I bought my Hexa XTA in February 2017. It was among the first few Hexas to be sold in Delhi NCR. To this day, I am glad of my decision of picking up the big Tata over the Innova Crysta. The space and comfort offered by the Hexa remain unmatched. I strongly believe that there no better car for long distance touring. My 93 year old grandma insists on travelling in Hexa and Hexa only. Tells you everything.
I had purchased my car with the maximum available 5 years of warranty (3 years + 2 years extended warranty) as well as 3 years/1lakh km Gold AMC. Between 2017 and 2020, the car clocked over 90000km in three years. During this time, I paid nothing for service and maintenance. Everything came from the AMC, including wear and tear parts like discs and pads. My out of pocket expense was limited to a set of tires and a new battery. The car was perfectly reliable and needed nothing apart from regular service.
Then, COVID hit and usage plummeted. 2020 and 2021 saw the car run for 10000km combined. Most of this came from two driving holidays: Panchmarhi and Kashmir. Nowadays, it is my wife’s daily driver, as well as the designated car for family use. Hence it needs to remain perfectly reliable and available at all times. However, it’s 100% reliability and low cost of ownership record has taken a hit over the past few months.
Issue 1: Fuel Pump
Our tale of part failures begins in August 2021 when engine suddenly stopped starting. The starter motor would fire but the engine just wouldn’t start. We had to manually operate the fuel pump, only then it would fire up. As if it was taking in air from somewhere. Affairs at my trusted local TASS were not in order at this time, so I sent the car over to the good folks at Worlds of Service, Noida. They promptly diagnosed it to be a fuel pump issue. I pushed Anupam to try his contacts with Tata to get the pump replaced under extended warranty. He tried, but it didn’t work out. I was told that TASS Greater Noida insisted on replacing both the high pressure and low pressure pumps, and the bill would be in tune of Rs 1lakh.
On my instructions, the car was brought back to WoS and the fuel pump was opened up for repairs. Anupam was confident it could be fixed. Fix it they did, and the car was returned. It ran fine for a few weeks, but then another problem appeared. Every time it crossed 2000rpm, the check engine light would come on, the car would go into limp mode and loose power. It would accelerate at a crawling pace and not exceed 80kmph. Turning off the engine and restarting would reset it and make the car normal, till it hit 2000rpm again.
Scan showed the issue to be linked with the fuel pump again, with the error reading “fuel pressure too high”. The car ended up spending a good 2 months at WoS. They were unfortunately not able to fix this. I ultimately called the car back and showed it to my trusted SA who was now back at the local TASS. He too diagnosed it to the fuel pump and I gave him the go ahead to replace it.
Total cost including labour was about Rs 60000/-. Car is running absolutely fine since the pump was replaced.
Issue 2: Suspensions
This is a wear and tear replacement and not a part failures per se. The vehicle kept loosing alignment after every few days. The issue was diagnosed to a worn out front suspension. The entire assembly was replaced: tie rods, ends, arms, link rods. The shockers were in good shape, they were retained. The suspension lasted a very decent 1L km, and the shockers are still going strong. Still, the replacement was fairly expensive.
Total cost was about Rs 31000/- Issue 3: Coolant hose pipe failure
A hose pipe carrying coolant burst during our recent family trip to Dehradun. This was a failure that pretty much left us stranded in 45 degree summer heat. The car was somehow limped to TASS Haridwar. They didn’t have the damaged part in stock, but were resourceful enough to perform an emergency
jugaad repair with MSeal. The repair held up and we were able to complete the trip with no further incident and bring the vehicle back home. TASS Faridabad later replaced the damaged hose pipe.
Total cost was about Rs 5000/- including fresh coolant.
Issue 4: Timing belt
The timing belt on the Hexa needs to be replaced every 5 years or 150000km, whichever is earlier. The car is currently in the shop for timing belt replacement as it is past the 5 year mark. The alternator belt was found to be weak and is being replaced. Idler bearings are also being replaced.
The estimate given is about Rs 18000/- Issue 5: Rusting of exhaust
The latest issue. The exhaust has rusted and developed holes, in a very Hyundai like fashion. The car sounds like a generator without the canopy!
The estimate from TASS for replacement is Rs 90000/- As of now, I have refused and am trying to make it work with welding and repairs. If unsuccessful, I will have to shell out for a complete replacement.
Post Script:
This is not a Tata bashing thread. I continue to be a happy and satisfied Hexa owner and plan to retain the car till the 9 year mark (stupid 10 year rule in Delhi NCR). The odometer currently stands at 110000km. My experience at my local TASS with my trusted advisor has been good. Their diagnosis has been spot on and prompt and their dealings have been fair. Mine is among the oldest and highest run Hexas on the forum. The idea behind this thread is to make other owners aware of potential issues that can happen as their cars age.
A car is just a collection of parts. All parts have their life, after which they have to be replaced. That being said, so many failures over the past 6 months tell me that a lot of parts here have been designed for a life of 5-6 years or 1lakh km. These failures will happen out of warranty for most people, and they will end up paying out of their own pocket.