[GipsyDanger]

Originally Posted by abhishek_hch

My limited points were that compiling social media posts is a waste of time and presenting them as gospel truths is anything but gospel truth. And to question such initiatives is no crime.

If anything, the post by adventureseeker has only proved that the problem is much bigger than whatever Mr. Hollis is making it out to be. "Miniscule" or not, a problem is still a problem, and total breakdowns a big one at that.

If one has any solid evidence of any Kushaq owner lying of being stranded, then yeah, one could question the credibility of the data compiled. But even if that's the case, how can one be so sure that whoever posted it was totally aware of it being a hoax?

So kindly requesting anyone to look for any evidence to the contrary before blatantly bringing up accusations of parroting gospels and conspiracy theories. This will certainly not be a waste of time compared to that.

Originally Posted by JishD

Attaching a screenshot of Honda's recall recently. Now the Japanese OEM is considered one of the most reliable in the biz. And they are recalling nearly 78K vehicles manufactured in 2019 - for a faulty fuel pump. How many cars did Honda India manufacture in 2019 ? I would hazard a guess that over 30% of vehicles had a defect.
Guess what happens with a faulty fuel pump ? The EPC light comes on !
My QED - give it time, issues will be ironed out. Even the DSG overheating issues in the Koreans were largely sorted out over time .

Just wanted to know whether there were cases of brand new Hondas breaking down within days or weeks of ownership. I mean, if there is so, such events would've made rounds in the social media, right? Anyway, it still is a big problem with which cars were running for nearly 2 years. Alarming indeed.

If it took a company with a much bigger presence in India 2 years to diagnose and fix a problem, I can't even imagine how and when VAG is going to handle this. This might be a great opportunity to demonstrate the improved after sales experience. Hope they do so.

[NevGin]

Let there be a new thread discussing issues with the Kushaq. This is not the place for it as it gets muddled with the overall review of the car itself.

Do these issues need so much discussion? They certainly do without a shred of doubt. People who have saved money over time to be able to make this purchase, would have their world shattered due to early breakdowns. It is not a good feeling and I say this from my experience from the Polo TDI of early VW days.

Having said that, name calling is uncalled for. Words like Fanboy or whatever have no place in a civil discussion. Humans have different ways of rationalising things. To many, any breakdown earlier on will be totally unacceptable, yet to others they will look past it and let the issue be fixed and get on with it to enjoy the car.

Rather that doing Six Sigma calculations here and trying to prove points which we have no factual data about, what needs focus is how these issues could be resolved. As per me 3 things, MAP, MAF sensors & fuel pump. Either all of them or some of them have issues. There seems to something off with these as I read about each case. These to be seem to be the common linkage but I may be wrong.

On Skoda’s part, identification and isolation of these issues is critical. What is the first thing that anyone around the world does when they get a new car? Most would love nothing more than to take the car for a long trip and enjoy it with their families. Who wants to use RSA in the first few days of ownership!

What is the prognosis on those 20 cars that were listed as having issues? Are they fixed? What was the fix? What did they change. Let’s focus on that and move on. If that is a list that can also be complied, it would make such a thread even more meaningful.

Which brings me back to point one on this post. This warrants a new thread for sometime until these issues get resolved.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by JishD

This issue is being blown out of proportion

Anyone would like to tell that to this owner?

His car broke down near Nainital at 1AM today and he was with his wife and mom. They had to walk 2 km in the hills to get shelter at night.



Someone asked what more do Skoda owners need when the brand director himself is giving assurances, and why not just give him time instead of complaining on social media -



Before someone asks if he is the real owner, or a photoshopped complaint - here is the info verified from Vahan.

[Hayek]

I do think that some of our members do get hyper about defects with certain brands. It’s not unnatural - we are all human and tend to love to be part of a bandwagon. In the case of VAG, I can see that in two areas - the DSG failures (we probably have 15 different threads dealing with the same) and now because of the EPC issues in the Kushaq.

It is very clear that the Kushaq suffers from a widespread quality control issue which is causing these EPC failures. It cannot be a design defect (as in the case of the DQ200 gearbox) because the same 1 l and 1.5 l TSI engines have been used in other Skodas and VWs including in India - without any such problems. So it is almost certainly a function of either a QC failure in production or some cost cutting attempt gone wrong. In either case, these are very fixable problems. Yes, it’s not fun to buy a new car and be stuck in the middle of nowhere - but acting as if a car braking down in the middle of the road is a safety issue is ridiculous. We had similar paranoid statements with regard to DSG failures - but the fact is that cars stop in the middle of a road for various reasons including punctures, going into limp mode due to a clogged DPF etc. It is not the end of the world. As long as Skoda finds the root cause is reasonably short order (a couple of months) and solves it for all affected customers, it is not such a big deal. And I personally don’t see any value in making lists from social media with the names of all the 16 or 60 or 600 people who have been affected - but am happy to ignore such posts and move on.

Personally, I would much rather live with defects from poor QC in cars that are safe and good to drive like those from Tata, Mahindra or VAG, than live with a “value engineered to kill” car from Maruti or Hyundai. Of course, most Indians have a different view. But we are a country where parents let their kids put their heads out of a sun roof on the Expressway, so I am not surprised by that.

[superguy282]

Originally Posted by Hayek

but acting as if a car braking down in the middle of the road is a safety issue is ridiculous

Even though a lot of members including myself could narrate a barrage of scenarios where this would be seriously unsafe, it would probably not concern you as it's not something you have experienced, or will experience in the future. This entire debate does not have a right or wrong, some people can live with those issues and some people can't, however the people who are set on buying a Kushaq will still go on to buy it regardless of a simple list on TBHP, and only those who were on the fence seeing whether reliability issues crop up would dismiss it. But then they were talking about a Skoda to begin with. So I don't see how a damn list affects anything other than making a existing owners and those who've booked the car aware of this issue, which is not in any means harmful to anyone. What is harmful though is this debate about whether it's ok for a car to break down or not as it will go on endlessly and it really has no right or wrong.

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by Hayek

I do think that some of our members do get hyper about defects with certain brands.

Personally, I would much rather live with defects from poor QC in cars that are safe and good to drive like those from Tata, Mahindra or VAG, than live with a “value engineered to kill” car from Maruti or Hyundai.

Either this or that brand, a car shouldn't be unsafe or unreliable. A car with Christmas lights on dashboard, but moves, is far better than a car that dies on the road or a car which doesn't stop when brakes are applied.

People tend to justify the brands they like, which is exactly what "brand" name is. But saying issue doesn't exist or saying someone is trying to defame your favorite brand with fake posts is plain wrong.

These are what I'm considering as failures, not niggles.

1. Hyundai Creta brake issue
2. Skoda Kushaq breakdowns
3. Ford Ecosport's DPF issue
4. Mahindra Thar's harness issue (it could move, so I'd say soft failure).

These are what I'd call niggles

1. Tata's infotainment
2. Hyundai's Bluetooth mic failure

[IREV]

Originally Posted by itsbaman

Looks like "Specifically made for India" isn't working for SKODA. While SKODA customers can make peace with the fact that SKODA cars have less bells and whistles than Korean counterparts, poor reliability isn't something we can make peace with. SKODA must recall and sort these issues while it still can.

The 2.0 was their worst and waste strategy. They could have given those 2.0 investments to Audi and Porsche India to update themselves as those 2 were badly struggling in India. Instead of making the Taigun and Kushaq, they should have locally assembled the T-ROC and Kamiq and price well. The price of the TROc would have been reduced by 3 to 5 lakhs. Also the TROC is still doing quite well inspite of being a CBU. Under CKD, it will do even better. Now the Kushaq and Taigun stand nowhere. No Quality and Fit and finish of the Rapid and cramped boot and rear seat yet priced at par with the Hector. Instead of the Kushaq, it's better to buy the TROC at 3 to 4 lakhs extra as you get a CBU car, brilliant safety, more features, better fit and finish and quality and what not. Now so many issues of the Kushaq are cropping up. Skoda should correct their brains and fix the prices of their cars ASAP. Skoda and VW are just doing one or the other mistakes again and again.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Anyone would like to tell that to this owner?
His car broke down near Nanital at 1AM today and he was with his wife and mom. They had to walk 2 km in the hills to get shelter at night.

I am not saying these problems should be overlooked even though Skoda/VW cars would be my first choice when it comes to buying a car. Different buyers have different priorities and I totally respect that. In a way I am happy with all the dramatisation because VW groups really needs such an exposure and social media pressure to force them to get their house in order. Given that the group is headed by a person who wishes to be the public face of the company, I feel there would be an urgency and purpose in their efforts to deliver a better ownership experience.

However why would someone drive in a remote place at 1AM with mom and wife even if it was a Land Cruiser?

[Akshay6988]

Blatant disregard to Kushaq owners troubles, doubting credibility of "newbie" members just because they are highlighting the breakdowns of a brand new car, saying that car breaking down in the middle of the road is not a big issue. What else I have missed from skoda fanboys ? Its just ridiculous IMO. Seriously why are you resorting to personal attacks that too from senior members ? Why can't you accept that Kushaq is problematic and these breakdowns are kind of big thing ! Mods why can't few posts be termed as personal attacks on members and deleted ?

[viscosity]

Originally Posted by Hayek

but acting as if a car braking down in the middle of the road is a safety issue is ridiculous.

Well, if your location is Bombay, then I can probably understand from where this perspective comes from as Bombay is considered as one of the safest cities in India.

Trust me, there are parts of India where a car breaking down in middle of the road at night will be one of the scariest things which can happen to anyone with the possibility of consequences ranging from like losing valuables, the car itself or to the extreme of losing ones life. This is coming from a personal experience and I would also add that this situation is becoming actually worse day by day.

[Turbanator]

Was at Skoda showroom the other day, being in vicinity and waiting for someone, it was natural to be at a car dealership. I saw a lot of deliveries, Sunday, maybe more than other days. Most guys were young, some newly wedded couples and some with young children. So, the car definitely appears to be a hit with new generation.

For some of us guys, car buying is just another purchase, but for most, it’s an occasion. We do take the car to temple as a custom and most will find a reason to travel somewhere far. And the car breaking down on the way, will be the last thing on anyone’s mind. Everything smells and feel fresh and new, just fill the fuel and that’s about.

Now if this thing is breaking down in large numbers, either Skoda should issue a stop sales or request the owners themselves not to travel far off explaining technically.

But, as I have seen from repeated cases, Transparency is unknown word for VW. They will like to cover as long possible. So, for the members who are on edge, it’s certainly not a DSG but I won’t also like to send my new car to workshop for a day and let them fiddle. So, as with any other new launch, best will be to wait for a couple of months, even if the prices are increased a bit.

[viscosity]

Originally Posted by androdev

However why would someone drive in a remote place at 1AM with mom and wife even if it was a Land Cruiser?

Because life doesn't always happen the way you want. Dr. Murphy and his law is omnipresent and messes happen.

[vinitbarve]

The EPC issue is bad enough for most of us to push/ drop the buying decision on TSI1.0.

What I would like to know is

1. Are there any issues so far with the 1.5TSI (Manual and Auto)
2. How has been the experience with "Niggles", I have heard about the clutch being hard (even I felt it during the test drive), seat shaking, rattling sound from the Power Window, sound quality not being the best, wiper not working etc.

Some feedback on this will be useful to judge if this is one model specific big issue or generally the manufacturers have screwed up on the QC.

[VEA]

Originally Posted by viscosity

Trust me, there are parts of India where a car breaking down in middle of the road at night will be one of the scariest things which can happen to anyone with the possibility of consequences ranging from like losing valuables, the car itself or to the extreme of losing ones life. This is coming from a personal experience and I would also add that this situation is becoming actually worse day by day.

While breaking down in the middle of the road is dangerous in some parts of India and I agree with everyone who made the observation here, it’s not necessarily a problem arising out of a cars reliability alone. It’s the lack of civility, general disrespect for law and inefficient law enforcement that causes problems. You can be forced to stop a car for any number of reasons including flat tires, running out of fuel, loo breaks and organised criminal activity. A friend of mine while travelling at night with family with a perfectly running car was deliberately bumped into by a gang of criminals to force a stop. This happens all the time. Criminals flag down cars imposing as stranded passengers, law enforcement etc. It is not just the car breaking down that leads to danger, but unfortunately one becomes a sitting duck in those situations. Otherwise it’s nothing more than a big inconvenience.

Could someone clarify if all these affected cars were running when it stalled or the engine refused to start after being switched off.

[govindremesh]

Originally Posted by androdev

However why would someone drive in a remote place at 1AM with mom and wife even if it was a Land Cruiser?

Originally Posted by Hayek

Yes, it’s not fun to buy a new car and be stuck in the middle of nowhere - but acting as if a car braking down in the middle of the road is a safety issue is ridiculous. We had similar paranoid statements with regard to DSG failures - but the fact is that cars stop in the middle of a road for various reasons including punctures, going into limp mode due to a clogged DPF etc.

Originally Posted by poloman

Guys, no need to gang up on me. I am not a Skoda fan boy. You can check my posts for any bias. But in an informed forum like TBHP, don't expect comments like one see in Facebook or Youtube. We need to show maturity to understand even Apple can have faulty batches and niggles on launch.

It's funny to see senior members defending the brand at any cost. While you may have your own reasons, please do broaden your perspective and inspect facts on the table before defending the brand you like!

While I agree with your general sentiment that we Bhpians have become overly critical and bash the manufacturer for every small thing reported in this forum, I believe this situation regarding Kushaq is different.

When talking about giving a second chance to VW-Skoda, do remember we're talking about the company that committed the world's largest auto emissions scandal and refused to admit it till their sales were threatened by the federal authorities.Then the DSG issue and poor service experience. How many second chances does this company deserve?

Why was the Kushaq customer driving with his mom & wife at 1 AM in a remote place? He could have got delayed as our traffic conditions are unpredictable. He might have tried making it to the hotel and the last thing on his mind might have been his brand new car breaking down.

Acting as if the car is breaking down in the middle of the road being a safety issue is ridiculous? Would you say the same if you're onboard an aircraft and both engines stop turning, given that Capt. Sully was able to land a crippled Airbus with no fatalities?
Like aircraft engines, cars have reached a level of reliability level over the years where malfunction of a brand new car should be a rare occurrence. One doesn't expect a brand new car to breakdown in the middle of the road, specially when the manufacturer of your car has claimed intensive testing in Indian conditions.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Anyone would like to tell that to this owner?
His car broke down near Nanital at 1AM today and he was with his wife and mom. They had to walk 2 km in the hills to get shelter at night.

Not related to your post, but the explosive growth of membership on T-BHP unfortunately has lead to "quantity over quality" when it comes to threads and posts. Maybe something for mods to discuss in your next meeting