Fiesta Trouble!

Vid6639 · 21st June 2007, 12:35

My uncle bought a Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi 19months back in Kolkata. He has been extremely happy with the car. The car has not given him any problems so far and was giving a mileage of 14kmpl in city. The car has always been chauffeur and is well maintained. The car has done 19,500kms.

Recently it rained in Kolkata and he was coming back home from work. There was a patch of road which was slightly waterlogged. All car's were going through with out any problems. He says the water was just till his calf. The driver did the half clutch and took it in first gear revving the car throughout. In between the car got stuck. They tried to start the car but it din't start. they pushed it out of the water and the ford guys were called. They towed the car back and said water has gone in the engine. My uncle tried telling them that the water wasn't deep. There was a WagonR in front and my uncle says the exhaust of that car wasn't under water. They have just done the estimate and have given the estimate attached below.

My uncle has told the service chaps that how can a car which Ford claim is designed for indian roads which are known to be waterlogged much worse get stuck. He saw NHC's and WagonR's clear it without any problem.

Now the problem is as per them they say the car cannot be repaired under warranty. The warranty is for 24months and the car is still under warranty for another 6 months.

From the estimate it looks like a complete engine failure. They want the piston and con rods replaced!!!

I plan to write to Ford India but wanted to know if what they say is true and how I should go about this. Anyone have any contacts in Ford India?

Thanks guys in advance.

mclaren1885 · 21st June 2007, 12:38

Since water went in is the Turbo alright? You might have to replace the complete engine along with the TC. That might indeed work out really expensive.

Vidyut, has the engine been opened up? If yes, how about posting a few pictures which will help us diagnose the problem better?

I guess the only way out isto claim insurance?

suman · 21st June 2007, 12:41

This is the problem about Kolkata - they have only ONE Ford dealer, hence easier taking the customers for a ride. 1100D has had many a run-in with them.

I'm not sure about that bit about water in the engine however, you mentioned the water was calf deep - that's a fair bit of water I'd say. Have they checked out the electricals, ECM etc, are they OK? Looks like your uncle will really have to fight it out with them for claiming this under warranty.

We have a member by the name of KashD (haven't seen him very active lately) who's Fiesta was submerged in the Gujrat floods, maybe you can PM him for his experiences. I remember he was very dissatisfied about the time taken to attend to his complaint but it was covered under insurance IIRC

Vid6639 · 21st June 2007, 12:45

How can one claim insurance for this? Whats the pretext of the claim. If it was a flood it would be under natural calamity.

I guess water till the calf is like a foot deep or maybe more.

The showroom is called Ganges Ford.

Mclaren the Turbo isnt mentioned in the parts list which I have attached.

Are you guys able to see the attachement?

windsurfer · 21st June 2007, 12:50

Looks like this can happen to any Fiesta then? With monsoon starting/started, there would be worst cases. If a car has been designed for Indian conditions, then they should have looked at this aspect too. I am not convinced that when a NHC can pass through, a Fiesta designed for Indian conditions cannot. Can you please ask your uncle to confirm the version given my Service center.

suman · 21st June 2007, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid6639

Are you guys able to see the attachement?

Yeah, saw it, looks bad! If the dealer diagnosis is suspect, I would suggest your Uncle try & contact the Ford Regional Office (do they have one in Kolkata?) so that they send a techie to the workshop to corroborate what the dealer is saying (Ford do this in Delhi at least when they replace any major item under warranty - they send their technical expert to verify the source of the problem).

If there is a regional Office, that itself should give a contact point for taking this up further with the company.

Well, I'm not sure how the insurance is going to work in this case but there were cars stranded in Mumbai as well while wading through flooded areas - I would think there would be some kind of coverage. By the way, electricals, ECM OK?

I'm a tall guy so I guess my calves are a little higher off the ground - 15 to 18 inches I'd say

namit · 21st June 2007, 12:54

Sad incident.

But what i can recollect is that when FORD launched the Fiesta they claimed that Fiesta was being built for our conditions and specifically they claimed that Fiesta could go in certain water level without any problems ....they claimed and boasted this feature

check out the FORD website for features or check with another ford dealer.

Vid6639 · 21st June 2007, 12:56

The ECM and electricals are fine. The water had not entered the cabin at all. He could open the doors to get out and push and water was still below the door height.

I need to find about the regional office. Haven't got in touch with ford yet as wanted to assess the situation with you guys.

benbsb29 · 21st June 2007, 12:56

I saw the thread title, and last post by suman, and thought something had happened to his Fiesta !!

Vid, here is the mail id for Ford India. I have never tried it, let me know if it works or not. Hope it doesnt work out for the worse.
Mail id : custmail@ford.com

Keep us posted, buddy.

suman · 21st June 2007, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by namit

But what i can recollect is that when FORD launched the Fiesta they claimed that Fiesta was being built for our conditions and specifically they claimed that Fiesta could go in certain water level without any problems ....they claimed and boasted this feature

Really? My memory fails me, could you give a specific link or site where they mentioned this "certain" level?

Anyway, this is the second monsoon after the Fiesta's launch and there are enough cars which are on the roads that have gone through the effects of a full monsoon without something like this happening (I've myself been through a lot of water last year, have never faced this).

Lets try & help Vidyut out with this one instead of starting a debate on whether the Fiesta has failed under Indian conditions or not - we can start a separate thread on that

.

Cheers

Dhar's · 21st June 2007, 13:07

I guess water can go in the engine through air intake only and that is placed up high. Can water enter through tail pipe? I dont think so.
Kolkata might have some garages who repair imported cars. Why not consult them too? Just to get an idea. Maybe its some lesser cause like problem with ECU.
He shouldnt have told Ford guys that the car was moving through water log. He should have told that it was raining and car suddenly stopped. Thats all.
~120,000/- for repair?

I might as well warn my brother who has a TDCi in Mumbai.

flipsyde · 21st June 2007, 13:10

your uncle was able to open the door and get out without the water flooding the cabin??????
i must say thats hardly any amount of water!!!!!!! can't believe the fiesta can't even take such small amounts of water logging. either that or the ford guys are trying to pull a fast one on you.
anyway i think your uncle can claim insurance under flooding. not sure though. but really shocking to see the "made of india" fiesta unable to take a foot or a lil more of water!

benbsb29 · 21st June 2007, 13:22

Quote:

He says the water was just till his calf. The driver did the half clutch and took it in first gear revving the car throughout. In between the car got stuck. They tried to start the car but it din't start.

Before we start aiming the brickbats against the car, lets review whats been mentioned above.

** Driver rode on half clutch : Isnt is possible he may have released the clutch in between which resulted in water being sucked up?

** Car got stuck, and tried to start it : Isnt that a big NO-NO? If it gets stuck, you shouldnt try starting it, instead you should push it out of there. Atleast thats what my manual for the ikon tells me, in the case of waterlogging.

Opinions, guys?

flipsyde · 21st June 2007, 13:25

guys can we all focus on this

The water had not entered the cabin at all. He could open the doors to get out and push and water was still below the door height.

humyum · 21st June 2007, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid6639

The ECM and electricals are fine. The water had not entered the cabin at all. He could open the doors to get out and push and water was still below the door height.

I need to find about the regional office. Haven't got in touch with ford yet as wanted to assess the situation with you guys.

Dude that is not even called water.the water was more like 1/3rd of the tyre height since u said that when u opened the door it did not enter the cabin.yeah it can enter the exhaust all right but not like the entire exhaust would have been submered anway because the water wasnt that high and your driver was revving it so its almost next to impossibe.

21st June 2007, 12:35	#1
Vid6639 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,730 Thanked: 43,483 Times View My Garage	Fiesta Trouble! My uncle bought a Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi 19months back in Kolkata. He has been extremely happy with the car. The car has not given him any problems so far and was giving a mileage of 14kmpl in city. The car has always been chauffeur and is well maintained. The car has done 19,500kms. Recently it rained in Kolkata and he was coming back home from work. There was a patch of road which was slightly waterlogged. All car's were going through with out any problems. He says the water was just till his calf. The driver did the half clutch and took it in first gear revving the car throughout. In between the car got stuck. They tried to start the car but it din't start. they pushed it out of the water and the ford guys were called. They towed the car back and said water has gone in the engine. My uncle tried telling them that the water wasn't deep. There was a WagonR in front and my uncle says the exhaust of that car wasn't under water. They have just done the estimate and have given the estimate attached below. My uncle has told the service chaps that how can a car which Ford claim is designed for indian roads which are known to be waterlogged much worse get stuck. He saw NHC's and WagonR's clear it without any problem. Now the problem is as per them they say the car cannot be repaired under warranty. The warranty is for 24months and the car is still under warranty for another 6 months. From the estimate it looks like a complete engine failure. They want the piston and con rods replaced!!! I plan to write to Ford India but wanted to know if what they say is true and how I should go about this. Anyone have any contacts in Ford India? Thanks guys in advance.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 12:38	#2
mclaren1885 BANNED Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bangalore (the city of modded cars) !! Posts: 4,820 Thanked: 45 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (10)	Since water went in is the Turbo alright? You might have to replace the complete engine along with the TC. That might indeed work out really expensive. Vidyut, has the engine been opened up? If yes, how about posting a few pictures which will help us diagnose the problem better? I guess the only way out isto claim insurance? Last edited by mclaren1885 : 21st June 2007 at 12:43.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 12:41	#3
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	This is the problem about Kolkata - they have only ONE Ford dealer, hence easier taking the customers for a ride. 1100D has had many a run-in with them. I'm not sure about that bit about water in the engine however, you mentioned the water was calf deep - that's a fair bit of water I'd say. Have they checked out the electricals, ECM etc, are they OK? Looks like your uncle will really have to fight it out with them for claiming this under warranty. We have a member by the name of KashD (haven't seen him very active lately) who's Fiesta was submerged in the Gujrat floods, maybe you can PM him for his experiences. I remember he was very dissatisfied about the time taken to attend to his complaint but it was covered under insurance IIRC Last edited by suman : 21st June 2007 at 12:42.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 12:45	#4
Vid6639 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,730 Thanked: 43,483 Times View My Garage	How can one claim insurance for this? Whats the pretext of the claim. If it was a flood it would be under natural calamity. I guess water till the calf is like a foot deep or maybe more. The showroom is called Ganges Ford. Mclaren the Turbo isnt mentioned in the parts list which I have attached. Are you guys able to see the attachement? Last edited by Vid6639 : 21st June 2007 at 12:50.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 12:50	#5
windsurfer BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dundee, UK Posts: 513 Thanked: 25 Times	Looks like this can happen to any Fiesta then? With monsoon starting/started, there would be worst cases. If a car has been designed for Indian conditions, then they should have looked at this aspect too. I am not convinced that when a NHC can pass through, a Fiesta designed for Indian conditions cannot. Can you please ask your uncle to confirm the version given my Service center.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 12:54	#7
namit BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 402 Thanked: 55 Times	Sad incident. But what i can recollect is that when FORD launched the Fiesta they claimed that Fiesta was being built for our conditions and specifically they claimed that Fiesta could go in certain water level without any problems ....they claimed and boasted this feature check out the FORD website for features or check with another ford dealer.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 12:56	#8
Vid6639 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,730 Thanked: 43,483 Times View My Garage	The ECM and electricals are fine. The water had not entered the cabin at all. He could open the doors to get out and push and water was still below the door height. I need to find about the regional office. Haven't got in touch with ford yet as wanted to assess the situation with you guys.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 12:56	#9
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,969 Thanked: 13,230 Times View My Garage	I saw the thread title, and last post by suman, and thought something had happened to his Fiesta !! Vid, here is the mail id for Ford India. I have never tried it, let me know if it works or not. Hope it doesnt work out for the worse. Mail id : custmail@ford.com Keep us posted, buddy.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 13:07	#11
Dhar's BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: QLN/TRV/DXB Posts: 420 Thanked: 627 Times View My Garage	I guess water can go in the engine through air intake only and that is placed up high. Can water enter through tail pipe? I dont think so. Kolkata might have some garages who repair imported cars. Why not consult them too? Just to get an idea. Maybe its some lesser cause like problem with ECU. He shouldnt have told Ford guys that the car was moving through water log. He should have told that it was raining and car suddenly stopped. Thats all. ~120,000/- for repair? I might as well warn my brother who has a TDCi in Mumbai.
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 13:10	#12
flipsyde BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 644 Thanked: 84 Times	your uncle was able to open the door and get out without the water flooding the cabin?????? i must say thats hardly any amount of water!!!!!!! can't believe the fiesta can't even take such small amounts of water logging. either that or the ford guys are trying to pull a fast one on you. anyway i think your uncle can claim insurance under flooding. not sure though. but really shocking to see the "made of india" fiesta unable to take a foot or a lil more of water!
	() Thanks

21st June 2007, 13:25	#14
flipsyde BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 644 Thanked: 84 Times	guys can we all focus on this The water had not entered the cabin at all. He could open the doors to get out and push and water was still below the door height. Last edited by flipsyde : 21st June 2007 at 13:32.
	() Thanks