[akash_v12]

I’m not sure if this is the case with the Kushaq as well, but in the Vento, the fuel cap clearly mentions Octane number (91 to 95). If so is the case with the Kushaq as well, it might very well be due to the low fuel quality in different regions.

I’m glad that Skoda has such effective management in the form of Mr. Zac. Never seen him hide from any blames or errors.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

I’m not sure if this is the case with the Kushaq as well, but in the Vento, the fuel cap clearly mentions Octane number (91 to 95). If so is the case with the Kushaq as well, it might very well be due to the low fuel quality in different regions.

I’m glad that Skoda has such effective management in the form of Mr. Zac. Never seen him hide from any blames or errors.

Something is not right here, may be a faulty fuel pump- but I never faced such issues in my TSI Polo, and never used higher octane fuel. Skoda is just doing damage control. I dont call it effective management. Effective management happens when the leadership prevents the wrong things from happening, and that people within the organization who raise concerns (I am sure that may have been the case) are heard in the appropriate manner. This is like saying, I will replace the bad tasting mithai that was sold in my shop yesterday with freshly made one.

[lionell]

What is appreciable is that Zac Hollis replied to Rajarshis tweet with an update and there is movement on accepting faults and working to fix them. In my previous experiences my complaints have been tossed around like a volleyball from dealer to company and back.

[igemini]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

I’m not sure if this is the case with the Kushaq as well, but in the Vento, the fuel cap clearly mentions Octane number (91 to 95). If so is the case with the Kushaq as well, it might very well be due to the low fuel quality in different regions.

When I purchased the 1.0 TSI Polo, on my very first petrol fill up, I had a similar problem. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post4974774 (Volkswagen Polo 1.0L TSI : Official Review)

However, the car was still in running condition but that really scared me back then as it was a brand new car. So I can totally understand how the owners of Kushaq are feeling after a much worse breakdown and that too multiple times.

I think this may have to do something with the quality of fuel or due to the ethanol content in Petrol. Either way, the VAG group has to find a permanent resolution at the earliest to regain trust.

[VS1811]

I am quite appalled and amazed for how people are happy or appreciating Zac apologizing or reverting to their tweets.

Zac is Director, Sales and Marketing and boy, is he a good marketer. No practical / objective value but understanding the Indian sentiment and being the emotional support we all love.

But let me just state some facts here, shall we.
- I would rather get a prompt, rational and solution oriented reply / attention from my SA / workshop than Zac. Zac is not going to come and fix my car. The service center team will come and help me tow the car and find a reasonable solution.
- I would rather get a documented email from Skoda India stating what the issue is, which cars are affected and what is the resolution timeline along with warranty and compensation related clarification for ordeal faced than a tweet saying we will replace the existing fuel pumps with more "robust" ones. That is quite vague in my opinion.
- We as customer and Skoda as a company should look into the fact that why is even a customer having to reach their corporate leadership for a car breakdown. Why was this not resolved at dealership level only, and if this is more of an escalation then what action was taken by Skoda corporate on the dealership?
- This is an amazing marketing ploy, one which will make its way to ISB and IIM case studies. For how Indian mentality works, all is forgotten if you lend a shoulder to a disturbed individual, create an aura or pretend to care (not saying Skoda doesn't care for its customers) and all the anger / pain is generally forgotten.
- I as a Skoda dealership wouldn't feel too comfortable in this scenario where each and every customer comes up to me and shows me what Zac replied to them and hold me accountable for it. The dealer is a channel partner for Skoda, and Skoda is also required to protect the dealership when the failing part is not a result of anything that the dealer did and cant fix it because it needs replacement. Its nothing to do with the dealership competence in my opinion.
- While, i appreciate and am amazed by this marketing strategy and it sure seems to be delivering with people feeling cared for and in good hands if Zac is replying to their tweets, i can also understand why it is not catching on with other companies. Primary reason i feel is because if my car breaks down, i know Maruti / Hyundai / Toyota service team will handle it and fix it and i would rather feel the "tender, love and care" from them than a Corporate head honcho.
Just my 2 cents

[ShivrajG]

Originally Posted by VS1811

I am quite appalled and amazed for how people are happy or appreciating Zac apologizing or reverting to their tweets.

I have the same view, I would like a trouble free experience with my car rather than chit chatting with a celebrity (he has become one now) about the trouble faced by me on a Km to Km basis. A good SA changes ownership experience altogether. I have had awfully bad experience with Maruti SA's and wonderfully good experiences with Mahindra (talk about Maruti's name). So getting a good SA remains a luck by chance in India.

On the other topic A car engine has so many parts and its not just a fuel pump I should be worried about, I am worried about the kind of road tests made on this model before launch.
People drive to Leh Laddakh and places like Sikkim which are remote and have only 2-3 fuel pumps on the way. It is not possible to maintain a certain level of fuel in the car on such distances and the vehicle should be robust enough to manage in such situations. I agree the air intake in case of very low fuel damages the internal parts however a machine should be tested before launching till the point of failure otherwise it should be sold with a warning that "bhaiyya ab isme agar petrol 1/2 hua to aap ghar nahi pahunch paaoge".

I have had 3 cars with over 2 lakh kms of driving I havent faced any issues of engine breakdowns with Maruti, Mahindra and Tata and these are newbies in front of giants like VW and Skoda. You don't expect break downs (of this magnitude) in a new car in the 21st century.

I personally feel I wouldn't go for a Skoda however good their vehicle be. I just cant imagine stranded with a 7 month old kid on a road.

[Rahul_]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

I’m not sure if this is the case with the Kushaq as well, but in the Vento, the fuel cap clearly mentions Octane number (91 to 95). If so is the case with the Kushaq as well, it might very well be due to the low fuel quality in different regions.

Vento 1.2TSI had RON 95 as a recommended and RON91 as the minimum fuel requirement. With updated 1.0 engines (based on pictures of the fuel cap of new VW/Skoda Polo/Rapid/Vento 1.0L official review) RON 95 is the minimum requirement.

Good that Indian Oil has started retailing RON 95 fuel with about Rs 3-4 difference. I see major improvements in refinement levels and engine knocking on my 1.2TSI. Another great thing is IOC is available nearly everywhere in India, so slowly we should see xp95 petrol at all the petrol bunks that previously housed xtra premium petrol (as told by IOC fuel station attendant)

Kudos to Zac for his keen attention on people facing pains !

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by VS1811

I am quite appalled and amazed for how people are happy or appreciating Zac apologizing or reverting to their tweets.
Zac is Director, Sales and Marketing and boy, is he a good marketer. No practical / objective value but understanding the Indian sentiment and being the emotional support we all love.

Share the same sentiment.
I mean why sell lemons and then lend a shoulder to cry on?

[Equus]

Originally Posted by Rahul_

Kudos to Zac for his keen attention on people facing pains !

Kudos will be given when the issues are fixed - right now, its seems the product has not been well tested and prematurely delivered.
Good thing - we havent heard about gear box issues (as yet).

[tiagoatrix]

People were saying, "The car feels more planted than the rivals", little did I know that the car loves to plant itself on tarmac.

You pay extra bucks for just the name of "German engineering"? Why should I pay a premium for a car with niggles and service centers located 600 kms apart?

I'd also like to add that there's a partiality towards people buying maruti /hyundai /tata. Common man thinks and requires only his basic requirements fulfilled. The top 3 has reach even in small towns. Even if there's a niggle, its easy to get support.

We should appreciate a product and not just be brand blind.

What is the use of testing the car before delivery then? Didn't the test cars face this epc issue?
If Harrier was launched in a hurry, so is kushaq right? Should this not be highlighted in reviews?

[NevGin]

Originally Posted by VS1811

I am quite appalled and amazed for how people are happy or appreciating Zac apologizing or reverting to their tweets.

No matter what a Zac or the dealerships do or do not do, one can cast any amount of aspersions and be wary of their intent. Having emotional support is not limited to Indians, this is how the human race is wired.

There many on the forum who do not get support from the dealership or head honchos when they write to them. What happens then? The tone then is that no one is bothered. There is no end to this.

Let them solve the issues that are happening. It does not make an iota of a difference to anyone how their issues get solved be it Zac, Dealership or anything else. At the end of the day you want to enjoy your car.

[Vijay T]

Originally Posted by VS1811

I am quite appalled and amazed for how people are happy or appreciating Zac apologizing or reverting to their tweets.

Zac is Director, Sales and Marketing and boy, is he a good marketer. No practical / objective value but understanding the Indian sentiment and being the emotional support we all love.

But let me just state some facts here, shall we.
- I would rather get a prompt, rational and solution oriented reply / attention from my SA / workshop than Zac. Zac is not going to come and fix my car. The service center team will come and help me tow the car and find a reasonable solution.
- I would rather get a documented email from Skoda India stating what the issue is, which cars are affected and what is the resolution timeline along with warranty and compensation related clarification for ordeal faced than a tweet saying we will replace the existing fuel pumps with more "robust" ones. That is quite vague in my opinion.
- We as customer and Skoda as a company should look into the fact that why is even a customer having to reach their corporate leadership for a car breakdown. Why was this not resolved at dealership level only, and if this is more of an escalation then what action was taken by Skoda corporate on the dealership?
)

You said it sir. I am also baffled by such appreciation of Zac. Our roots by nature are forgiving so these posts. IMHO by this time recall should have taken place if they think fuel pump is rootcause & should replace all fuel pumps whether or not there was issue.

[srinath34]

Appalled to see so many EPC complaints from Kushaq owners specifically the 1.0 TSI ones as that is the "high-runner" variant in the entire Kushaq line up.

This was the car to create some noise in the segment but seems to be creating some other unnecessary noise

Few questions in my head:

• Are similar EPC issues observed on the Rapid/Vento/Polo 1.0 TSI cars sold post the Kushaq launch? I don't see any alarms from new Polo/Vento/Rapid owners.
• Is the fuel pump make/Part number same as those of the Rapid/Vento/Polo? Makes sense to keep it same from a supply chain point of view.

[sridhar-v]

India 2.0 at the VW group seems to be just about cutting corners everywhere.

Sometimes I am thankful that Maruti flogs the same old technology, but atleast ensures much better levels of reliability!

[Rahul9229]

Originally Posted by Rahul9229

Attachment 2204401

Attachment 2204402

Update:

My car came back yesterday and fuel pump and a sensor was changed. Today I again faced the starting problem in the morning. I was on call was the ASS that the car is still facing starting problems which they literally couldn't believe. 20 mins into the my first drive today, the car has come to a halt in the middle of a busy traffic signal. I am stranded now with EPC issue waiting for skoda RSA for 1 hr now, and hopefully they will pick up my car in another hour. New fuel pump and sensor lasted less than 50 KMs. It's really heartbreaking and scary situation, I got this car mainly for long highway runs and now it's scary planning a road trip on this car for atleast the next 6 months till issues are finally resolved. I know skoda will eventually fix this problem but if the take too long, customer faith will never return again.

Update :

My car had returned on 15th September after second fuel pump change and drove well for a day. To my horror, the starting issue as described in my first post was still there on 16th morning. I called up the service guys and they were clueless. I called up Mr Devagya from Skoda who was referred to me by Zac Hollis, Devagya asked me to visit the service centre and the national service head or something for whole Vw skoda group Mr Sharad is co-incidentally in town and he will inspect my car. I met Mr sharad the same day at the service centre and he forced the ASS guys to give me a spare car for the time being till they inspect my car. He informed me that the starting issue was not even inspected in the first 2 visits as the team thought it's all related to EPC error and personally apologised on behalf of the team for ignoring the issue. It's been 5 days again, service centre , skoda team , everyone is saying just 1 thing, that they could not find any issue that is causing the starting problem and they will observe my car till Wednesday and return it as it is.
I have told them sternly that I will not accept this car anymore if they don't find and fix the issue and will take up the matter legally. I am sure other users will also face similar issues sooner or later and this time, they don't even know what to fix.