[RahulNagaraj]

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

Hi Team-BHP,

I am a regular reader of the Team-BHP for many years.

Reason for this communication:

I own a Tata Nexon XZA+ Diesel, since Oct 2019.
Location = Surat
Odometer Reading = 21,950 km

All regular services are done by the Tata dealer workshop.

Problem:

While driving at around 50 km/h at 8:30 pm on Sunday (21 Nov 2021), the car's AMT gearbox suddenly turned to neutral.

Took the car to the side of the road and tried restarting by engaging it in manual mode and reverse gear, but the car wouldn't move at all. I got it towed to the Tata dealership by 10:00 pm.

The next whole day (Monday 22 Nov 2021), the tech guys tried to diagnose (Chargeable) the issue but were unable to find the cause.

On Tuesday, they asked permission to dismount the gearbox (Chargeable + Consumables), I said Ok and I went to the workshop to inspect. They opened the gearbox in front of me and found one roller bearing that had got jammed and broken. (Attaching pictures).

It had grinded the gears and had to be changed, also the shaft needed to be either replaced or required some lathe work.

The estimate given to me was Rs 56,000 for the parts & Rs 15,000 for the labour work. Also, the dealer guy suggested going in for a new gearbox set instead of replacing the many parts individually, so waiting on quotes for the same.

My car is out of warranty by 1 month. No extended warranty, hence everything will be out of my pocket.

My question is regarding the reliability of the product. The car has been driven on the road without any accident (Physical impact on the gearbox), has been serviced by Tata dealer workshop and run 21,950 km in 2 years. Worried about the repetition of the same problem.

Seeking advice from the forum.

Update: Received the following options.

1. Estimate with child parts:

Parts Amount: Rs 56,650
Labour Amount: Rs 15,930
Gear Oil: Rs 1,500
Sealant: Rs 1,000

Total Amount: Rs 75,060

2. Estimate for Gear Assembly

Part Amount: Rs 96,000
Labour Amount: Rs 4,130
Gear Oil: Rs 1,500
Sealant: Rs 1,000

Total Amount: Rs 1,02,630

[DriveOnceMore]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

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

This is rare case or rather I have not heard about it till now.
As your warranty has just expired and the nature of issue looks most likely to be manufacturing defect, ask dealer for trying the replacement under 'Goodwill Warranty'.
Sometimes companies approve such out of warranty claims, if found suitable.

[daspranab]

I will be curious to learn if Tata accepted "goodwill warranty" or you had to pay everything out of your pocket or insurance.

[Aditya]

Tata Nexon AMT gearbox issues | Dealer gives estimate of Rs. 71,000 for repairs - Posts moved to a new thread.

[ananthacharya]

This seems to be a unique issue with the Tata Nexon AMT gearbox and looks like a manufacturing defect. However this issue surfacing after 2 years and 20k+ kms makes me think otherwise.

Off Topic: I got my Nexon AMT gearbox replaced after a year under Warranty / Extended warranty because of too much shuddering in 1st Gear. Mine was from the first lot of Petrol AMTs. I have been living with fear since then, as i know of the lakh i need to spend for the next replacement.

[bharanidharang]

Sad state since it happened right after the warranty got over. Whether it is a manufacturing defect or something happened in the car is for the manufacturer to determine.

Ask the dealer to check with Tata if this can be done in 'Goodwill' free of cost or a nominal amount. Follow up with emails and social media for reaching out to the tata motors leadership.

All the best and keep us updated.

[vishy76]

I think you are definitely eligible for goodwill warranty. This is an AMT for god's sake. Not a manual. There's no way the driver can grind gears in this. It seems the AMT has somehow managed to mess up a shift and screw the gearbox up.

My theory is that the clutch actuator hasn't disengaged the clutch completely while the shifting actuator tried to shift gears. This has led to grinding and since the AMT unlike an average human driver doesn't know that the gears are being grinded and it should stop doing so, has forced the gear in and damaged the shifting mechanism and a few of the associated bearings in the process. I see absolutely no role of the driver here.

Tata should replace the entire gearbox under warranty apart from checking the AMT actuators to ensure that the same issue never occurs again. The AMT in the Nexon seems to have a patchy reputation. A friend had to have the entire tranny replaced after he complained of excessive jerking and power loss and the ASC couldn't troubleshoot the issue at all. Have heard of a handful of such complains elsewhere too.

[amit_purohit20]

Ask Tata for good will warranty, mail the higher ups for the same and explain the early failure.

If you get a good deal I would strongly recommend that you go for a new gearbox. Lathe modifications dont know whether would be reliable

[VKumar]

As already mentioned by other members, this isn't a manual gearbox and a failure happening in an AMT car that is just 2 years and 22000 kms sounds more of a quality issue with the manufacturer/component itself.

This shall be considered for replacement under goodwill, we have seen Hyundai do this with a Creta that was over 1.1 lac kms old and had the TC failure, same way, Tata shall consider this case for a goodwill coverage. And a lesson for everyone- Buy the EW, you never know when things go out if sync like this case!

[msarunms1987]

These cases make me think that it is always better to sign up for an extended warranty, especially with Tata. I am curious to know if TATA Motors considers this as a manufacturing defect or makes the owner shell his money out!

Looking forward to a positive closure.

[eccentric]

Well, what could I say? My dad always finds trouble accepting products from TATA Motors, no matter how hard I convince him about the sound engineering of Altroz and Harrier twins!

He just simply brushes off by saying, "You can't expect precision in their products. Out of 100 components manufactured, the accuracy level of each one varies to different degrees, ultimately costing the user in the longer run."

Yeah, at times like these, I feel he sounds right.

[starchin]

Completely agree. It's not the driver's fault.
Unfortunately this happened just after expiry of warranty.
But I am not sure how much Tata SCs are cooperative after reading about multiple complaints.
[/b]

Originally Posted by vishy76

I think you are definitely eligible for goodwill warranty. This is an AMT for god's sake. Not a manual. There's no way the driver can grind gears in this. It seems the AMT has somehow managed to mess up a shift and screw the gearbox up.

My theory is that the clutch actuator hasn't disengaged the clutch completely while the shifting actuator tried to shift gears. This has led to grinding and since the AMT unlike an average human driver doesn't know that the gears are being grinded and it should stop doing so, has forced the gear in and damaged the shifting mechanism and a few of the associated bearings in the process. I see absolutely no role of the driver here.

Tata should replace the entire gearbox under warranty apart from checking the AMT actuators to ensure that the same issue never occurs again. The AMT in the Nexon seems to have a patchy reputation. A friend had to have the entire tranny replaced after he complained of excessive jerking and power loss and the ASC couldn't troubleshoot the issue at all. Have heard of a handful of such complains elsewhere too.

[starchin]

I am myself owner of TATA Nexon AMT petrol. Though I've read multiple complaints of Nexon, haven't come across any in my till now.
But as they say, never say never.

[lsjey]

Originally Posted by vishy76

This is an AMT for god's sake. Not a manual. There's no way the driver can grind gears in this. It seems the AMT has somehow managed to mess up a shift and screw the gearbox up.

My theory is that the clutch actuator hasn't disengaged the clutch completely while the shifting actuator tried to shift gears. This has led to grinding and since the AMT unlike an average human driver doesn't know that the gears are being grinded and it should stop doing so, has forced the gear in and damaged the shifting mechanism and a few of the associated bearings in the process. I see absolutely no role of the driver here.

If the clutch is not engaged fully while shifting gears, irrespective of auto or manual, the grinding sound will be present and will alert that something is not alright. So in this case also grinding sound should have been present. And should have been present for some time. The OP has not mentioned any grinding sound. OP can provide this information. Also, the reason the ASC is indicating for the damage is also not mentioned.

Request the OP to share.

Regards,
lsjey

[charanreddy]

So sorry to hear your predicament and pls keep us posted on the outcome.

I have the same car, XZA+ Diesel from 3.5 yrs, 45K kms. I too get a few times where gear box took a little while longer especially at the moving from stand still. Did you face any wierd issues before the gear box gave up ?