[vdiatech]

Hi, my corsa 1.4gsi developed a sligh rattling noise. I took it to Sundaram Motors in Chennai. They removed the engine head and confirmed that rocker arms need to be replaced. I asked them to go ahead. they waited 10 days for the part and then a call came saying the parts have arrived and work started.

I did not head from them for 3 days. The service Advisor was not taking or receiving my calls ! Finally I got hold of him and he sounded frantic. he said, they fixed , put the head back on and then the noise was a bit louder. they removed to see that the cylinder head had cracks at 4 places! They wanted me to pay for a new one.

my point to them was

1. If the cracks were already there, why was it not noticed 3 months ago, when i had a complete de-carb of the engine done, which involved removing of the head asly as well , replacement of all the valves, gasket etc !

2. If the condition was pre-existing, could the car have run 6000kms ?

3. Why were not the cracks noticed when the head was removed to look at tappets and rocker arms?

4. Why were not the cracks noticed while fixing the same after 10 days ?

5. Why did one servise advisor, one floor supervisor and 4 mechanics surround me at the work shop and went on and on about the location and size of the cracks.

6. Why did the supervisor ask me to bring a second hand part and say he would do the labour free ?

I blamed their workman ship . They denied. Now after lot of phone calls , emails with GMI, CORE and SUNDARAM MOTORS, they have made an offer to me

They will give me a cylinder head from their floating stock for rs 7000 as a good will as a new one costs around 50K .

Now, my car has been with them for 15 days. Can some one please advise me on

1. Cost of a new cylinder head - is it 50K as Sundaram Motors quotes
2. What would be the cost of a re-conditioned head
3. Should I accept their 7 K offer.

I am glad, I took it up with them , it was very agonising and seemed futile at times. I even threatend a one man sitting protests outside their service centre, holding placards after taking due police permission !

Thanks

[narayan]

tell them if they can give you a 50k part for 7k , they might as well give it free ! there is no other logic u need to or should use now

stick to your arguments which are valid ones and say the above..

becos there is no way they can give a 50k part for 7k unless there is some hanky panky

[silver_shadow]

50k - i'm not sure if that's the correct estimate, but in most cars of that segment that could well be the cost of a brand new head. BUT the point is - are you even sure they aren't getting you a reconditioned head from a scrapped (totalled) car? it could well be if they are giving it you for 7k.

with that comes the question - 7k for a used head sounds quite pricy. plus are you ok with a used head? if so, then i suggest get the car towed away from there, pay up the bills and get it done elsewhere. OR if you are up to it you could fight it out with them possibly even leading to a court case (or am i jumping the gun).

[greatmana2000]

I did not head from them for 3 days. The service Advisor was not taking or receiving my calls ! Finally I got hold of him and he sounded frantic. he said, they fixed , put the head back on and then the noise was a bit louder. they removed to see that the cylinder head had cracks at 4 places! They wanted me to pay for a new one.

If the head has been cracked then oil would have mixed up with coolant or there would have been oil traces on the head to identify the cracks while the head was disassembled . I doubt anyone not cleaning the head or removing the parts off the head completely as the service centre would have removed the valves to inspect them as well .

my point to them was

1. If the cracks were already there, why was it not noticed 3 months ago, when i had a complete de-carb of the engine done, which involved removing of the head asly as well , replacement of all the valves, gasket etc !

2. If the condition was pre-existing, could the car have run 6000kms ?

3. Why were not the cracks noticed when the head was removed to look at tappets and rocker arms?

4. Why were not the cracks noticed while fixing the same after 10 days ?

5. Why did one servise advisor, one floor supervisor and 4 mechanics surround me at the work shop and went on and on about the location and size of the cracks.

6. Why did the supervisor ask me to bring a second hand part and say he would do the labour free ?
May be the supervisor thinks most of the customers have shops at pudupet or work at salvage yards I suppose .

I blamed their workman ship . They denied. Now after lot of phone calls , emails with GMI, CORE and SUNDARAM MOTORS, they have made an offer to me

They will give me a cylinder head from their floating stock for rs 7000 as a good will as a new one costs around 50K .
May be your original head has gone into the floating stock and someone knocked off head has been replaced i guess .


Now, my car has been with them for 15 days. Can some one please advise me on

1. Cost of a new cylinder head - is it 50K as Sundaram Motors quotes
2. What would be the cost of a re-conditioned head
3. Should I accept their 7 K offer.

I. Yes , cost of a cylinder head will be that expensive -for a new one .
2. cost of a reconditioned head will depend .. 2nd hand corsa 's are avaliable for as low as 60-70K . so most probably you might be able to find a 2nd hand head for 5-7 k .
3. You have no other choice . Once you are into sundaram you will have to pay up . no other go ,plus , hunting for a 2nd hand head does not make sense . you will end up spending more . Accept the 7K offer under the condition that you will be personally present while the replacement is done . I guess , they will let you stay around while the replacement happens .


I am glad, I took it up with them , it was very agonising and seemed futile at times. I even threatend a one man sitting protests outside their service centre, holding placards after taking due police permission !

LOL , There are quite a few ppl who have been ripped off in the past . Many international auto companies like FIat have not been able to change SUndaram .. But you can try ..


Thanks[/quote]

[vdiatech]

also the Customer Relations Manager, wanted me to send him an email, confirming that i was ok with 7K quote. When I said, I will send a CC to General Motors and CORE , he said no ! He said, Sundaram Motors was fixing from their end, so need to mark CC to them.

All my emails have always been marked to all the parties. Now they dont want me to ! Why could this be ?

Also, If he gives me a receipt for the head, and also a warranty on it then I might accep 7K. I will also ask him if it is genuinely a new one re-conditioned one.

Also can some one tell me when he meant by ' a cylinder head from our floating stock, as we dont expect many corsas, we will do one for 7K '

Also, greatmana, my protest is not about changing Sundaram ( they would never, profit comes first), its about atleast driving a few customers away from them on that day, atleast causing them a small pinch, with the falling no.of people going there for non-warranty work, it will defnietly worry them

Cheers

[silver_shadow]

>> All my emails have always been marked to all the parties. Now they dont want me to ! Why could this be ?

* if we are to give them the benefit of the doubt, it may be against service policies but is a liberty they are willing to take kind of like unofficially.

[vdiatech]

Originally Posted by silver_shadow

>> All my emails have always been marked to all the parties. Now they dont want me to ! Why could this be ?

* if we are to give them the benefit of the doubt, it may be against service policies but is a liberty they are willing to take kind of like unofficially.

or is it a dirty game they are playing. they dont want to make me that offer in an email , but they want me to send an email, saying i accept the 7k offer with ref to telecon, without marking CC

[ssjr0498]

It sure looks like they are trying to sell you a old head from a crashed/totalled car.

Stick to your plan and threaten them by telling them that you will goto the media and if need be the consumer forum.

Show them that you dont really care and are willing to goto any extent to make sure that your problem be solved and they are taught a lesson.

[vdiatech]

Sundaram Motors have confirmed that it is not a new head. I negotiated further and sealed a deal. This is the outcome

1. Replacement cylinder head at 5K
2. cylinder head will be included in the bill
3. Guarantee on the cylinder head and workmanship
4. They have assured me that the car will be at my door step in pristine condition, inside out.
5. They gave me a telephonic apology for what they put me through and previous misleading diagnosis ( in their own words ).

Cheers

[silver_shadow]

Originally Posted by vdiatech

Sundaram Motors have confirmed that it is not a new head. I negotiated further and sealed a deal. This is the outcome

1. Replacement cylinder head at 5K
2. cylinder head will be included in the bill
3. Guarantee on the cylinder head and workmanship
4. They have assured me that the car will be at my door step in pristine condition, inside out.
5. They gave me a telephonic apology for what they put me through and previous misleading diagnosis ( in their own words ).

Cheers

awesome! keep us posted on the outcome