had to ensure the line was taut before attempting to actually pull the Swift. Apologies if this is too direct, but it is the case here
	(2) Thanks

29th October 2018, 15:43	#122
theexperthand Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,633 Thanked: 2,448 Times View My Garage	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members After observing this thread for the last couple of days, I feel most of the posts are more interested in finding fault with the way the towing happened, than asking why it happened in the first case. For me, it points to a design failure - these are parts which should withstand abuse and the manufacture have not factored in the amount of force applied to this particular part, which resulted in easy failure. I hope the manufacturer reach out to you and offers an explanation at least. Leaving the picture of how the part looks on a Punto: --Anoop
	(6) Thanks

29th October 2018, 16:15	#123
saket77 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Ranchi Posts: 4,396 Thanked: 12,047 Times	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members Forget the broken member, good or bad technique and all that...Lalu sir, just let me know which brand tow-rope you guys used that stood the strength of the brutal Scorpio torque and the heavy SCross with people inside it on the incline and ultimately ripping out the tow hook...still kept itself intact! On a serious note, has this been brought to the notice of Maruti? If yes, have they put any word with you officially? Regards, Saket.
	(2) Thanks

29th October 2018, 16:37	#124
locusjag Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,824 Thanked: 8,478 Times	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members This is why we should have our own desi Clarkson-May-Hammond for our country. This could be an interesting hypothesis - (imagine desi Clarkson saying this) - "Is the S-Cross of inferior build? There's only one way to find out." The scene cuts to a plush green field, where James May stands with a towing vehicle and a long chain in hand. The blowing wind ruffles May's hair, just as much as it sends the grass in the background into ripples. He proceeds to hook the tow-truck to a S-cross. Guess who's at the wheel? A grinning Hammond. You know mischief is afoot. Hammond asks us to imagine that he's a very "green" towing operator. Or that maybe he's tipsy. He lets loose on the towing job - with harsh jerks, sudden turns etc. We get to observe the outcome. The S-cross's front rips off. James May gets very cross at Hammond. The duo proceed to similarly tow a TUV 300, a Creta, a Yeti, an Ecosport and a Nexon, in that order. We should really get to see what happens then. Man, I'd totally pay money to see such a show and in particular, that episode. I see people blaming the towing-operator, others blame Maruti. So here's the thing, in Marketing and product design, there's a concept - you don't blame the customer, in ordinary circumstances at least. If the ordinary customer (or his friends) aren't experienced at towing and as a result, they mete out some unintended punishment to the car being towed (which is very likely), a good product designer would build some additional safety margin into the product in terms of material strength of the underlying parts. In this hypothetical desi automotive holy trinity's episode, we would get to see which products have that additional bit of strength built into their structures. I don't have a dog in the fight and would love to see a comparison of how each of these vehicles fare with similar abuse. In conclusion of this hypothetical desi top gear segment, James May would reveal to the audience that Maruti never intended for the front tow hook to be used. Clarkson would exclaim that that's absurd. James May would state that no, everyone should read the manual of every product first. Clarkson would ask the in-studio crowd - "how many of you have read your car's manual thoroughly?" The lack of more than a few raised hands in the crowd would prove Clarkson's point. Clarkson would say "And on that bombshell, it's time to end. Good night folks...", as the camera zooms out and the credits come on the screen.
	(28) Thanks

29th October 2018, 17:57	#128
R2D2 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 3,231 Thanked: 5,742 Times	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members For me, there's a lesson learnt. When I buy my next car I will take note to carefully read the emergency towing section in the manual for any 'gotchas' and caveats. If the towing eyelet isn't meant to tow the car in case of an emergency after a break down either on an incline or with one or more wheels stuck in mud then the part is not fit for purpose.
	(2) Thanks

29th October 2018, 18:27	#131
sidpunjabi BHPian Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Bombay Posts: 169 Thanked: 128 Times	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members Slightly off topic: This reminds me of the time I witnessed a bike that braked a second too late and brushed the rear of an SX-4 in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Presumably it was so gentle that I didn't see any one get out of the car. A second or 2 later, the SX-4 pulls ahead, and its entire rear bumper comes off as clean as a loose wrapper.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2018, 19:42	#132
Sutripta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Calcutta Posts: 4,668 Thanked: 6,217 Times	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members Interesting to note that other than the OP, nobody seems to have towed a SCross. Super reliable vehicle? Regards Sutripta
	(5) Thanks

29th October 2018, 19:57	#134
Sutripta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Calcutta Posts: 4,668 Thanked: 6,217 Times	Re: S-Cross' suspicious build: Towing rips out the tow hook & front members ^^^ Time to update the Flatbed-German cars thread? Regards Sutripta
	(7) Thanks