[Aditya]

Thanks to IK for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Hi Team,

I am IK, an avid follower of Team-BHP discussions. In the management of the vehicles I've had so far, I have been guided by the reviews, ownership logs and threads on best practices from the community. I intend to share some issues that I faced in Kerala regarding my Tata Nexon. The issue is along similar lines to the Drive Mode problem that BHPian Satish_tns had reported on 22nd February 2021.

Vehicle: Tata Nexon XZA+ AMT
Purchase date: June 2018
Clocked: Around 29,000 kms
Warranty: Still under 3rd Year Extended Warranty
Problem: Drive Mode Issue

Problem Description: Drive modes disengage and engage on their own. Sometimes, the mode changes in between the 3 presets - Sports, City and Eco randomly, which changes the vehicle’s behaviour in a drastic manner. Voice and visual notifications on the instrument cluster reflect the change. Repeated voice notifications become quite annoying and often have to be disabled. The issue is not frequent, but happens out of the blue, and while driving in city traffic, I have to prepare for the AMT jerk during such a transition to Sports mode.



The issue was first noticed in November 2018 and was reported to Concorde Motors, Cochin in December 2018. No related error codes were diagnosed on their OBD reader. The issue was disregarded stating that they couldn't replicate it. I managed to get video footage of the problem and they then acknowledged the issue and its gravity. They did a series of trials and test drives. They diagnosed and changed the drive control switch and gear shift mechanism parts under warranty. However, the problem persisted.

During this period itself, I had about 11 registered run-in repairs and several unregistered repairs for multiple warranty claims. Each time I had to clock about 240 km to and fro, and lost confidence in the process. I mailed Tata Customer Care along with the video footage of the problem and the case history. Tata Customer Care and Tata Regional Office - Cochin personnel responded promptly and advised to present the vehicle at MK Motors Kottayam, which was reasonably near to my then residence.

At MK Motors, they tested the vehicle and suspected a faulty high pressure diesel pump. Later a team from Delphi – the OEM provider, conducted extensive test drives for 3 days and initiated the warranty process. However, during my conversation with the technical team, I understood that replacements were based on probability grounds and that they hadn't really got values convincing enough to draw a conclusion.



I communicated the concern to the Customer Care & Regional Office POC, and requested for an assurance statement or the root cause, but no such statement was given. The vehicle was produced again on 18th May 2020, the high pressure diesel pump was replaced under warranty and the car was released after one week. Replacements are done under warranty, but the question remained whether the right units, from which the problem arose, had been replaced.

Despite these measures, the issue re-occurred, and I mailed Customer Care with another video footage of the problem on 13th January, 2021. Customer Care replied and I chose Malayalam Tata Cochin, since it was easier to access than MK Motors during the Pandemic. The vehicle was given to them on 16th February, 2021 and was with them for weeks. Later I was intimated by the service advisor that the high pressure diesel pump and Injectors would be replaced under warranty as a remedial measure. On delivery, I understood that the Injectors were not replaced and when I enquired about it, they said that the injectors were in good condition.

The issue came up again, probably since the root cause had not yet been identified and addressed and was reported by mail on 13th April 2021. The service centre had once denied a request for the warranty associated bills saying that I can, somehow, only view, but not get copies of the records on their system. Hence, I requested to share the history and associated bills as well, in my communication to Tata. Customer Care replied saying that they needed more time. There were no words from the Tata Regional Office and Malayalam Tata asked for the vehicle to be produced again, amidst the 2nd wave of the pandemic. The issue persists despite multiple inspections and multiple 'probable' solutions. I'm getting prompt reminders from the marketing team for purchase of an extended warranty though.

I come from a background in which there was an affinity for Japanese brands, except Suzuki, primarily due to their reliability. We still have a 10 year-old Toyota SUV and a Honda sedan, which we devotedly plan to retain. I haven't claimed a single warranty repair on them, haven't changed parts other than those on the preventive maintenance schedule and still enjoy hearing the same engine drone like the first days. The Tata Nexon is a great product considering safety, build, features, value, drive, and dynamics, but QC and after sales are sore points. On this unit alone, on multiple issues, more than 10 replacements were effected so far. Yet to be unearthed issues are expected for any new product. It is an assumed risk, but 2.5 years should be ample time to troubleshoot one. Tata is a brand that I was always fond of. Its presence is felt across various domains in India. From the Vista onwards, it was quite interesting to watch them utilising synergies of the JLR acquisition. Hope they won't repeat the mistake JLR made with reliability.

On 22nd February 2021, BHPian Satish_tns had reported a similar drive mode issue in his car. I've been a passive follower for years, but I'm not a member and hence, couldn't add to the thread. It would be great if I could get to know his vehicle model, whether the issue was resolved, and if so, what the root cause was, and what corrective measures were taken.

[JithinR]

There were videos on this issue a few years back on YouTube. Revisiting them I can see that one owner has updated that a fuel filter change resolved his issue while the other one contends it was a instrument cluster change.

Not sure how either of these part replacements could affect the mode selector.

Edit: I really hope you have pushed them to provide you some sort of proof for in-warranty replacements. Without those you would be at the mercy of TATA and it's dealers to prove your case.

[John P Daniel]

Man you are so patient in dealing with this issue. I've seen such issue in cars with ground issues. A Hexa with similar issue was diagnosed with simple corrosion in the ground connection of the EMS to the chassis. Similar issue in nexon was diagnosed with ground issue in a ground connection somewhere in front driver cockpit area. It's best to check the wiring in the Drive mode selector to EMS harness, couplers and fuses.

[VigneshMC]

Off late , we are seeing lot of owners complaining about issues with their almost new cars. In these pandemic times, where most people prefer to have their own car to avoid outside contact as much as they can. If these kind of issues continues to pop up and then owner does not have any choice other than reaching out to service center . Delaying to act on these issues may put their safety at risk or warranty might get expired, when issue gets even worse. I feel bad for customers who has to put their life at risk and meet lot of new people in various places to get their cars fixed.

[CEF_Beasts]

Looks like the issue is common in AMT Nexons,

In one case changing the fuel filter and injector solved the problem:

https://youtu.be/wAtQ0DIDvHE

In this case the instrument cluster was changed to resolve the problem:

https://youtu.be/kJ-kiXQ4-wE

[Kosfactor]

I would imagine it being a wiring harness related issue - won't start until the vehicle is a few years on the road usually but this mileage varies , the car is otherwise running fine and then starts to switch modes.

If these drive modes are tuning the A pedal, then a random drive mode switch will give increased A pedal input to the ECU causing unintended acceleration or deceleration.

How is the battery and alternator doing, any inconsistencies?

[maheshm619]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

I would imagine it being a wiring harness related issue

Originally Posted by Aditya

Problem Description: Drive modes disengage and engage on their own.

A very basic question ? . Did they check / replace the driving mode switch and associated harness. It is a mechanical switch after all and is prone to damage even if something was accidentally kept on it , during regular car usage / service.Since the car has no other major issues, this might be a culprit.

[jubingoel]

So I own a diesel Nexon (1st gen) bought in Nov 2017 and clocked 1 lakh kms plus till date. Mine is a Manual as AMT hadn't been launched till then. I have faced the issue of drive modes getting disabled automatically, the car going into limp mode and an orange symbol reflecting with a spanner across a car glowing in the MID, 6-7 times till date. TASS were kind enough to first clear the errors via OBD and then remap the ECU first couple of times. Then they had to clean the injectors next 4-5 times and run an ECU remap and finally in Feb this year, they had to change one and repair 2 injectors (all Delphi parts) with the odo showing around 97k kms. I had to pay for the repair and parts and since the injectors got replaced, the issue hasn't cropped up. Seems like there is a persistent quality issue with Delphi parts in Tata cars.

Everytime I had to send the car in, I was told that poor quality of diesel / pollutants in the diesel were causing this problem. I've always loved cars, and my own, more than anything. Saving a rupee or 2 and filling adulterated diesel has never been my thing. Have always stayed with the slightly premium fuel pumps like Shell and Essar to ensure good quality of fuel and a great drive and engine performance. Even challenged TASS stating that they should let me know which fuel pump to use in Delhi NCR which they can vouch for and if the issue persists, they need to take accountability. Ultimately seems like poor quality of Delphi fuel injectors was the culprit. Have had Marutis, Fords, Tatas, Mahindras and even a Force Motors SUV in my family and I never faced an injector issue in any vehicle before.

[Fastdriver]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Thanks to IK for sending this information in...
...
...

Thanks for sharing this irritating problem faced by you and probably by another few. Nexon was(and still is) in my mind for upgradation from my current i10. But now I will have to think many times whether I should go for Nexon considering such experiences discourage one from purchasing Nexon.

[mr_robot]

Originally Posted by Fastdriver

But now I will have to think many times whether I should go for Nexon considering such experiences discourage one from purchasing Nexon.

True, even I am now rethinking. For a product that has crossed 2,00,000 units, these kind of things should be resolved ASAP. This would've been acceptable in the early stage of product launch, not for a model on sale for ~4 years.

[Izk]

Yes, a true concern. Though I didn't wait as the issue was persisting.

Note from Support: Please use the EDIT or QUOTE+ (multi-quote) button instead of typing one post after another on the same thread!

To know how to multi-quote, click here.

Please also do not post one liners that don't add value.

We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further.

[Izk]

Yes, unintended acceleration is the key risk. If I am correct, for Eco mode the engine output is tuned to be 75hp, City mode - 90hp and Sport mode - 110hp. Driving in bumper to bumper city traffic has to be calculative as the AMT surge when mode changes out of a sudden to Sports mode is risky.

Haven't noticed any inconsistencies on battery and alternator. Battery is still the stock one.

The wiring harness query reminded me of an issue I faced initially. On 04/07/2018 when the vehicle just clocked 822 kms, it wouldn't start and kept on cranking. Whole electrical system becomes unresponsive. Infotainment and other electrical systems won't switch off even after opening the driver door, the PEP system*too won't respond with the remote or door handle key inputs. The engine cranking and electrical system stops/resets when the key is moved away from the proximity sensor range. Initiated RSA and the vehicle was returned after a few days, I was informed that the problem was a loose contact.

I am not sure about the harness, but the Drive Control Switch and Gear Shift Mechanism were replaced.

Originally Posted by Fastdriver

Thanks for sharing this irritating problem faced by you and probably by another few. Nexon was(and still is) in my mind for upgradation from my current i10. But now I will have to think many times whether I should go for Nexon considering such experiences discourage one from purchasing Nexon.

This has indeed been an irritating experience, but I have to admit that I still love driving my Nexon. I am not sure whether I can say the same about the driving experience of its competitors.

[akshaydandekar]

I have faced a similar challenge in my Nexon ZXA+ Diesel (1st generation). The problem initially cropped up during long highway runs and especially ghat sections. This used to happen mostly if I was driving for a 3-4 hour stretch. For me the problem was infrequent. However a month ago, this cropped up within the city.

I escalated this to my SA previously at Keshva Motors
In Mulund, but they could neither replicate not find any error via the OBD. During my major service which was just completed at Heritage Motors, the SA mentioned this was a recurring problem in certain 1st gen AMT models. If I understand correctly (and I maybe wrong) he mentioned he had to flash and reinstall certain ECU software for the problem to be resolved. He did mention a software glitch causing the system to hang and restart causing the drive mode to keep blinking on and off. I will speak with him once again and try and post an update.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Thanks to IK for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Hi Team,

I am IK, an avid follower of Team-BHP discussions. In the management of the vehicles I've had so far, I have been guided by the reviews, ownership logs and threads on best practices from the community. I intend to share some issues that I faced in Kerala regarding my Tata Nexon. The issue is along similar lines to the Drive Mode problem that BHPian Satish_tns had reported on 22nd February 2021.

.

[__.gxr.__]

Hi sir,
Sorry to hear about your issue. Try disconnecting the battery for some time and reconnect it back. This should reset most software variables. I am not sure if this will work but in my Tata zest, once when my headunit froze and would randomly play the radio or music from usb; doing so resolved the issue. Also, ensure that the battery is in proper shape. A few Zest owners reported glitches and issues when the battery was due for replacement. Again, I have no idea if this will work for the Nexon but since the platform is similar, I suggested the above.

Warning: This will cause most settings to go back to default and you will have to adjust the time and pair your devices again.

[Izk]

UPDATE:
Tata Regional Customer Care (TRCC) and Malayalam Tata initiated the rectification process, and on 27/07/2021 (Odometer: 30136), the vehicle was returned after replacing an Injector and Flywheel under Warranty.

I suspect TRCC was not happy with the fact that I reported the issue on Team-BHP. A personnel pointedly noted that I lacked any video evidence to prove the recent incident. Three years and counting, encountering this issue, for which they couldn't identify the root cause yet, but the lack of a ‘recent video’ for proof was a ‘concern’! I wish the person had the awareness to understand how that sounds to one who had to handle the vehicle when the driving mode suddenly changes to Sports mode, out of nowhere, in the middle of the road. Seems video evidence produced since 2018 and 15+ rectification visits weren't enough. Even the paid extended warranty was declined on the grounds that I delayed a service. They didn't care whether the said delay was during the Covid second wave lockdown! I would note that the Tata Regional Customer Care’s approach was quite unprofessional.

After the replacements, I noticed unusual juddering on gear shifts. It was reported to Malayalam Tata and was assured to be checked on the next visit. One midnight, while on a long journey (Odometer: 31701), the engine juddered heavily and stalled while cruising. I managed to park the vehicle aside safely. The Malfunction Indicator Lamp & Check Engine Lamp was glowing on the Instrument Cluster. I took video footage, referred to Manual, and rested for half an hour. Surprisingly no warning lights or engine juddering/missing were noticed when I started again, but as a precaution I traveled below 40 km/hr as home was nearby. I reported the issue the next day to Malayalam Tata Service Manager and shared the video evidence. The vehicle was again given for the above problem correction and routine maintenance service. The Vehicle was returned as usual and nothing was communicated regarding the reported problem. I tried to get in contact with the SAs and SM and to my surprise they wouldn't attend the call, as if being ostracized. WhatsApped the SM and he replied that he will confirm. Later he confirmed that the issue is resolved and when I requested to share the OBD error codes, he went silent!

Again, the vehicle was given to Focus Motors on 27/10/21 (Odometer: 32685) to troubleshoot the issue amidst a travel and they couldn't trace the problem even though video footage of the problem was produced.

Heavy engine juddering with Malfunction Indicator Lamp & Check Engine Lamp and unusual juddering while gear shifts became prominent. The Drive mode issue again cropped up and this time it was more prominent than before. Now on almost 90% engine starts, drive mode changes, accompanied with an unnaturally higher rpm than normal engine starts. ABS alert also shows up. The same was reported along with the video footage to Malayalam Tata and TRCC. I produced the vehicle for rectification on 09/12/2021 (Odometer: 33495) and after a few days the vehicle was returned with their assurance of having sorted out the issues.

However, it aggravated to the extent that the mileage dropped considerably. After the last Service Center visit, it stays around 8 to 10 km/l. Informed the SM, and the vehicle was requested to produce again on 21/12/2021 (Odometer:33686). This time, they encountered the reported issues while driving the car alongside me. They returned the vehicle stating that they have performed ECU and Injector programming to correct the mileage issue. Before leaving Malayalam Tata I noticed that they returned the vehicle with 2 broken center air vents and fixed it temporarily hoping I won't notice! When I complained, they denied with no hesitation and put the onus on me. I moved on out of frustration without saying a word. Each time the vehicle is sent for service, something like this is now expected, and only once have they acknowledged their mistake. The Drive Mode issue, Engine Juddering, and Mileage Drop issues still stand unresolved, and Malayalam Tata has washed their hands off the case.

While raising complaints about this recurrent unresolved issue, a curious after effect was that calls from Customer Care asking for feedback stopped gradually. There were no more calls asking if the service was satisfactory, or if the complaints were resolved, or what ‘rating’ I would give for the overall experience. In this context, the denial of the option for a paid extended warranty quoting flimsy reasons such as not meeting the service date during the Covid second wave seems devious. Almost as if the thought was, if one doesn’t address pain points, it magically vanishes off. Well, that is not how it transpires in the real world.

Finally I have to say, I am done. Pursuing the legal route now. So far I have been patient and played along fairly to troubleshoot and rectify the issue, but now the assumed risk seems to be far more than I anticipated at the start. I am concerned how this vehicle will age given the service and care I’ve experienced. If anyone else faces the Drive Mode Issue, be proactive and pursue the solution, as Tata Motors doesn't seem to have a clue at the moment.

- IK