Such a terrible waste of skilled labour time, shop floor time and customer time.

BHPian dileep recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I've just come back from the 2nd free service from NEXA, Dehradun.

The experience was pathetic. I wanted the engine oil and filter changed and had called their store 3 days in advance to be assured that both would be available.

They hoisted the car to drain the oil and open the filter and then the appointed mechanic started looking confused. I saw him going back and forth from the car to the rear side of the workshop and calling several times on his phone. After about 45 minutes of this tamasha, I went up to him to ask what was the problem. HE DID NOT KNOW WHICH NUT TO OPEN TO DRAIN THE ENGINE OIL. Can you believe this - yes that is the level of training these folks have got from MSIL. Apparently, it's been through videos and online - but surely not knowing which nut to open is incorrigible.

Anyway, the mechanic went on to first open the oil filter (which I think is the wrong way to change oil) to make sure that I was telling him the correct nut to open. It's not so difficult to ascertain once you are under the car. Then he opened the nut to drain the oil.

While the oil was draining, I requested him and the Service Advisor to hasten getting the oil and oil filter from the store. The oil filter came promptly but the oil took another 40 minutes and my constant elbowing. The thing is that for the JIMNY (and maybe other NEXA cars) the oil is issued in a 3.5 litre can - unlike other cars where it is dispensed from a drum containing the same oil (0W16).

So, the oil change which should have taken 15 minutes took the chap about 2.5 hrs. Such a terrible waste of skilled labour time, shop floor time and customer time.

It was a nightmare to see them functioning at NEXA here.

Posting the oil filter and oil packaging - be sure to check these and see the workshop replace them with your own eyes.

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I feel that the car has gotten slightly peppier, but this might just be my imagination since the engine sounds less stressed.

BHPian Cresterk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It's been 8 months since we bought the Hycross ZX(O) and it has taken us to a lot of places with no drama. Took the car in for its 10k service last week.

It has been your average stress-free Toyota ownership experience. Still, I'm very meticulous when it comes to our cars so I made a little list of things I had noticed and wanted to get looked at.

We booked the service at the dealership we bought the car from, which is about an hour away. I had built a rappart there and their service techs had proven to be competent. We dropped the car off, had a coffee, took the fresh-faced new hire around the car showed him the issues I was facing and asked for a wheel alignment in addition to the jobs covered in the service package. He managed to rope me into doing wheel balancing and tyre rotation along with the alignment. I normally don't bother but sure, why not, it's just 500 extra. Also had a friendly chat with the salesperson who sold us the car and the senior service advisor who had taken care of my 1000 kms service.

I took an auto to the nearby mall since it would take a few hours for them to complete the job; they do some testing and jot down readings from the hybrid battery since it's a newly launched product. While wandering around aimlessly, I get a call from the senior service advisor telling me that there is something wrong with the rear brakes.

• Advisor: "You mentioned a noise from the rear brakes, right?"
• Me: "Yeah, I think it is just from the rust buildup since the brakes aren't used much in a hybrid. Figured I would mention it anyway just in case"
• Advisor: "Well we opened it up as part of the inspection and your rear brake pad is broken"
• Me: "What do you mean by broken?"
• Advisor: "It's actually quite strange, it's cracked and we can't even remove it from the calliper. I have never seen anything like this before. We would like to keep the car to collect details to send to Toyota and learn more"
• Me: "Ahhh but I have to attend a wedding with my family tomorrow. Can I take the car home and drop it off again on Monday?"
• Advisor: "Oh no, it really shouldn't be driven in this condition at all"
• Me, thinking back to 2 hours ago when I was doing triple-digit speeds on the highway: "Hmm, can I get a loaner car?"
• Advisor: "Yeah, let me check what's available."

I decide it's time to go back to the dealership so I hop in an auto and head back.

I meet the senior service advisor and ask him for more details. "Okay, so it's your left-side rear brake pad that is damaged. Have you noticed anything while driving?"

Me: "No, but I have noticed the electronic parking brake rusting stuck when parked overnight after driving in the rain or after washing. It makes a jarring noise and the car jerks for a moment the next morning. But after that, the brakes work fine"

Advisor: "So we went through our database and there is only one similar case. It happened to a Lexus sedan with electronic parking brakes.

I'm guessing it has something to do with the electronic parking brake since the motors can squeeze the brakes way harder than a human could"

Well, that made sense to me, since I knew the Hycross uses a caliper-integrated electronic parking brake. There are 2 actuators, one for each rear brake calliper. They squeeze the rear brake pads when activated and are the source of the mechanical whirring noise you hear when you pull the parking button. The personnel at this dealership has been really professional so far so I didn't bother asking to see the brakes. A luxury you can seldom afford these days.

Advisor: "But you didn't notice anything while driving or while braking? No changes in handling or feelings of losing control?"

"Ah so uh.... let's just talk about how we can fix this"

Advisor: "Alright so normally brake pads are not covered under warranty since it's a wear and tear item. However, the wear here is well within limits so it is not due to usage. It will take a few days to get the parts and for Toyota to approve the claim so you will get your car in 3 days."

Me: "Ah that's alright. Now what loaner car do you have for me?"

Advisor: "We can give you a diesel Crysta as that's all we have available now"

None of us were very happy with the thought of taking a white Crysta to a wedding at the Hyatt. I didn't want to look like I was driving a taxi and tried my best to sweet-talk our way into a Fortuner.

It didn't work, but hey, no harm in trying

Anyway, I was led to a white Crysta Z automatic. It was 2 years old and had run 35k kms. It was in surprisingly good condition and was neat and clean. I was also offered a base model Hycross petrol which was one of their test-drive cars. I thought about it, and I chose the Crysta since I figured it would be interesting to see what the cult favourite would be like after getting accustomed to my Hycross ZX(O).

I had written a lot about how Crysta was but this post is getting too long so I deleted it. It took a few days longer than expected to get the parts so I ended up driving the Crysta for a whole week. It was a very interesting experience and I will share it if people are interested.

Skip forward to a week and the Hycross is ready for delivery.

The defective brake pad was changed under warranty and didn't cost me anything. Since I had the Toyota Smiles service package to 20k kms, it only cost me 2k overall for the 10k service. Around 1.5k for the wheel alignment since I had requested it and 500 rs for the tyre rotation/balancing

Before taking delivery of the car, I noticed that they hadn't fixed the wheel cladding or side moulding. The wheel cladding was explained away as being not glued on the ZXO but clipped on so apparently they are somewhat loose as is.

The side moulding is still slightly detached at the ends. Figured I would just get it fixed myself.

Sadly, the insect in the tail light was also left as is since it would involve removing the entire tail light assembly.

The steering trim creaking and the centre console creaking were explained away as being normal for the Hycross sadly. I'm guessing it's due to the poor material quality of the plastic used.

The fuel level indicator changing when parked on inclines issue has been fixed thankfully.

As I was driving home, I realised the tyres were refilled to 35 psi except the front right tyre which was filled to 38 psi according to the TPMS system. No worries, I keep a tyre pressure gauge handy just for this. I stopped before entering the highway and just deflated the tyre with the gauge down to 35 psi to match the rest.

The ride home was uneventful. I was happy to notice that the engine noise had reduced after the oil change. It was the first oil change since I bought the car since OEMs don't do the 1k kms oil change anymore after the break-in period.

I believe the first oil change is the most important to get rid of all the metal shavings and whatnot from a new engine. I would recommend doing the first oil change at your own cost at around 2-3k kms and then following the normal 10k intervals. I didn't do it this time because I was unsure if it was needed for a hybrid since the engine isn't running all the time + I wasn't sure how it would work with the annual maintenance contract.

I also feel that the car has gotten slightly peppier but this might just be my imagination since the noise has gone down and the engine sounds less stressed. Or maybe they tweaked the hybrid system response in the system update.

The next morning I deflated all 4 tyres to the 33 psi as mentioned in the owner's manual as well as the sticker on the side of the car.

Noticed that all 4 rims now had slight scratches or pock marks from being poked by tools. The pockmarks might look small but they are deep when you run your fingers over it. These rims were ceramic coated too.

Oh well, I will try to get it fixed at the next visit to the detailers. Won't be doing wheel rotation/balancing from the dealership again.

Another thing I noticed is that now I can pair my phone/select Carplay when stopped in Drive or driving at crawling speeds. Earlier that option was greyed out unless the car was in park. ADAS, specifically the lane keep assist and pre-collision warning seems to be more intrusive now and I have turned down the setting in MID from normal to low.

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I have been told that in Mahindra Scorpio and Bolero, the hub might get jammed after certain years so the steering parts could be removed via lathe only.

BHPian Shan_Kmu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Our Bolero went for general service last week. The previous service was done at 68k kms. Now the odo stands at 77k kms. The vehicle is now close to 7 and 1/2 years old.

The amount was rounded off to Rs 6,000.

Few repairs and replacements in the past few days before general service:

• One of the headlight bulbs failed. These Osram bulbs worked well for 7 years. Anyhow, replaced both bulbs with Philips H4 Rally Pro.
• The wiper motor conked off. Armature and winding are replaced and the motor is fixed back. Cost me Rs 2,700.
• Front and rear interior lights were replaced with simple coin-shaped LEDs. Cost me Rs 100 each.

Issues found but yet to be fixed (Need your insights please)

• The horn is not working if the steering is straight/turned to certain angles. The auto electrician checked the wiring and horn, and both are good. He told two possibilities:

1) The brass tip under the steering wheel might have worn off.

2) Even after giving a temporary wire connection at the U joint still the earthing issue persists. May be due to rust at steering U joints. Either we need to remove the steering rod clean the rust and put it back or replace it with a new one.

Also, to check the brass tip, in the electrician's workshop, they tried to remove the steering wheel using a puller, but couldn't do it. Many said in Bolero and Scorpio, the hub might be jammed after certain years so the steering parts could be removed in lathe only. Is that so?

Now after that try, the steering feels a little bit hard and they told me it will be back to its original condition after a few hundred kms. Hope it will be back to normal.

• Uneven wear found on the outer side of the front tyres.

Alignment and balancing are properly done in 5k kms intervals but still, this happened. As of now the back tyres moved to the front and vice versa. During general service, the mechanic told me to run some more kms and if the wearing comes again, the front suspension will be checked and if needed necessary parts will be replaced. Example image below.

Couldn't take photos of the car/parts/process due to my phone issue. Will add some in the next post sometime later.

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Tata? I bought one punch for them for my grandmother. Post payment, zero accountability. Flat out refused to fix some issues with the car day 1.

BHPian wooka recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Tata now makes fantastic cars, I totally agree that their engineering is pretty decent now.

However, MnM may have teething issues - at least they work towards a resolution. What all have they done for me on *one* Thar?

• Changed two alloy wheels. Reasons aside, no one does this.

• Changed my stereo system a few times. I've found a long term fix in using an external android box that uses the carplay protocol (thank Jayanth!)

• Changed my AC system due to a mild fogging issue on the windshield.

• Set up some software for me the way I wanted it.

• Changed an amaron battery. Simply stating 'repeat issue for the customer' despite a clean chit report on the battery from amaron. At home. Hats off.

• Changed my entire wiring - engine bay and interior harnesses without one issue coming up subsequently. Minor fit and finish I handle myself. * this despite significant rewiring and accessories. Generally, people say 'warranty void', but not these guys.

• Gave me a new bumper to fit outside professionally since I have a winch, via insurance claim. Even painted it to the color of my choice free of cost.

• Windshield replacement SOS within 2 hours as I was driving to the hills despite a full service station and no prior appointment. Do you know that they actually upgraded the windshield to a thicker one (it's a service circular issued in 2022) due to the high incidence of breaking? Talk about making continuous improvements..

• Gave me standby parts (a hub, brakes and wheel) since I had to drive 900 kms one way the next day, for a week.

• Gave me a cab and a driver to roam around Leh as they flew parts in from Chandigarh for me due to a sensor issue, documented elsewhere, that had clogged up the DPF to 'unrecoverable' (which they fixed anyway, somehow.)

• I met R. Velusamy at Cheyyar and the 4x4 team actually followed up with me for feedback for months subsequently. They were most concerned about how they can make my ownership experience better. Shout out to Dhanush and his team!

• Most of the above are OEM'd off to other vendors. Still, they take accountability. And they'll try to meet you halfway.

• Service guys may be a hit and miss, but are generally good to work with. And one way or another, the service GM generally resolves problems.

Unlike other manufacturers who push you to sit in the lounge, the MnM guys do not mind if I inspect things under the car. And they'll speak openly existing issues and workarounds.

Tata? I bought one punch for them for my grandmother. Post payment, zero accountability. Flat out refused to fix some issues with the car day 1. Day 2 said we must have broken something? The start stop system is obnoxious and can actually completely stall on an incline - bad news! The car feels lifeless at 2k RPM if you have the AC on and 3 people in the car. And they've generally abandoned the 4x4 market, so I'm over them

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In the city, most of the time fuel efficiency has been around 14-16 km/l.

BHPian PrideRed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My swift completed 20K km and got it serviced last week. This was a routine service with an oil change. There were no other issues with the car. While the cost estimator indicated around 4K plus tax, the actual bill came to 8.5K. I had opted for a pickup-drop as I didn't have time to visit the service centre in person. On receiving the bill noticed some extras that the service center managed to squeeze in.

Things included in service:

1. Oil change, 0W20 Shell oil was used.
2. Element air filter.
3. Brake caliper cleaning(Extra).
4. Diagnostic charger(Extra).
5. AC evaporator cleaning(Extra).
6. Coolant change.
7. Fluids top up.

The extras cost about 2K, probably if in person I would have asked to avoid doing these. That said car was cleaned and polished free of cost and the dealer did a good job overall. Pickup and drop were also free of cost, saving me some time in traffic. Overall happy with the service though the cost could have been less. The same service in a smaller town probably would have been around 6K or less. This has made me believe buying a car is cheaper in bigger cities, whereas maintaining one is cheaper in smaller cities.

90% of usage is in Bangalore. The car does around 300 km a week and is quite happy with the performance and AMT serves the purpose. Not very smooth but once you get used to it, works alright. The engine is silky smooth and refined. I recently drove a budget EV and to be honest, the K Series produces as much or less noise than the EV whine at low speeds. It's a pity that Suzuki has decided to axe the K series for next-gen and bring in a 3 pot. The K series also is a decent performer on open roads. The worst fuel efficiency I got was around 12 km/l and the best of 25 km/l which included ghat drive. In the city most of the time FE has been around 14-16 km/l. In 1 month of ownership, the car has visited the service centre 3 times for periodic service and once for a light change which was damaged by a minor accident. Overall fuss-free ownership so far.

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We can discuss whether we do justice to our cars and bikes by obeying its unspoken words that are not codified, but happen to be their most important, unwritten fundamental rights.

BHPian anjan_c2007 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Humans and living beings including trees and animals have codified laws that have been enacted for their safety and well being. We have our sacred Constitution of India that guarantees us our fundamental rights. It also enumerates directive principles for ensuring a better quality of life.

But in respect of automobiles, there are no codified laws guaranteeing these entities on wheels, a good quality of lifespan. But the word "life" is repeatedly used in phrases as lingos in automobile vocabulary when it comes to "lifetime road tax", "lifetime third party insurance " ( once in vogue for 2 wheelers in the 1990's), "end of life" and so on.

Every respective automobile owned by us if allowed to speak and voice its life's first priorities, would assert its two most important fundamental rights as:-

• Right to good maintenance
• Right to be driven regularly but safely

We can discuss whether we do justice to our cars and bikes by obeying its unspoken words that are not codified, but happen to be their most important, unwritten fundamental rights.

To start with myself, I would say that I am doing justice to our three cars (incl the Tata Nano of my Mrs) that go out on the roads regularly. The fourth one i.e. my prized 1987 Maruti 800, moves out too less these days. Its started and its engine is warmed up twice a week. The once much used car's present predicament made me start this thread and now I will vow to drive it at least twice a month.

Among my two wheelers, the Lambretta and TVS-50, aged 41 and 60 respectively are parked since months. I also hope to get both functional and drive these from time to time. The Activa and RX 100 are regularly used and their fundamental rights are duly taken care of and obeyed.

I regularly undertake adequate maintenance and care of all my four and two wheelers on a regular basis.

Please share your own experiences about doing justice to your car/s and bike/s.

Here's what BHPian Sbisht24 had to say on the matter:

Both My Cars, BMW X6 & Verna Are Driven Regularly, Verna Daily For The GYM Or Weekend Long drive by my brother, BMW x6 I Use daily for the office

I take good care of both of them, monthly wash & weekly or bi-weekly deep cleaning with proper products

Here's what BHPian saket77 had to say on the matter:

'Right to be maintained' of the vehicle. 'Duty to maintain' for the owner. This is wonderful in theory but to bring out another aspect- when Govt is hell bent on blanket banning cars over a 10 year and 15 year period, I wonder what incentive is available to owners for devoting time, money and energy for the same. Scrapping a car which is in great shape and condition due to efforts and money invested by the owner during all these years of ownership is rather painful thing to watch compared to a battered car which happens to toe the 15 year life on it's last breath. Agree that this ban is not across the entire country but if someone buys a car in 2024, they cannot be sure that Govt will allow renewal of registration in 2039 or not. So, apart from basic maintenance, an owner may not be interested in going deep down into it.

We have to pay a hefty registration fee in JH for renewing registration for 5 years which is at par the fee paid for a new car. The rate is calculated on the invoice value + green taxes/ renewal regn charges etc. Mind you, this is only for 5 years against a new car which can be registered for the same fee for 15 years. This is to discourage old cars being re-registered and 'penalise' owners for not buying a new car. Someone thought at the helm that everyone with a car has stashed bundles of currency note under their beds. More than saving the environment, this is the automobile lobbying in effect, sadly in a state which is even remotely not at the forefront in the country economically.

Here's what BHPian GForceEnjoyer had to say on the matter:

"Right to good maintenance" is a right I'm proud to say both our cars (Ford Fiesta and Skoda Superb) enjoy to the fullest. In fact, we are currently in the process of locating a good FNG for our Fiesta due to unsatisfactory aftersales service experiences.

The "right to be driven regularly" is also enjoyed by both cars, with us regularly taking them on highway runs, especially after prolonged periods of city driving.

However, there is something I've noticed. In some places the legal threat to vehicles' "right to exist" seems to be throwing a spanner in the works. Just a month ago, I was in Delhi, and the condition of taxis (Ola and Uber, mostly new-ish DZires run between 60,000-1,00,000 km) was just appalling. Engines that seemed like they were struggling to breathe, suspensions that were clearly busted, quite a few warning lights on the dashboard, wheels so out of balance that 60 km/h felt like 160 km/h... you get the idea. The interiors were often filthy, and the heater would pump in unpleasant fumes regardless of whether outside air or recirculated air was selected.

When an owner knows that their car will be illegal to run in 10/15 years, there is clearly little to no incentive to go beyond the bare minimum on maintenance, unless you're an enthusiast. Meanwhile, the taxi home from Hyderabad airport was worlds apart. It was an old diesel Mahindra Verito that had run 3.8 lakh kilometres and was in pristine condition barring some dents and scratches. Clean interiors, smooth engine and an actually working suspension. It seemed ready for another 3.8 lakh kilometres!

Perhaps a "fundamental right to exist provided the car is in good health" should be added to the list. And unfortunately, not all cars can enjoy this today.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

Indeed. The fundamental Right to Live, should be accorded to all cars. Provided they have not reached a point where their health is seriously challenged or where their decrepitude is beyond redemption.

Rather than these Draconian NGT rules, there should be a system of mandatory Motor vehicle Health checks once every year and if the vehicle is in good health then it should be allowed to ply.

Of course this requires a massive level of voluntary compliance and ruthless enforcement which are both very hard to achieve in a country which has such a vast and indisciplined populace, as ours does.

Here's what BHPian arnav17 had to say on the matter:

• 2023 TVS Jupiter 125 - Used mercilessly for all commutes within the city, I wash it once in two weeks.
• 2016 MS Ritz - Used regularly for commutes in the city with 2+ people. Washed every 3-4 days,
• 2008 Tata Safari Dicor - Used sparingly only for long drives, probably once or twice a month. A grave injustice to this beast.
• 2000 HH Street Smart - Not used, but still enjoys full care from my side, a wash every 2 weeks and daily checks. Still shines and starts up on the first kick.
• 1991 Yamaha RX100 - Same as the street, not used but a beauty to look at. Still starts up on the first kick every time & regularly maintained.

That said, even if a small issue crops up with any of the above vehicles, they are taken straight to the FNG and fixed ASAP (the Street and RX on my insistence  )

Here's what BHPian Night_Raven had to say on the matter:

I strongly believe that for cars to be in good health they need to be running regularly. Just like we humans need to be physically active to remain fit. This is probably more important when it comes to cars with more complex systems. I have owned two cars which aren’t famous for being niggle free or reliable. Drove a Fiat Punto for 1 lakh kms and replaced it with a Jeep compass which now has crossed 35000kms. My profession is one which doesn’t have an option to WFH, and I drive my cars 7 days a week almost always. I believe this regular running and preventive maintenance has kept them in good shape and they both have never given me any trouble during the ownership.

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Received real-time service updates via photos & videos of my SUV.

BHPian bharathdonti recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I'm sharing my recent experience with the 10,000 km service of my Kia Seltos at Sunrise Kia in Nizamabad.

1. Early Service Decision: My odometer read 9614km, but with a planned weekend trip to Tadoba, I opted for the 10,000km service earlier than scheduled. I was still determining the service quality at the first Kia showroom in Nizamabad, but I went ahead.

2. Seamless Check-In: I arrived at 10:30 am, where the service advisor immediately began checking my car. They created a WhatsApp group with the service manager, general manager, service advisor, and technician for transparent communication. When I mentioned that I had the convenience plus package, they said that transferring from another dealership would cost me ₹300 as I bought it at another dealer. The convenience package is at the dealer level. This surprised me, but I told them to go ahead. However, upon transferring, they said surprisedly, "Sir, no charges."

3. Unexpected Rodent Issue: The service advisor discovered rat footprints in the engine bay, which was a surprise considering my spacious apartment parking. I requested rodent repellent.

4. Transparent Service Process: The service commenced at 11:00 am, with real-time photos and videos shared in the WhatsApp group. A puncture was identified, and extra charges were communicated.

Below is the list of changes in the 10,000 km service:

• Air Filter
• Engine Oil
• AC Filter
• Top-up of AD Blue, which was at 60%.

5. Service Completion and Additional Offerings: By 1:30 pm, the car was ready, washed, and returned. The dealership attempted to sell underbody and Ceramic coating but was politely rejected.

Worthy Points to Share:

• Convenience Plus Package Clarification: AC Filter and Oil Filter are not billable only at 20,000km and 40,000km.
• Let's discuss Elephant in the room: Dashcam Warranty Confirmation! I installed a Viofo A229 Plus (hardwired) dashcam, which I bought from the USA, and it did not void the warranty.
• Scratch Care Program: Contrary to some discussions, the My Convenience package does not include the Scratch Care Program. I verified this with two different dealers. I would appreciate it if someone could throw some light on this.

Attaching few images

Ad Blue. Pre and post-top-up. They filled five ltrs. They use ClearBlue by Indian Oil

Overall, a positive experience with Sunrise Kia in Nizamabad

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences! Safe driving, everyone!

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I'm definitely a happy owner of the SUV, although there is room for improvement.

BHPian ike recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I got the 15k service done today though the car is at 14,100 km.

Had booked an appointment via the TMSC app and showed up on time. Since this was a service rather than an inspection involving changing lubes and filters, I expected it to take a good part of the day if not the whole day. I'm now familiar with the people at Hyson Motors in Thrissur and comfortable getting my car serviced by them. The people right from the GM to the mechanics are friendly and approachable. I'm now a little less paranoid about service than I used to be when I bought the car.

A job card was opened quickly time, I listed my issues which were:

• The low beam on the left headlamp switched off intermittently.
• Reversing gridlines not working and the reversing camera displays an error message along with continuous beeping.

Oil was drained and new oil was filled. The filter also was replaced. I thought Tata uses Castrol but was pleased to see Mobil1 coming out of an unopened sealed bottle rather than a 240L barrel.

My biggest worry was whether I'd be able to replicate this issue at the ASC since cars sometimes tend to be well-behaved when mechanics are around but the issue did occur at the workshop after some coaxing. The problem was investigated and the bulb was found problematic. A new OEM Xenon HID costs a tear-inducing 10k at TASS, it is of the exotic variety made in Germany by Philips. I requested for warranty and they were kind enough to change it free of cost and log a warranty claim with Tata. They mentioned this was the first time they had come across a dead Xenon bulb. They had just one bulb in stock. I'm not sure about this but it seems that for a bulb replacement, the headlamp assembly needs to be out entirely.

While on the topic of headlights, I upgraded the high beams to LEDs. It seems that this is very bright and will dazzle oncoming traffic. I shall further update this after a few more night drives.

They tried to resolve the reverse camera issue and spent quite some time troubleshooting but could not set it right. They have ruled out trouble with the sensors, but the wiring harness remains to be checked. Since I couldn't leave the car with them today, this will have to be looked at again at a more convenient time. Overall I'm satisfied with the service, hope it stays that way.

Overall very happy with the car. Compared to my previous car, the Harrier is a lot more stable and dismissive of bad roads. Some of the undulations that would have thrown the S cross off are handled with nonchalance.

There is room for improvement, some of which are:

• The infotainment system. I'm fine with this not being up to scratch since I'm fine without music. It looks like I also have the radio reception issue that is being discussed in the new Safari/Harrier facelift thread but I'm not bothered. I didn't even mention this during service.
• Absence of front parking sensors/360 camera. This car is quite hefty, sensors up front or a camera might have helped immensely while manoeuvring.
• No dual-zone climate control. In a car as big, especially when you travel solo like I very often do, There's no need for any AC at the rear. I like my AC cold much to the chagrin of my family. Both the issues could have been avoided had there been dual zones.

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We understand your concern and would like to bring some points to your notice to understand the facts.

Originally Posted by BHPian B747fan:

Our 2016 Innova Crysta 2.8 GX AT went for its 150k servicing earlier today at Mayank Toyota, Jodhpur. We had stopped using Toyota ASS since 2020 when the earlier dealer shut shop during Covid. This was our first time trying the new dealer. The car had slight vibrations at speeds of 80 and above, and there was also slight noise from the engine bay, so I recommended my dad to send it to the dealer instead of using the FNG (This is my dad's daily drive and hence I barely drive it). Now in the morning when the car was dropped off, we were told that wheel alignment and balancing should sort this out. Along with that, we were quoted front brake pads, front brake disks, general service, oil filter, oil change and the usual bits, with promised delivery by 6 pm. In the evening(around 4 pm), they call my dad and told him that the tyres were bad and would require replacement, and that we cannot perform wheel balancing and wheel alignment on these tyres. Now here is the catch, the tyres have plenty of life left, having been driven around 20-25k kms. We told them to leave the wheel balancing and alignment. This is when they hesitated to deliver us the car by today evening and told us it would be ready by tomorrow morning, but upon insisting, they told us we will deliver it in the evening. They then called us to tell that the car is ready, and we sent the driver with the money.

In the meanwhile, there was an argument between my dad and the SA at Mayank Toyota about the vibrations, and my dad told him to visit and outside wheel balancing and alignment shop with him tomorrow to take their opinion on the matter, to which they agreed, however, they stuck to their point that the tyres are worn and hence there is vibration, and that wheel balancing and alignment cannot be done on these tyres. (Now I have not personally inspected the tyres, so I am not sure if the wear indicator is showing the need to replace them.)

The driver reached the service centre and was told that the car would be delivered tomorrow morning, and upon telling the SA to call and confirm, he was told that we have already told them, which they had not. So he came back. Now it was almost 7 pm, and the service centre closes at 6:30. We tried calling the SA, and the contact number of the service centre, but they did not pick up, which is completely different behaviour compared to when they have to advertise about their "Free general checkup scheme with free engine oil filter replacement". My dad got around 2 calls every day for the last 2 weeks or so to send the car for servicing to avail the same. We eventually managed to get in contact with their team, and they started misbehaving on call, my father told them to watch their tone.

The car is still at the service centre, and the SA said that he will replace the tyres with tyres from another car tomorrow and do a test drive, to which my dad said okay, but I don't think that's a good idea. Plus this kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable from Toyota, the same company that advertises service within an hour. They had received the car at 10:37 am, and the initial estimate had a promised delivery time of 6 pm. However, they failed to do that. Attaching both the initial estimate and the final invoice. Even after charging over 30k, they were trying to sell more stuff than what was required, they even wanted to do underbody rust treatment, as according to them the exhaust was rusting.

People buy Toyotas cause of their affordable service, reliability and fuss-free ownership experience, not this. Clearly not sending it back to them for future service, will stick to FNGs.

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Response from Mayank Toyota

Dear Sir,

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you. We understand your concern and would like to bring some points to your notice to understand the facts.

1. Estimate shared while receiving the vehicle was without GST and only for service and any expected part required to resolve your complaint, but if in case while working any additional requirements comes to the knowledge of technician, the same is communicated to customer and the work performed only after confirmation. Some optional works are also educated to customer like underbody coating, interior cleaning etc to make the vehicle more reliable and comfortable (like underbody coating will save the vehicle from rusting) for the customer but that also performed only after customer confirmation. In your case also the actual bill reduces because your dad had refused for those optional works.
2. In case of uneven wear and tear of tyres (which generally depends on the road conditions and driving pattern of the customer) we recommend customers change the tyres even if they have good rubber left on them. In such cases, we do not charge alignment and balancing charges as the vibration concern will not be resolved. Outside agencies don’t care about such things and charge the customer for alignment and balancing without catching the real concern of vibration.
3. Your driver came to the workshop and assured our service advisor that your dad himself would visit the workshop in the morning and then only pick up the vehicle. We agreed as we also want complete customer satisfaction before the delivery of the vehicle. The vehicle was ready at our end, and we don’t have any benefit in holding the vehicle. This is the point where miscommunication between your dad and the service advisor arises. The service advisor believes that your driver was just following your dad’s order, so no further communication is required.
4. Our Service Advisor was a female, and we allow female staff to leave office according to working hours (which you also confirmed that your dad called after working hours) so that they can also reach their home on time at night. She had no intention of leaving your dad’s call unattended, but she was on the way on a 2-wheeler and not in a position to take a call while driving. Later your dad called our helpdesk number, and our CRM attended the call. She shared the number with GMCS and within 5 minutes GMCS called your dad to resolve the complaint. He shared the communication of your driver and Service Advisor with him, but he was very aggressive and was not ready to understand and said that GMCS was behaving rudely. GMCS apologised for the inconvenience and personally attended to him in the morning with the Service Manager and Technical Team leader and offered him that if he allowed, we would arrange our demo vehicle tyres and swipe them so that he could understand the actual facts while test drive of the vehicle which you refused and took delivery of the vehicle.
5. In your earlier case of 2019 (Mayank Toyota) was not in existence but at that time also if you communicate with the respective dealer, they must provide you with the actual reason for the concern.

We as Toyota dealers are always here to help our customers and understand the value of the customer so we request you to pls visit our dealership for any concerns. We request you to pls inspect your vehicle personally and if any technical help is required, we will send our technical team with you so that you can understand the problem practically while driving the vehicle. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience as you are our valued customer and expecting your visit again.

Thanks & Regards

Here's what BHPian B747fan had to say on the matter:

1. I agree with the fact that the invoice shared was without GST, and have no issues with that. The main issue that arose with the bill was that initially, the bill sent was higher than what came out to be the final bill. This was the bill sent on the evening of the 1st of January.
2. There was no uneven wear and tear not the tyres, and they have been maintained well. The team at Mayank Toyota said that we tried to balance them but it wasn't working and that they would not be able to do wheel alignment on them and recommended changing the tyres. The main reason why we sent the car to Toyota in the first place was to address the vibrations. But that didn't happen and the team tried to upsell tyres(and underbody coating which we refused). The issue was resolved after alignment from an outside shop. Several members of team-bhp also agree that Toyota service centres don't generally perform alignment and balancing correctly.
3. The driver did not say that my dad would come to pick up the car in the morning he himself was told by the staff that the car would only be given in the morning and that this had been communicated to my dad, which was a lie. My dad had to go for some urgent work and hence we required the car ASAP, but he had to postpone his work because of that.
4. I understand that the staff was female, but we tried to call her several times, and generally, people do pick up when called several times, however, this was not the case. Furthermore, upon calling the Helpdesk, the GM who was on call, started misbehaving first, then only my dad had to raise his voice and told him not to misbehave. We refused to do a trial with test drive car tyres as he had some urgent work to do, post which he got the alignment and balancing done, which fixed the issue. The main issue is that there was a lot of miscommunication between the dealership staff itself and a lack of clarity on any sort of timelines. First, my driver was told it would be ready by 4-5 pm. Then we were told it would not be possible to deliver today but we could try, and then we were told 6 pm, but that again did not happen. By the time we got to know from our driver what was told to him, the service centre had shut down. We were not told that the car would be delivered on the following day.
5. The 2019 dealer is no longer in existence, but just wanted to raise that issue as well. This has nothing to do with Mayank Toyota.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I'm happy with the overall experience at the service centre. They've been prompt with the delivery, the workmanship is good, and they did not try to sell me unnecessary stuff.

BHPian vignesh.cv recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Annual service update

After the trip to Chennai this month, the console was showing that an engine oil change is due in another 1200kms. Since there was no other travel coming up, I decided to get the car serviced. Found out that the Deutsche Motoren service center is closer to where I live, so booked a slot with them yesterday morning.

The center isn't as big but seems to have a steady volume of cars getting repairs and servicing done by the looks of the number of vehicles parked. I was assigned to Mr.Aftab and given it was the long weekend with a lot of unplanned leaves, it took an hour to actually meet the service advisor. I was treated to some coffee and spent time going over the different accessories they'd put up on the counter.

After the wait, I got to meet Mr.Aftab. He apologized for the delay and then proceeded to inspect the car and also asked me if there were any complaints from my side. I had none, just wanted the regular service to be taken up. He mentioned there's a campaign wherein BMW is replacing the EGR cooler and said they'll take it up as part of the servicing. I requested them to check the brake pad and disc thickness given the car has done approx 34,700 km.

They came back saying the pads are good enough for another 8000-9000kms or so. Kudos for this fully should go to Mohit, the previous owner, for having driven the car carefully. I also got the brake fluid inspected and topped up. In terms of accessories, I went with the boot mat as I felt it would go a long way in keeping the boot lining clean. I also got the Alcantara key fob cover. Mr.Aftab recommended the diesel fuel additive to help clean up any deposits given the car has crossed 34,000kms, so got that as well. You dump in one can's worth of content for one full tank of fuel. Will see if that makes any difference to the smoothness of the engine.

Towards the end of the day, I got a message from Mr.Aftab that the car was ready to be delivered and that I could come and collect it today at my convenience. I went in the afternoon and met another service advisor Mr.Ajith, who walked me through the items in the bill and handed over the vehicle. I've asked for the BRI extension to the 5th year, but they are yet to come back on that.

Overall, I'm happy with Deutsche - they've been prompt with the delivery, the workmanship is good, and they did not try to sell me unnecessary stuff. When I told them I'd done a PPF, they said, sure we will not wax the car, just do a regular foam wash.

With the black grill, the front of the car is now transformed for good.

Set of microfilters, one of the expensive items in the service

Wiper blades

Air filter

Condition of the air filter after one year on the road

Diesel fuel additive

M Performance key fob cover

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.