[ashis89]

After reading the above posts,i feel that FORD is literally planting a lemon tree in the houses of many(not all) Figo owners. I wasn't aware that the complaint rate among Figo owners was so high and thought Figo to be a very reliable car. So when we were in the lookout for a diesel hatchback and were considering the Figo,my uncle advised against it saying that Figo had some frequent issues. Now i know what he meant by it.

The car may be very good and capable but such LONG list of issues will certainly drive away prospective buyers from an otherwise GOOD car. Ford should address such issues immediately.

[tj123]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

Dear tj123
Where is it mentioned about the fogging in the manual ?

The taillamps are fine in my car but the headlamps get fogged up even if I wash the car with a bucket of water.

The fogging issue is mentioned in a blue colour leaflet an addendum to main Figo manual.
The fix is simple, just switch on the headlamps for some time till the fogging disappears.

[libranof1987]

This thread has made evident how Figo suffers from persistent and wide-ranging issues. How has it become a best-seller??

Originally Posted by tj123

The fogging issue is mentioned in a blue colour leaflet an addendum to main Figo manual.
The fix is simple, just switch on the headlamps for some time till the fogging disappears.

What kind of Quality standards is Ford adhering to? Fogging in the headlight means there is some hap thru' which water is entering the HL assembly.

Rather than correcting the issue, Ford is actually offering a solution?

I've had 5 diff. cars from 3 diff. manufacturers and none have had this issue during our ownership period.

[noopster]

Dinesh, I had no intention of questioning your integrity, man! Your complaints are all serious and perfectly valid. I was just trying to see if these were indeed "lemon" features or common to most Figos. From anilisanil's and other replies, it seems there ARE certain major irritants that are shared across all owners, while others point towards manufacturing defects in your particular car.

In any case, there is no excuse for shoddy after-sales service and you should inform Ford higher-ups about how their A.S.S is treating you. Good luck.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by tj123

The fogging issue....
The fix is simple, just switch on the headlamps for some time till the fogging disappears.

If fogging can happen, then dirt and insects too can make into the headlamp cluster. And what leaflet can Ford attach to address these issues then?

IIRC, figo already has weak headlights.

[geeash]

Sorry to see your figo in such a bad shape. I was planning to buy a hatch. i almost decided on figo. but after seeing the engine stalling on downshifting thread and yours i am thinking twice now. Thanks for sharing all your experiences to us. it is very valuble

[EagleEye]

Dear Dinesh,

As a new owner of a Ford Figo TDCi Titanium I am frightened after reading your report. No, "scared stiff" is the expression.

I can confirm that my (now) 3 week old car has the headlight fogging issue, and only in the corners. When I asked one of the service managers at SC Ford about it, he said it's normal and due to the difference in temperature at both sides of the glass. And that if it persists, I could get the headlamp assembly replaced.
I certainly don't feel that it is a normal phenomenon after having driven several cars myself. However as the monsoons are over I have not noticed fogging again. Now it's a dormant issue which will resurface in some time.

Another issue faced by my car was its ABS indicator light coming on. Read it here:

As you would expect, my new car shows none of the other problems mentioned in this thread (touch wood, touch lots of it). But you say that your gear felt hard from day 1. This gives me reason to believe that your car was a bad 'un directly from the factory. I find it a very great coincidence and misfortune that so many problems have found their way into the same car. Mind you, I don't doubt a word you have said. :(

I can very well understand your pain after having spent a lot of money and then facing so much trouble because of it. I wish you luck in sorting out all your issues and I sincerely hope that one day your car will be perfectly troublefree.

[Dinesh_Malhotra]

UPDATE EVERYONE 3rd October 2011
Last night it was not at all easy for me to sleep. all this tension because of one car (my figo) and some grey hair`s popping out of my head at the age of 25 (my worst investment ever, figo), left me bit tensed and irked.
I guess i slept by 4:00am in the morning. usually it`s my mom or my business partner who gathers the guts to wake me up when i am tensed and have not completed my scheduled 8hrs duration of sleep, but today it was a bit different. It was FORD India`s regional manager for west zone who`d called. He is a new guy assigned for this division and if i had the ability to judge people only by their voice, responses and promises, i would say this guy at the least sounded a bit concerned towards me. But my earlier experiences with FORD simply don't allow me to accept that the employees assigned by FORD would ever pay heed to consumers demand while accepting defeat on ford`s principle of "making fool of a customer'. Anyways benefit of the doubt was given and i explained my whole scenario and problems and certain options that now ford could adhere to, to help me gather my trust back on FORD. (Earlier RM, Mr.Kalra was a horror though, different approach on phone, different one in front of dealership and weird in front of ford)


Detailed summary of Conversation on phone with Regional Manager:
Dear Regional Manager calls, greets me in a very nice tone and asks me, "how was the experience while having a check on the problems you`d mentioned, while taking a 126kms test drive with our Wasan Ford`s service advisors? (These advisors had visited me on behalf of ford on their instructions).
I was quick enough to remind him about the mail that I’d sent him on Saturday evening wherein I’d given a full report about my interactions with the service advisors, car`s test and how i got the acknowledgement of the issues by the advisors on paper, etc...
(Kahani main twist…)
RM informs me, “sir though you took their (SA`s) acknowledgement on paper, they are now simply refusing saying that they did not find any issues with your car (WTH!). And have instead requested us (ford India) to ‘still’ take a note of customer’s dissatisfaction (on humanitarian grounds of course) and do some cajoling & again some testing to make the customer happy. (Wasan Ford officials need to learn a few things about acknowledgement I guess)
I was like, seriously? Then why did they acknowledge that in the first place? Had I kept a knife on their throat to get those papers signed? So we just kept on driving for 126kms in a day, without any defects actually playing their untitled roles in the FORD FIGO saga?
The RM then requests me to give the car at Bhavna Ford, located at Navi Mumbai for rectification of atleast the Front RHS door side lock malfunctioning issue, so that I could atleast start using the car till FORD reaches to any conclusion with regards to my demands. In the meantime he also mentions that he has also arranged for an authorized FORD engineer to inspect my car and check for the notified issues. I again reminded him that as I have already taken acknowledgment from Wasan`s Service Advisors, who were authorized by him, I don’t think there`s a need for the same. He persists and I accept to give my car as soon as he can schedule the meet with the engineer, which by their headcount are limited in numbers and look after issues affecting ford cars and their owners in whole of Maharashtra.
Detailed happenings at Bhavna FORD, Navi Mumbai:
I reached there at 3:00PM. Ford`s RM in the mean had already asked someone to be ready with all the equipments to get my car door lock issue sorted out. Soon things went downhill from there, the simple door lock repair thing was diagnosed (finally after 3 retries, door fitment removal-reattaching procedures and 5 gruesome hours of me standing in front of the car while it was attended) to a faulty door lock motor and a faulty door lock mechanism module (it’s a giant module). Both were replaced.
Also I`d requested Bhavna Ford`s advisors to look into the front RHS winder (window) making nice thumping sound when rolled up or down and also the Rear Dicky (boot) door not locking.
Their guys again did a few things with the RHS window (lubrication with some hammer work) and also did some setting with the LOCK mechanism existing in the boot door latch.
Anyone who`s thinking what I meant by the module that FORD replaced today for the FRONT RHS door latch issue; It’s a very big module (15x5cms) that exists in all the FIGO, which plays a role of an receiver when you issue commands to your latch locks to get locked/unlocked manually or automatically. It also plays a major role in making sure that the PATS (ford`s vehicle security) system is in place and is functioning as it should, in the car.
so all in all even today a gold leaf has been attached in my erstwhile very long service history for a car that’s just 16 months old only (total of 18pages, god can only help if I ever decide to sell the car and the buyer asks me.. “Yeh Gaadi Panvati hai kya?” first year only and 18 pages of history)
I am sure till I reach expiration of my car`s warranty I would have faced most of the issues that any of the car may gather in its life in my ONE and only ONE FIGO in such a short time without actually changing that many cars in my lifetime.

What I am concerned about:
Fine, if and only if ford manages to rectify my car`s issues for this time, why should I still trust in them or in the car that the issues wont crop up again as they have been on a constant basis after repeated complaints, repairs etc. In fact problems like handbrake failure that even FORD guys acknowledged earlier and now, have been occurring on constant basis.
For eg: Handbrake failure issue attended 4 times till now. Handbrake fails me twice, my friend suresh once and my dad twice with us risking our lives on atleast in 2 incidents and we were sure shot dead in other 1 instance wherein the TEMPO guys swevered in the next lane at the right time, while our car was going downhill at a good speed when the handbrakes failed to apply at LONAVALA`s twisty TigerHill run…

PLEASE NOTE:
I really can’t judge if what`s he saying (The new ford regional manager wrt wasan`s SA thesis) is the truth, but my earlier experiences with Wasan`s so called managers and service advisors haven’t been that pleasant either, instead these have been filled with some real melodramatic episodes wherein, the service manager had requested me to not to complaint to ford for any of the defects or issues that may arise in my FIGO, so that he doesn’t lose his job and his family doesn’t go astray…
The service manager of wasan in fact had once told me on my face, “Dinesh ji aapko hamari haai (bad omen) in case you complain to Ford again for any lapses in our service or even for the defects that are coming prematurely in your car as ford degrades our dealership ratings”, further making Mr.Pappu Wasan (owner of wasan ford) angry and threatening me (wasan`s service head) of severe strict action if any complaints arise from your (Dinesh’s) side.
I used to reiterate to the person, that the car was purchased from ford and naturally I would ask them to intervene if I am not satisfied with the service or repair or anything in the product itself. But seriously with time I got so much fed up of these melodramatic situations that I would be subjected to face as soon as a write any mail or make call @ford for resolving my concern, I took this matter with FORD, but again it remained unresolved.

[blackfire_9]

Originally Posted by tj123

The fogging issue is mentioned in a blue colour leaflet an addendum to main Figo manual.
The fix is simple, just switch on the headlamps for some time till the fogging disappears.

Fogging will dissappear because of the increased temparature once the headlights are switched on. That is why, fogging would never appear on a bright sunndy day also. But this is certainly a defect & instead of addressing the issue & accepting the fault, Ford finds it fit to hand over these stupid leaflets/additions to their owners about how they can avoid this issue. I mean, Ford has got serious guts to try & fleece customers with such a problem that's so easy to understand.

[HappyRoadie]

Even I faced the headlight fogging issue when my car was about 2 months old. I got it changed at the workshop. They said that headlight unit was not sealed properly resulting in this fogging. After that till now I have not faced that issue.

[RGK]

Very sorry to hear Dinesh. It is totally unfortunate.

My car was fantastic till I went for windshield change (made a stupid decision to change the glass ). After that all issues started for me because of poor workmanship in the SC. After numerous followups and visits, my car is OK now.
Also it had undergone 4 part replacements( under warranty).

The quality of the OEM spares used in the car is not 100%. Thats the reason of numerous failures of components. This is experienced by tbhpians (no idea about non-tbphians). The tail lamp is made by a company called Sumi Motherson (supplies OEM's to lot of companies like FIAT etc) and the rate for Figo is 600/- (charged 1000/-for customers). The same supplier ships to FIAT (for punto) at a rate of 1000/-. Just see the difference and there is a chance of sub standard quality.

During my visits to SC's, I enquired few technicians, they revealed that lot of problems are reported by various figo owners and showed some cars (I am not sure about the authenticity of this info).
This is one of the reason, that Ford did a price hike of all models and also stripped some of the features. (I feel they would have burnt the fingers initially after various replacements - this is my assumption). I think the number of failures are comparatively less in the models released after the price hike.

Please list out all the problems and send a mail (not email) to Ford directly copying to your SC. Please follow up with them regularly (no doubt this is a head ache). Peaceful ownership is lost in your case.

Everyone would be surprised to hear some of the strange explanations given in the SC's for problems reported (For fogging - "When I asked one of the service managers at SC Ford about it, he said it's normal and due to the difference in temperature at both sides of the glass.").

Even though priced high, the VW's & Toyotas definitely provide a troublefree ownership.

But Figo is "pleasure to drive".

[blackfire_9]

hey dinesh,

I don't know how much I can help you but I have also written to the email address provided on the Ford website. I got the below response.

"Thanks for contacting Ford India President's desk.
As we are closed on account of Holiday on 5th October 2011, our team would revert back to you at the earliest.
Trust your positive understanding,
Best regards."

I am hoping Ford would acknowledge & reply back in the positive. The email I have written is not specific to your problems but a general feedback on how the product is faring in India with people facing quite a few issues.

Good luck mate, & I will keep you posted if I hear anything from Ford.

Drive safe.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by Dinesh_Malhotra

For eg: Handbrake failure issue attended 4 times till now. Handbrake fails me twice, my friend suresh once and my dad twice with us risking our lives on atleast in 2 incidents and we were sure shot dead in other 1 instance wherein the TEMPO guys swevered in the next lane at the right time, while our car was going downhill at a good speed when the handbrakes failed to apply at LONAVALA`s twisty TigerHill run…

I didnt get this part. Did you engage handbrake to stop a moving car while going downhill?, or, Was the car stationary when you pulled the handbrake?

[Dinesh_Malhotra]

UPDATE EVERYONE 3rd October 2011

Last night it was not at all easy for me to sleep. all this tension because of one car (my figo) and some grey hair`s popping out of my head at the age of 25 (my worst investment ever, figo), left me bit tensed and irked.

I guess i slept by 4:00am in the morning. usually it`s my mom or my business partner who gathers the guts to wake me up when i am tensed and have not completed my scheduled 8hrs duration of sleep, but today it was a bit different. It was FORD India`s regional manager for west zone who`d called. He is a new guy assigned for this division and if i had the ability to judge people only by their voice, responses and promises, i would say this guy at the least sounded a bit concerned towards me. But my earlier experiences with FORD simply don't allow me to accept that the employees assigned by FORD would ever pay heed to consumers demand while accepting defeat on ford`s principle of "making fool of a customer'.

Anyways benefit of the doubt was given and i explained my whole scenario and problems and certain options that now ford could adhere to, to help me gather my trust back on FORD. (Earlier RM, Mr.Kalra was a horror though, different approach on phone, different one in front of dealership and weird in front of ford)


Detailed summary of Conversation on phone with Regional Manager:

Dear Regional Manager calls, greets me in a very nice tone and asks me, "how was the experience while having a check on the problems you`d mentioned, while taking a 126kms test drive with our Wasan Ford`s service advisors? (These advisors had visited me on behalf of ford on their instructions).

I was quick enough to remind him about the mail that I’d sent him on Saturday evening wherein I’d given a full report about my interactions with the service advisors, car`s test and how i got the acknowledgement of the issues by the advisors on paper, etc...

(Kahani main twist…)

RM informs me, “sir though you took their (SA`s) acknowledgement on paper, they are now simply refusing saying that they did not find any issues with your car (WTH!). And have instead requested us (ford India) to ‘still’ take a note of customer’s dissatisfaction (on humanitarian grounds of course) and do some cajoling & again some testing to make the customer happy. (Wasan Ford officials need to learn a few things about acknowledgement I guess)

I was like, seriously? Then why did they acknowledge that in the first place? Had I kept a knife on their throat to get those papers signed? So we just kept on driving for 126kms in a day, without any defects actually playing their untitled roles in the FORD FIGO saga?

The RM then requests me to give the car at Bhavna Ford, located at Navi Mumbai for rectification of atleast the Front RHS door side lock malfunctioning issue, so that I could atleast start using the car till FORD reaches to any conclusion with regards to my demands.

In the meantime he also mentions that he has also arranged for an authorized FORD engineer to inspect my car and check for the notified issues. I again reminded him that as I have already taken acknowledgment from Wasan`s Service Advisors, who were authorized by him, I don’t think there`s a need for the same.

He persists and I accept to give my car as soon as he can schedule the meet with the engineer, which by their headcount are limited in numbers and look after issues affecting ford cars and their owners in whole of Maharashtra.

Detailed happenings at Bhavna FORD, Navi Mumbai:

I reached there at 3:00PM. Ford`s RM in the mean had already asked someone to be ready with all the equipments to get my car door lock issue sorted out.

Soon things went downhill from there, the simple door lock repair thing was diagnosed (finally after 3 retries, door fitment removal-reattaching procedures and 5 gruesome hours of me standing in front of the car while it was attended) to a faulty door lock motor and a faulty door lock mechanism module (it’s a giant module). Both were replaced.

Also I`d requested Bhavna Ford`s advisors to look into the front RHS winder (window) making nice thumping sound when rolled up or down and also the Rear Dicky (boot) door not locking.

Their guys again did a few things with the RHS window (lubrication with some hammer work) and also did some setting with the LOCK mechanism existing in the boot door latch.

Anyone who`s thinking what I meant by the module that FORD replaced today for the FRONT RHS door latch issue; It’s a very big module (15x5cms) that exists in all the FIGO, which plays a role of an receiver when you issue commands to your latch locks to get locked/unlocked manually or automatically. It also plays a major role in making sure that the PATS (ford`s vehicle security) system is in place and is functioning as it should, in the car.

so all in all even today a gold leaf has been attached in my erstwhile very long service history for a car that’s just 16 months old only (total of 18pages, god can only help if I ever decide to sell the car and the buyer asks me.. “Yeh Gaadi Panvati hai kya?” first year only and 18 pages of history)

I am sure till I reach expiration of my car`s warranty I would have faced most of the issues that any of the car may gather in its life in my ONE and only ONE FIGO in such a short time without actually changing that many cars in my lifetime.

What I am concerned about:

Fine, if and only if ford manages to rectify my car`s issues for this time, why should I still trust in them or in the car that the issues wont crop up again as they have been on a constant basis after repeated complaints, repairs etc. In fact problems like handbrake failure that even FORD guys acknowledged earlier and now, have been occurring on constant basis.

For eg: Handbrake failure issue attended 4 times till now. Handbrake fails me twice, my friend suresh once and my dad twice with us risking our lives on atleast in 2 incidents and we were sure shot dead in other 1 instance wherein the TEMPO guys swevered in the next lane at the right time, while our car was going downhill at a good speed when the handbrakes failed to apply at LONAVALA`s twisty TigerHill run…

[Dinesh_Malhotra]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I didnt get this part. Did you engage handbrake to stop a moving car while going downhill?, or, Was the car stationary when you pulled the handbrake?

First of all this issue has been verified by FORD`s dealership and engineer both while testing for the same on the earlier instances and even today.

In total it was shown to FORD assigned wasanford`s service advisors and Ford`s engineer from chennai for about 11 Times. obviously we could not travel back to lonavala to do the exact same thing, but i opted to do the same manuevere at the Balaji Temple situated nearby Nerul station, Navi Mumbai. The curves at Balaji Temple area are a lot less steep than what they are Lonavala`s Tiger Hills. buy anways my point was proved to them.

with regards to the process: (all this critical to life issues have occured on lonavala, because thats the only place wherein you can come in contact with this twists FOR a reason, picnic)

I`ll try to explain more about the latest incident here in detail, because no use telling about the earlier expiriences with the same as the issue was same and the outcome of the repair was also same. That is, Handbrake failure 'again' to be precise.

This accident type scenario has happened once "with me" driving the car in the month of august 2010, wherein i was a little fresh maal in the driver category and if only i`d panicked in that situation, i would have been dead.
But somehow some driving tricks that i`d learned through T-Bhp just zapped my into my brains and i simply adopted to stop the car utilizing the First Gear Stop Method on incline.

2nd time it was my friend suresh who owns an Toyota Innova. Rev mismatch and the car engine shuts. Suresh approaches towards the Handbrake to stabilize the car. Car starts the downward spiral movement. my girlfriend yells, we all get scared, i recollect the earlier instance of its occurence, instantly ask suresh to use the first gear method, car stops.
We cancel the trip and just head back home.


'with Dad' Incident: 25th Sept 2011 LATEST

we were driving quite blissfully while enjoying the soft gushes of wind and awesome panoramic view of the terrain that run parallel to twisty-curvy roads of lonavala. my dad being an Octavia owner (powerful car) ended up miscalculating the matching revband while driving through one of the most difficult twist and ended up with the car engine getting shut.

(all this happens between not more than 10-15 seconds)

He first tries to apply the foot-brake but as the car engine is shut, they don't get applied to their full potential and the car starts to lose some grip on the road by trying to move in the backward motion. He then obviously and naturally opts for applying handbrake to get the car halted to a steady position wherein he could again then try restarting the car and move ahead.

but to our horror (especially this time it was my family with me in the car), the handbrakes simply failed to engage (this time they were already repaired and assured of to be in working condition THRICE) and instead the car now starts to move backward with gaining good momentum.

Dad was going totally crazy over what the hell is going wrong and was in complete confusion to what is going on. The car engine not starting, handbrake not applying, as the engine is shut the main brakes have become toooo hard to apply and damn... Tempo coming at quite a good speed.

The Tempo guy swerves at the right moment and we`r saved by a margin.

me being familiar with this issue, ask my dad to instantly put the car in first gear to get it stopped. once it stopped. restarted the engine. we waited for the road to clear off, let the car come down towards the flat road and then started to accelerate again to cross that twist, but with me in the driver position now. (my earlier scathing experiences especially with regards to this issue in our figo helped)

all these happening in the duration of not more than 15 seconds. i guess that much is the time that you get to decide between life and death.

bah... i feel sleepy now. Thinking if i must start for the next post that is about updatin with regards to what happened on 4th October 2011 between me and Ford. will try now, if not then will update today morning first place.

Please dont mind if there are any grammatical errors in the post or some lines done make sense. my brain is not working to its optimum. kindly understand.

warm regards
Dinesh Malhotra