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-   -   Cataclysmic Engine Failure of my 15-day old Maruti-Suzuki Grand Vitara (Strong Hybrid) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/263189-cataclysmic-engine-failure-my-15-day-old-maruti-suzuki-grand-vitara-strong-hybrid.html)

This post is on behalf of my uncle who picked up a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Intelligent Electric Hybrid Zeta+ (Strong Hybrid) 1.5 CVT in the Grandeur Grey colour on 08th February, 2023 from Kataria Automobiles Pvt. Ltd, Nexa Kataria, Vapi. The purpose behind buying this vehicle was to save on travelling costs owing to my frequent travels for my business. The car was butter smooth and I was very happy about the fuel efficiency it delivered since I switched from a 2018 Toyota Innova 2.8 G which guzzled up a lot of fuel.



It was on 23nd of February, while I was driving around 01:00 am at midnight that I could hear some strange noise from the engine bay. I immediately pulled over to the side and checked for any unusual thing happening at the engine bay. There was a mild noise being observed which was coming out straight from the engine. Next morning, I immediately took my car to Kataria Automobiles Service Center, Vapi to get my car inspected. They acknowledged that there was some sort of noise coming from the engine and they prepared a job card and took the car for inspection. The next day I again visited the Service Center and to my shock and surprise, the noise was no longer mild, but I was very loud like a tractor. It was a clear indication that there is something seriously wrong with the engine. We had talks with the management and they gave me a test drive Ignis manual as a courtesy car. At the time of preparation of the Job Card, the odometer reading was 3817kms. The Service Advisiors did not have any idea what to do since they were completely unaware of the Hybrid technology stashed with this particular vehicle and it was very difficult for them to diagnose the issue. They alleged that MSIL engineers were on call and they tried to remotely inspect the car but even they were unable to diagnose the issue.

1st March:
I again visited the service center as there was no official intimation as to what issue my car was facing and how did they plan to resolve it. It had been almost 7 days without my brand new car, and the amount of stress I was going through was immense. I could not undertake my business travels because the courtesy car they provided was very small, unsafe and I was scared to travel with it on highways. Apart from that, I was facing huge business losses and upon that, I was also supposed to pay the EMI’s of a brand new car that was sitting at the service centre.
When I visited the service centre on 01/03/23, to my shock and surprise, the service centre had removed the oil pan of my car without my permission and there were visible damages. It also seems that they tried to disassemble the engine and remove parts without my permission. I wanted to take a video of the sound coming from the engine, but the Regional Manager was reluctant on allowing that and moreover, when we asked them to seal the oil pan again, fill in oil and start the car, they refused to do so.

VIDEO OF THE OIL PAN:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I4n...ew?usp=sharing

They had a video recording of the sound coming from the engine, but they denied sharing it to us. I could find the exact same issue in a Toyota Hyrider which got viral, this is the exactly the same noise coming out from my vehicle the link of the video is below:

SOUND OF THE ENGINE NOISE
[/b]https://youtube.com/shorts/cXYjFxz0mxY?feature=share

The Service Center is now offering me to change the complete engine assembly.



I have mailed them that I want to either get my car replaced with a fresh one or refund the amount i paid to them along with my bank interest. I am disheartened and sad that even after spending 21 lakhs on a new car, i had to go through such an experience. My concerns are:
a. Will replacing the engine assembly be successful since its a strong hybrid car, and the entire replacement will be done at the service centre who are generally very careless while doing such jobs
b. Will it affect my resale value as I don't keep cars for more than four years
c. Loss of originality of the car
d. No mental peace while going on long trips







I kindly requests bhpians and senior members to advise me on this issue. My car is sitting at the service center, I am facing business losses and I have a loan to repay for this car. It is quite pathetic that a fifteen days old car has to go through this. I am evaluating my options to go legal on MSIL. Also, Maruti Suzuki if you're reading this which eventually you will, I am coming for you!

UPDATE: 4th March, 2023:

They have not replied to my E-mail and they have no instruction from MSIL. They said they will let me know on 4th March, 2023. Am i being scammed? What exactly is MSIL upto?

Hi. Parth_enzo
Dont expect a new car/refund from Maruti Suzuki. I would have accepted the engine change under protest , but the hassles of endorsing new engine number in RC still remains as question. Being a lawyer i would say you are entitled for compensation for the mental agony happened due to the early failure. So get the engine replaced by accepting that offer under protest. Get everything in e mail/writing

First of all sorry to read about your ordeal. It is a painful experience to see a brand new car under repairs like that. Maruti does take it's customer complaints seriously so I hope you have reached out to them. You have done the right thing by posting this on Team BHP.

Kindly send out links to this thread to MSIL and also post on their FB/Insta/Twitter page about your ordeal. This is a new car and I am sure Maruti will not be happy about a bad report like this. Ask for extended warranty on the car. Not sure if they will replace the entire car easily. You may have to press hard even if they agree.

Since it is proper Hybrid means it is a Toyota engine I am sure they will be able to rectify the issue even if the car is sold by Maruti. If this a second case of the engine sounding like as per the video means there is some serious design flaw and I hope Toyota engineers are working on a design correction.

Good luck.

Sorry to hear about your travails. This must be disappointing considering the legendary Toyota/Maruti reliability. The obligation is to repair the car and ensure it is serviceable for its age

As for your options

Replacement should be ok, its a lot better than having some engine parts replaced. My guess is your engine will be sent on for investigation.

Please ensure the new engine number reflects in the RC card. The dealer needs to ensure this endorsement is done.

Originality of the car is a mindset - its not a Ferrari, it is a commodity and as long as the RC book and the engine/VIN tallies, it will not be an issues.

Mental peace - that is an issue

You need to ensure

1: Understand the cause of the failure and what Maruti are doing about it
2: Engine replacement and an extended warranty to cover this at least
3: Compensation for the peace of mind - regular inspections, free couple of free services

I would go for full engine assembly replacement and an additional warranty cover for 2 years. And the dealer ensures he takes up the responsibility of getting the RC card updated. I don't think there should be any other concern with regards to long term ownership and resale.

Changing full engine assembly is fine as they will analyse the complete malfunctioned engine. The new engine assembly will be stamped with the same engine no. as on your car's RC. You should approve engine change ASAP. Entire car replacement is a childish demand as a car doesn't come with guarantee. They are offering you the best possible solution because it's a new engine by them. The engine warranty may remain the same or they may offer you with added warranty, else you can also opt for paid extended warranty. Such type of engine failure is one in a thousand case. Just relax and have faith in manufacturer.

While I understand your dismay at having a brand new car give so much trouble, it does appear that the engine replacement offer is the best possible outcome. It is fairly straightforward, and will ensure that you get a trouble free vehicle. Just insist on an additional warranty period and you should be fine. Hope your issue is addressed soon and you get a reliable fuss free car soon.

I have experience in engine replacement issues. My safari 2.2 Dicor in 2007 had failure of engine head twice. The second time, we wrote a letter to Head to Tata Motors passenger division cc to Ratan TATA requesting for a full engine replacement. They accepted and got a brand new engine. But the sent a new engine with the same number as the existing one. That avoided RC endorsement.

So expect the same way here too.

Quoting @ninjatalli. This is the most important point from this thread.

Please Demand for this and get this done. In writing, so you can be at peace throughout your ownership.

This is exactly why I've not been recommending Grand Vitara to anyone who is looking to buy Hybrid. Logic is simple, buy from those who know the mechanicals, ie, Grand Vitara in case of Mild Hybrid and Hyryder if its a Strong Hybrid. I have seen Glanza's and Urban Cruisers getting step motherly treatment at Toyota workshops in case of complicated repairs. Also given how incompetent and ill trained most MSIL mechanics are, I'd strongly advise these steps to ensure proper reliability of the transplant:

1. Ensure entire engine assembly is actually replaced, you get pics of the assembly at all stages/monitor yourself. No replacing the half engine or dismantling stuff.

2. Ensure a service engineer from MSIL is present during the swap. This is something Maruti will easily approve. I can bet yours is the first Grand Vitara Hybrid getting dismantled at this workshop and it will be hit and trial for the mechanics.

3. Ensure all lubes used are brand new.

4. If the engine has significantly vibrated on the old mounts, I'd recommend getting the mounts replaced too.

5. As others have advised, get the dealer to endorse engine number on your RC and if get some kind of written assurance/increased warranty on repairs done.

6. Try to know the root cause of this issue, Maruti may or may not give in writing but it's important to know about the failure to determine how reliable your vehicle will be in future.

7. Originality shouldn't be an issue if the work done is perfect.

Fingers crossed.

This is yet another eye opener thread. Looks like one should never buy anything except a basic manual transmission vehicle from MSIL. The risk is just not worth it.

I am sorry for you OP. I can only imagine the anguish.

I would recommend going for a 100% engine replacement with an extended 2 year warranty. Don't expect a replacement car for sure. On the resale, it's a hit or miss and would advise not to think on that right now. Point to note, If you plan to sell your car to online aggregators, they will downright devaluate your car since the engine replacement job will be visible in the service history. I have seen Spinny reduce the price quote just because the timing chain was replaced as it involves partial opening of the engine, ridiculous I must say.

If OP is too much concerned with replacement of an engine, given the age of the car, I will ask the dealership to buyback and get myself a new car.

Be prepared to take a small hit on the money though try best to convince the dealership to absorb everything. They can easily make this as their test drive car. Given the total cars they sell, it won’t hurt them a bit.

This is shocking to say the least and I can definitely sympathize with you as nobody expects this out of a brand new car.

I doubt Maruti will refund the money (forget about the interest part) but I think you can definitely try to push for a new vehicle if you escalate this issue smartly. Engine replacement also sounds like a feasible option but do make sure that you are getting an expert 2nd opinion. For the first option, I think you will have involve getting legal support as this is not a one man negotiation effort.

I would also advise that if you are going for the latter, please make yourself available to oversee the engine change efforts as there is a chance that they try to skimp out on changing all the parts. Please also make sure to elevate this issue as high as you can in the Maruti Chain of Command.

I'm just glad that members are advising the following :
1) Get the engine replaced
2) Ask for a extended warranty at their cost
3) Ask for detailed analysis of the root cause for future reference
4) Ask for RC endorsement at their cost

I had a Baleno for which the engine was replaced at 42k kilometer due to con rod + head issue. Used it for another 1.5 lakh kilometers without any fuss.

I don't envision any issues to your vehicle in the future. As the engine is a sealed unit you can stay assured that the level of expertise that MUL will deploy will be at par with factory level.

Happy Driving.