[HappyRoadie]

Hello All,
As I have already mentioned that I own a Tata Sumo Grande I h\ve faced many problems with this car in my 7 months of ownership. We took delivery on a festival so we were not able to check the car properly. Next day we found that the AC vent was not working. Pointed this out when the car went for its first servicing. Then we noticed the handle in the middle row to fold the seats was not there. Again I had to take the car to the workshop. It was done after a lot of troubles. Then seat belts were not functioning properly. Got it done again. ECU cover was not there so had to ask for it.

Now the biggest problem we faced... We had gone to Nainital recently. After reaching suddenly we heard a loud noise when the steering was turned to extreme left or right. After coming back from Nainital we got it checked. The Discs were completely damaged. So they changed it. After replacing it they took the car for a test drive. After returning when they checked the discs they were also damaged. They then again changed the discs. Now I completely upset with the problems I faced. I am thinking of talking to some senior officials and get the car replaced with Grande MKII. Please help and advise me whether I should proceed with this step or not. Your suggestions will be valuable for me in making the decision.


Thanks

[4x4addict]

HappyRoadie:


With Tata vehicles it is a coin toss. If you are lucky you get a trouble free vehicle, if not you become the dealers best friend. I hope you have taken the extended warranty. Just get the stuff replaced under warranty. Not much else you can do at this point. Resale for Grand is poor so not worth selling and upgrading at this point.

[carboy]

We need a lemon law in India.

The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (beginning with Civil Code section 1790) provides protection for consumers who lease or buy new motor vehicles. The law requires that if the manufacturer or its representative in this state, such as an authorized dealer, is unable to service or repair a new motor vehicle to meet the terms of an express written warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts, the manufacturer is required promptly to replace the vehicle or return the purchase price to the lessee or buyer.

[HappyRoadie]

Thank You to both of you for the information. The only mistake I have done is that I have not purchased the extended warranty. After reading through the post I have now understood that nothing can be done much. So I am dropping the idea of replacing the vehicle and will get the things done in the workshop.


Regards

[condor]

@HappyRoadie, check for extended wty even at this point : it may be available, since your vehicle is still in the base wty period. And not to fret : parts are relatively less expensive than with other brands. Find a competent service center, even if it is outside T.A.S.S.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by condor

@HappyRoadie, check for extended wty even at this point : it may be available, since your vehicle is still in the base wty period. And not to fret : parts are relatively less expensive than with other brands. Find a competent service center, even if it is outside T.A.S.S.

Condor: The engine will be a lot more expensive to maintain than the 2.0 TCIC due to the sensors/ECU etc.

As Condor pointed out, you can buy the extended warranty as long as the original warranty is in effect. But it may cost more than buying when new. I feel it is still worth it.

[condor]

@4x4addict, to engine, it's own maintenance costs. But I still feel that the spares will be comparitvely cheaper (w.r.t other brands)

@HappyRoadie - my prev post was not to suggest you give up on the T.A.S.S completely. A second line of service support can be useful. Do not give up on maintenace at T.A.S.S till your wty (& extended wty) is over.

[HappyRoadie]

That I understand I will send my vehicle to workshop for services, spares etc. I think I have already discussed the problem that after I returned from Nainital both the front Discs were damaged. They however replaced them but it gives a sort of discouragement and fear. For ownership experience you can check the long term ownership. Once again thank you condor and 4x4 Addict.

[sreejith_gce]

I faced a big issue related to engine/ECU with in 3 months of purchase. Vehicle was not getting started at all. Later after 3 days of detailed examination they found that ECU is faulty. Luckily we had included extended warranty in the purchase and we got the whole ECU replaced free of cost! There were some other issues also like, a/c dripping at the front co-passenger area. The bill was around 25K and we got it all done free!

[sriku]

Originally Posted by sreejith_gce

I faced a big issue related to engine/ECU with in 3 months of purchase. Vehicle was not getting started at all. Later after 3 days of detailed examination they found that ECU is faulty. Luckily we had included extended warranty in the purchase and we got the whole ECU replaced free of cost! There were some other issues also like, a/c dripping at the front co-passenger area. The bill was around 25K and we got it all done free!

I find it strange that diagnosing a starting problem for 3 days ended up with identifying a faulty ECU, wouldn't that be the first thing to check?
I've driven the Sumo Grande, and was looking forward to TD the MkII, to evaluate whether it is better, and can be considered an alternative to the Xylo or base Scorpio LX, but reading about the Tata service sob stories on TBHP are making me reconsider this.

Sreejith and Happy Roadie, how has your interaction with the workshop been? Have you been treated fairly by them? Have your queries and worries been managed well? Have you needed to escalate issues to the Workshop Manager or higher Tata officials? Without fair service experience, the whole joy of ownership is lost, in my opinion. At least my nearest Mahindra workshop staff were very considerate and I had a pain-free time dealing with them during my Bolero days.

Cheers,
Sriku

[sreejith_gce]

Yes, it took them 3 days.. I really struggled since I was on a short leave to attend my engagement function! I had to use my cousin's innova until I got my vehicle back on the D-day after an hour-to-hour follow up!
See the fleet of cars (on the day of engagement function)with Innova at the front followed by Ambassador and my Grande

[4x4addict]

@sriku:

On paper the Sumo Grande seems like a great value for what it offers for the price. But the biggest drawback is Tata's quality hangs over it like a democacles sword. In India the mass market either accepts a vehicle or not and if you buy a vehicle that has not been accepted by the public at large, you will definitely take a hit in resale value. If re-sale is not a concern and you like the vehicle, maybe it is worth considering it.

As you drive around for the next couple of days, see how many XYLOs you see on the road as opposed to Grandes.

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by sreejith_gce

I faced a big issue related to engine/ECU with in 3 months of purchase. Vehicle was not getting started at all. Later after 3 days of detailed examination they found that ECU is faulty. Luckily we had included extended warranty in the purchase and we got the whole ECU replaced free of cost! There were some other issues also like, a/c dripping at the front co-passenger area. The bill was around 25K and we got it all done free!

Going a little off thread here, since the problem was detected 3 months into ownership, regular warranty would've covered it - right? or does extended warranty mean something else in this context (additional item coverage as opposed to additional time coverage)?

[sriku]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

@sriku:

On paper the Sumo Grande seems like a great value for what it offers for the price. But the biggest drawback is Tata's quality hangs over it like a democacles sword. In India the mass market either accepts a vehicle or not and if you buy a vehicle that has not been accepted by the public at large, you will definitely take a hit in resale value. If re-sale is not a concern and you like the vehicle, maybe it is worth considering it.

As you drive around for the next couple of days, see how many XYLOs you see on the road as opposed to Grandes.

4x4addict, the only reason I was even considering the Sumo Grande MkII was the sheer number of them I saw on a recent Mumbai-Chennai drive. It was almost as if they were following me from Mumbai all the way to Chennai! My brother (gsferrari) and I were amazed with the number of Grande's on the roads, across three states! Our perception led us to believe that there would be more Xylo's at least within Maharashtra, as our state's interior towns have been Mahindra stronghold's for a long time now. However, we saw more Scorpio's and Bolero's than Xylo's. Perhaps, the Xylo is more prominently seen around urban areas as opposed to the interstate highways.

Resale value has never been a big consideration for me, and I am more interested in the car itself, its performance, ease of maintenance, support and to a large extent, the cost of buying and living with it. The last factor seems to be leaning in favour of a Mahindra Xylo over a Grande MkII, but I feel really sorry for the Grande, as it's perceived as a bad deal, although its not a bad car at all.

Cheers,
Sriku

[4x4addict]

@sriku:

There is no point in us feeling bad for the Grande. Tata has mostly been more successful catering to the low end of the market, mainly with India & Sumo. It is upto them to improve their QC department and give private buyers more confidence to buy their products.

Besides the ugliness, as you pointed out the Sumo Grande is very practical vehicle. Xylo is not that great looking as well, but it seems to have been accepted by the market better than the Grande.

I am surprised that you saw a large number of Grandes on your trip from Mumbai. We hardly see any in the City or even on my drives to Bangalore, Trichy etc...