The software of my 2023 Tata Safari facelift was updated to the Jan 2024 version when I took the SUV for its first service before a 2000 km-long road trip.

BHPian flameofforest recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello all,

Here is my review after a 2000 km trip from HYD to my hometown and back.

Overall the vehicle ran great from the mechanical perspective. I mean - pickup, braking, lights, handling, ride comfort etc. All went fine. Got a mileage of around 15.5 KMPL as it was mostly highway drive.

I got the vehicle's 1st servicing done before this long trip. They top-upped the DEF, updated the software to Jan 2024 version.

Now to the niggles

• After s/w update the "Rear AC" option started working. How it works is - IF the AC is ON on the 3rd row, then this is by default ON on the infotainment option. You can switch it OFF from here - works. BUT - now with this option working - I found that the AC temperature doesn't go up/down rather it keeps it at a very low of around 18C.
• FM Reception is still Bad. I was told by the service centre that Tata will release an update so waiting.
• Android Auto Music disconnects sometimes when I switch the indicator on-off and something is in the blind spot so an alert comes. The map works but then the music sound doesn't come like the audio is suppressed with an indicator alert. You have to switch off the car and turn it back on for it to work. I guess someone else also pointed this out.
• Indicator alert, if someone is in the blind spot, is sometimes VERY loud that it scares the hell. Did try to lower the notification volume but not that useful.
• Someone did mention - whenever the lane departure warning comes on, the dashboard display automatically switches to the "Driver Assist" menu, regardless of what screen I'm currently on (fuel efficiency, maps, etc.). Annoying.
• AEB-FCW error a couple of times so this is a bit scary as I am not sure if it works or not.
• Strangely, automatically the 360-degree parking sensors went off and didn't give any alarm while I was parking last week. I went to settings and toggled them on-off and it again started working.
• My old issue of vehicle going back to CITY mode after 5-10 minutes of driving in ECO still persists.
• Memory seat failure. Received many times so now getting habituated to manually changing the position

Living with these all and awaiting some miracle to happen that one fine day I get up from sleep and it all goes away.

Cheers.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I think Tata cars have the potential to be world-class but issues like these are holding them back.

BHPian spaceunicorn recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I've been active on the forum. I've been busy, but my new Safari facelift just hit 5,000 kilometers two weeks ago and everything was running smoothly. However, things went downhill after I updated the software to the January 2024 version last Saturday (March 9th) at an authorised service centre.

Software update issue

Took my Safari to the service centre on Saturday (March 9th) for a software update. After an hour, the service advisor (CSE) falsely claimed the car was ready, despite the infotainment system still showing the outdated October 2023 version. When I questioned this, they initially provided blatantly wrong information, stating the update wasn't for the infotainment system. Fortunately, I confirmed this was absurd through our Safari owner group.

Following my complaint, they finally admitted the update failed and had to resort to a cumbersome workaround. They downloaded the update on a thumb drive and installed it separately for the infotainment system (if their explanation is even accurate). While this eventually resolved the update issue, the entire experience raised serious concerns about their service competence.

New bug

Now, whenever the lane departure warning comes on, the dashboard display automatically switches to the "Driver Assist" menu, regardless of what screen I'm currently on (fuel efficiency, maps, etc.). I've tried restarting and resetting the system to no avail. I mentioned this to the service advisor today, and they simply said it's a bug and to wait for the next software update.

Unresolved existing issues

The FM reception is still poor, and the rear AC can't be switched on from the infotainment system.

Battery draining

After the software update on March 9th, I went for a long drive on Tuesday (March 12th). The car was parked for the rest of the week until Saturday (March 16th). When I tried to start it for a family outing, the battery was completely dead! I called roadside assistance (RSA) and they confirmed a drained battery. They advised me to at least use the car once a week (didn't waste time narrating my trips). Check engine light was lit and I took the car for a drive to ensure the battery was fully charged. Magically the check engine disappeared the next day morning!

Service concerns

No seat cover used - the service technician arrived without a seat cover. This resulted in grease stains on my pristine white interior. Only after raising my voice about this unacceptable carelessness did someone finally bring a seat cover.

Battery checked and concluded no issue

Although they checked the battery health and said it was fine, they couldn't identify the cause of the drain. They suggested it might be a light or accessory left on, but I always use the automatic settings for headlights and wipers. Finally, after removing the engine bay cover (which I wasn't too happy about), they concluded everything looked fine but couldn't pinpoint the cause of the drain.

Overall, I'm quite disappointed with Tata aftersales. They couldn't diagnose the battery drain issue, and the service experience left a lot to be desired. There's a new Tata service provider in town and I'll definitely be considering them if these problems persist.

Tata needs to improve the reliability of their cars and provide more robust service with proper supervision. Their products have the potential to be world-class, but these issues are holding them back.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Once on the highway, it’s a smooth cruiser but not as smooth as the Mahindra XUV700.

BHPian sapien recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Did one final test drive of the latest Safari diesel AT before finalizing the only other Indian option in the segment.

Here are some quick observations

• Looks properly big from the outside, in terms of appearance, can manage to be in the same league as Fortuner if not the Legender.
• The interiors are a right balance of modern and timeless. Just the steering is overdone. Tatas are just getting better at interiors with each passing day. In terms of features, it’s super loaded, except for those ADAS lane functions which are likely to be enabled with a software update. Who would have thought cars would get OTA updates just a decade back?
• The drive felt uninspiring, quite a lot of engine noise when at idle, on the move it’s mild but noticeable. The pick up is good but not great, if you’re incremental with the accelerator input, it has a nice linear pull. It kind of nudges you to sit back and relax.
• Noise insulation is good, keep’s outside noises outside, other than that engine thrum. The vibrations are not much, but they are present in the background. Sound system is outstanding, probably the best in the segment.
• Once on the highway, it’s a smooth cruiser, and the new steering is very well-tuned, sporty on the highway but lighter in the city. It’s not XUV700 smooth though.
• Fuel efficiency is ~12 with a combination of city and highway driving, which is decent for such a huge vehicle! My petrol Tiago gives 14-15 on the same route.
• In terms of ride, it feels like a king, you are sitting on something really large and goes over rough patches without worrying too much. For the same reason, it doesn’t feel nimble and requires effort to change directions, feels ungainly! The Jeep Compass is still a benchmark in the ride and handling department. The XUV700 falls right in between, neither too sporty [Compass] nor too plush [Hector].

I really had my heart set on this one, but the mind prevailed.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Even after deciding to replace our old Tata SUV with a petrol automatic hatchback, I was confused between the Altroz, Hyundai i20 and Maruti Baleno / Toyota Glanza.

BHPian abusyms recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Downsizing and upgrading from a Tata Safari Dicor VTT 2.2 diesel to a Hyundai i20 Sportz (O) IVT was one of the most difficult decisions I had to take till now. It took me about half a year to convince myself to take this decision and say it out loud to my wife.

The amount of space on offer, the high-speed stability, the sheer road presence and lastly the grunt of the engine post 1750 RPM was phenomenal. On the open highway, there was no other car which could match up to this. I had bought it as it was my dream car since childhood. However, as I was using it for my commute primarily in the city, driving this behemoth in the ever-growing Pune traffic was taking a toll on my left foot and back.

The main factors due to which I took the decision to let go of my Safari were:

1. A mere half an hour's commute which I used to previously enjoy turned into a nightmare and I used to be exhausted driving it. Almost 70% of the travel time I’d have to struggle on half clutch in the bumper-to-bumper traffic and this is where the size of the vehicle was felt. I noticed that I started using the Safari less and less and chose to use either the bike or the Alto instead to enjoy the easy manoeuvrability in the city traffic for the past 1 year.
2. Due to the car’s age and less use, the maintenance cost per km was going up day by day.
3. The year of manufacture being 2010, the registration was valid till 2025 and would come to re-registration and honestly, I was not sure if I would continue to use it for another 5 years.
4. No safety rating – Now I know that people will tell me that the Safari was a tank and doesn’t really need the fancy safety features like Airbags, ABS with EBD, Traction control, etc. To which I agree and I had the same opinion, but it all changed when I was travelling with my 6-month-old daughter and having all these safety features was for my peace of mind.
5. Diesel phase-out plans initiated by the Government.
6. Lastly, the car being 14 years old, was starting to show its age. Basically, there was no problem with the engine or transmission or even the Air Conditioning, but the rattling or squeaking noises from all over the cabin were starting to get to me.

The Safari was immensely enjoyed by me and my family for almost 5.5 years (I was the second owner). I clearly understood that I was not letting the car live up to its true potential and that it needed to be driven more. Hence I finally took the decision to stop being selfish and let someone else have a chance to explore this beast. Possibly someone who drives more on the highway. Fortunately, I found the right match for my Safari. Although I had difficulty parting ways with it, it was the best alternative.

Nevertheless, I decided to replace my craze of owning a diesel manual SUV with a more convenient petrol automatic hatchback.

Now moving on to the second part of this write-up:

Considering my daily commute and occasional long drive I was looking for a premium hatchback with an automatic transmission. With these criteria in mind, my research narrowed down my search to 3 contenders.

• Tata Altroz – XZA Plus (s) (DCT)
• Hyundai i20 – Sportz (O) (IVT)
• Baleno/Glanza – Alpha AGS (AMT)

Why I chose Hyundai i20

1. Good space and Premium interiors – the Baleno/Glanza interiors have started looking a bit dated and even the new head-up display is more of a gimmick for me. Further, out of the 3 contenders taking into consideration the interior design, layout, rear seat space, premium feel of the cabin, the i20 was just a better place to be. The Altroz with its dated instrument cluster, smaller infotainment screen, the ambient lighting did not cut it. Specifically, I was not expecting the back seat of a 4 mtr hatchback to be that cramped. I20 had the best of both worlds - interior design, quality and space.
2. IVT Transmission – I had also read that DCT transmission tends to overheat when driven in bumper-to-bumper traffic and the maintenance cost is a tad on the higher side as compared to CVT/IVT. I understood that DCA has wet clutch technology which solved the overheating issue and I attempted booking a test drive but ‘Tata’ being ‘Tata’ they never had the DCA model available for a test drive, and I wasn’t going to take a decision to buy an automatic based on a test drive of a manual. All other features can be imagined, but transmission is something that you have to take a feel of before you make the decision. Baleno was struck off from the list as soon as I understood that it is no longer offering CVT transmission, only AMT was falling in my budget and having driven AMT before, I was not a fan of it. Although CVT/IVT doesn’t have the same level of punchiness as a manual but what does?
3. Extraordinary customer service – I have always been a fan of the new range of Tata cars but reading the reviews online I was not confident about their After Sales Service. The fact that they could not arrange a test drive with the DCA version for almost 2 weeks did not help nudge me towards Tata. It felt like ‘I’ wanted to buy a car from them that they didn’t want to sell. On the contrary, I was really impressed with the Hyundai Customer acquisition process. It felt like they were eagerly waiting to welcome me to the family. The entire journey from the scheduling of a Test drive on the Hyundai website which happened at the scheduled time at my residence till taking delivery of the vehicle at the showroom, the entire journey was very flawlessly executed by the Hyundai salesman. I agree that it’s the car that’s important, but these are little things that make a huge impact and aid in customer acquisition.
4. 1.2 L petrol engine paired with an IVT was promising decent punchiness and mileage. Turn it to sport mode and the revs go all to way to the red line (but the engine gulps down fuel like water). I am not an engineer, so I don’t understand whether there are any gears in IVT or not, but whatever there is or isn’t for a normal driver like me doesn’t really matter. All that matters is that I barely noticed any gear shifts.
5. Safety and other features – 6 Airbags, ABS, EBD, Traction control, Drive modes, Sunroof, wireless charger, wireless Android auto and Apple carplay, etc. The i20 feature list far exceeded my expectations and minimum requirements.

In the end, although I feel sorry for letting go of my childhood dream, I am happy with how things worked out for the Safari as well as for me. I will soon be posting my overall experience of owning and maintaining the i20 as well.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The situation was such that I went ahead and booked a Mahindra Scorpio N automatic assuming that my pre-owned Tata is not going to get repaired.

BHPian puneetakhouri recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The Storme goes to the Garage for 6 months, brings me to my knees

Yes, you read it right, that was also the reason this thread was super silent for over 6 months because I did not have the car with me.

TLDR - The car required ECU replacement but diagnosis and finding the right mechanic took a long long time.

What Happened

After getting the fuel lines cleaned, diesel filters replaced and EGR cleaned, I took the truck to the office the next day. The drive to the office was very smooth, but the moment I turned on the vehicle during my return journey, the Check Engine Light came on again. I knew where this was headed with injectors knocking, Check Engine Light, ABS Light, EMS Light coming on and staying that way, misfiring and whatnot, I still drove the car back somehow for 22 kms to my home.

For reference, this is one of the videos of how and what used to happen.

Also, note that the engine is louder than it should be.

The mechanics were advising me that this would require, injectors and pump service but this time the engineer in me decided that I would tackle it methodically, so found a mechanic near my house. He scanned the vehicle and we had the exact same error codes as earlier.

So I decided to tackle them one at a time, found a local mechanic and got the following done

Mechanic #1 - July End to August Mid   

• It showed a Rail Pressure Sensor Error, so got the sensor replaced, and tried, no change.
• It showed Metering Valve Issues, so got the metering valve placed in front of the High-Pressure Pump cleaned out. No effect.

Basically, I thought of working on the error codes before going for the main pump injector service. Now seeing that nothing else is working, gave the truck to my old mechanic for the same. Do note that they are not a Tata expert and deal primarily with premium cars, they just handle my Safari as a gesture of friendship. My Safari is the cheapest car that they service.

Mechanic #2 - August Mid - September End

Car goes to my mechanic, he gets the pumps and injectors removed and sent for service. They found an issue in two injectors but the pump seems ok. The pump injectors come back, they are fitted. Car runs fine but the error comes back again. After giving ample time to mechanic #2, I decided to take the truck to another mechanic. Mechanic #2 was also very happy that I was taking the vehicle away as he was clueless.

Mechanic #3 - October

The car goes to another mechanic, again the pump injector are opened, went to service, put back, same issue comes back. They are also clueless. I was very unhappy with these folks and then desperately was looking for another mechanic.

I also booked the Scorpio N Z8 D AT 7 Str at the end of October assuming that Safari is not going to get repaired and no other car comes close to it in road presence, comfort in that price range.

Mechanic #4 - The Expert - November to December End

This was the guy who fixed my car. Somehow found him and he said that if I was not going to shy away from spending some money then he would guarantee that he would fix the car. I was sceptical as to what he meant but he said in the ballpark of 30-40k as most owners shy away from spending so he didn't want to waste labour. Now calculating the EMIs of a new car, this one-time expense made a lot of sense to me. So I gave him the go-ahead and gave some advance as an assurance as well.

The work done is listed below.

The car had wire mesh wrapped over all the wires in the engine bay, he took all of it out and checked the connections and found the first fault. Wrongly connected wire taking power from some other source creating a higher voltage in the circuit. This mechanic was an ex-Tata guy and he knew of the older Tatas well. He even had the Service manual of a Safari Storme with the complete wiring diagram which he referred to and rebuilt the entire wiring harness of the ECU.

The Pump and Injector were again sent for service, they said the pump was ok but two of the four injectors were choked creating back pressure and causing rail pressure sensor high errors.

After both of these were done, the error still did not go away and as per the Service Manual, there was only one thing left to do - Replace ECU.

Now Storme is not a Maruti with everything readily available, sourcing the ECU became a pain with nobody having the same ECU as we wanted. This delayed the work by a lot of time and finally, the ECU was sourced from Delhi and settings from my ECU were copied onto it.

The mechanic tried the vehicle and it seemed to be working fine now. But having faced problems during drives, I had totally lost faith and confidence in the vehicle. I asked him to do a test drive of at least 500 kms before handing it over to me. He happily took the vehicle for his personal trip to Pune and did a round trip of 450kms following which he handed over the truck to me.

The Ending

Finally, the truck was given back to me in the first week of January and so far I have done over 2000 kms with it with no problem whatsoever. Slowly I am also regaining my confidence back with the vehicle.

The last 6 months have been so difficult with having to use a cab for everyday office travels, having no car in monsoons, and weekend travels with family restricted to cabs. But during the entire duration, I remember what vigsom sir used to tell me over the phone - Do not give up. Go to the root of it and get it fixed, it's a car after all. And here I am enjoying the vehicle thoroughly again.

Oh btw, I cancelled my Scorpio N booking.

Here's what BHPian vigsom had to say about the matter:

That's the reward that perseverance gives you - in the form of Mechanic#4, and your loving steed back on the road. Kudos for hanging in there. Easy to state this now, but let me be honest (as always) - I knew all along that this was an electrical issue, but every time you seemed to have gotten out of the issue, I'd tell myself, "Oh, new learning". You've also done another good deed - helping someone on the ScorpioN wait list realise his/her dream.

Here's what BHPian PrasannaDhana had to say about the matter:

Damn, this thread kind of scares me to have a Storme in my garage. Glad everything worked out fine at the end.

Key takeaway from this thread - Don't ever buy a used, last-gen Tata SUV/MPV!

To the OP, I would suggest you to go ahead with the Scorpio-N booking and part ways with the Storme.

Here's what BHPian zadoom had to say about the matter:

Glad that you are able to finally enjoy the beast.

As usual please do share the details of this ex-TATA guy who was able to work wonders with your car. Though for now, I am managing okay with my current FNG at Kharghar, you never really know when you might need help. Since you also have experienced parts procurement by multiple garages, is this person any better than the others at procuring the rarely available Storme parts?

I have been unable to source the dashboard storage lid lock for almost a year now and would gladly go to him if he can procure it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With the planning done, I set about getting the old SUV serviced as it had clocked over 1.65 lakh km and was in its 16th year.

BHPian darklord recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After the successful long-range road trip of last year, it was more or less fixed that we would be doing a similar trip this year as well. After permutations and combinations of leaves and driving and school vacations across two states, we fixed our destination as Ajanta and Ellora Caves. The Gujarat trip of the previous year involved hectic driving and applying the lesson learned, the driving and destinations were kept as low as possible.

Looking at GMaps and reading through our travelogues sections, we finalized our plans and made hotel bookings accordingly. The travelers were dad, mom, me, wife, kid, sister, BIL, niece, and nephew; so six adults, one child, and two toddlers. This required a few pieces of luggage to be tied on the roof to make space available for all. Even then, adults would have to take turns sitting on the jump seat as it was uncomfortable sitting there for long distances.

The rough plan was thus: On day 1, me, mom, wife, and kid would drive to Bangalore and stay at my sister's home. Dad had already reached my sister's home a few days earlier to run a few errands. We would rest there on day 2 and start from Bangalore with the full complement and drive till Vijayapura (Bijapur) on day 3. On day 4, we would drive till Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) and stay there for two days and explore Ajanta and Bibi Ka Maqbara on day 5 and Ellora on day 6 and then drive back till Vijayapura and stay there. On day 7, we would drive till Bangalore, rest on day 8, and return home on day 9. We also hoped to squeeze in Gol Gumbaz on any one of our two stays in Vijayapura.

Hotels were booked accordingly through Makemytrip and we counted the days down impatiently.

With the planning done, I set about getting the Safari serviced as it was running at the 1,65,000+ km mark and 16th year and was at the precise interval for the periodic service. I took it to an FNG and got the filters and oil changed as well as checked and topped up the GB and diff oils:

A/C required a top up of gas and that was attended to as well. All paperwork was in order and did not require any special attention.

On the day before the trip, got the Safari a nice wash and cleanup:

Day 1:

• Attingal to Bangalore via Thenmala-Rajapalayam-Madurai-Salem
• 0 km to 682 km.

This part is a familiar and easiest part for us as we have done this drive to and from Bangalore dozens and dozens of times. We started at about 4 in the evening after the kid had come back from school, the Christmas vacation had officially commenced. Me, mom, wife, and kid started the drive after our prayers.

The odo read 165345 and the trip meter read 0:

We filled diesel for Rs. 1000, just enough to get us to TN borders as Kerala had (has) the highest diesel rate of all the states we drove through.

The excellent road after Madathara:

A jaywalker near Thenmala:

We took a break at Thenmala for tea and resumed driving. We had to go through Tenkasi town as the bypass from Ilanji was closed.

Stopped for diesel at Chintamani:

Dinner break was had at Sivagiri. After Rajapalayam, the widening of the NH-744 stretch till Tirumangalam was going on. There were a lot of diversions and rough surfaces. This considerably slowed us down. We finally hit the four-lane of NH-44 at around 12 p.m.

Took another break at Kodai Road toll plaza:

We resumed our journey but encountered foggy conditions:

Next fuel stop was at Namakkal. This pump offered a discount:

Rs. 21 worth of diesel extra on purchase of 2500 worth of diesel:

The fog continued throughout the rest of our drive:

Hosur in the morning:

We reached home at around 7:

Continue reading about darklord's road trip for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

I met with an accident. A Honda H'ness CB350 rider collided with my 2023 Tata Safari facelift head-on.

BHPian Thinking_Slow recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Reporting an unfortunate minor accident with my new Safari. First and foremost, there are no injuries to anyone involved.

The car's front bumper took the hit when a Honda Hness CB350 bike collided head-on at about 25KMPH. My car was standing still.

Damages:

• The left rivet of the HSRP number plate broke
• Some clamp clips on the lower part of the bumper joint came out. Not sure if they broke or just opened. I could not push them back inside myself.
• The radar plate hung loose. With a little push, it snapped back into place. This is when I realized that the plate is just a façade to conceal the sensor behind it. Tested Adaptive cruise control right after the accident and it worked fine.
• The little plastic door, in the center of the chrome colored lower bumper, that conceals the tow hook (at least that is what I think it is) opened. It snaps back but not as neatly as I would like (maybe because it got a little bent due to the impact)

Thankfully, there is no metal damage/dent anywhere.

Due to the previous bad experience with this specific Tata service centre, I was reluctant to go there but went anyway as they were closest from the accident spot. The body shop advisor took the car in and mentioned they would try to fix it and if not fixable, would recommend replacing the bumper. He mentioned that only after completely removing the bumper, they can tell whether it is fixable or not. I mentioned that I was OK with whatever his recommendation was but asked him to send the car's front picture AFTER removing the bumper.

He never sent any pictures. I went back in the evening to check the progress and to my surprise, I was told that the bumper was not removed and just from outside inspection they can tell that it needs to be replaced. The part to be replaced will be the entire front bumper assembly (shown in red outline below). Since it has a substantial metal part, it will need painting. Estimate is 25K (covered under insurance). It was heartbreaking to hear it about my 2-month-old car but it is what it is.

Part to be replaced (as recommended by ASS)

I decided to only get the number plate fixed and took the car back. I am currently evaluating the following options:

• Try to get it fixed in a local body repair shop. Advantage is that I do not have to replace the bumper and risk color mismatch with the rest of the body
• But if not fixable, ask another ASS to order the part and get it replaced

Update

Visited Trend Automobiles today. Found about them from this thread.

It is a pretty decently equipped body shop in a locality called Garebhavipalya on Hosur Road in South Bangalore. Luckily it is only 15 minutes away from my place. The damages are shown in my previous post. They were able to fix it within 20 minutes!

I monitored the entire process and it looked super simple. They removed some screws under the chrome bumper (shown in the image below) and it came off easily. They used a heat gun to straighten the bumper and then nicely pushed it back. That area now looks as if nothing has happened!

This made me realize that the quality of that Tata service centre is really poor. They wanted to replace the whole front bumper for a minor damage. This also made me realize that Tata Safari is a well-built car and the bumper material is very high quality and repairable.

Trend automobiles earned a long-term customer today (hopefully I won't need them again though, LOL). I am going to have a great weekend!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Our new car hunt started with the Kia Seltos. We also looked at the Hyundai Tucson. Eventually, we finalised this SUV from Tata Motors.

BHPian Enigmatic recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It's finally here!

It was quite the journey to finalise which new car to buy. Started with the Seltos, then moved to the Tuscon and finally settled with the Safari.

The overall experience from booking to delivery was pretty smooth. The folks at Puneet Motors were helpful throughout although a couple of things could have been better. Will pin the same down in the ownership experience.

Coming to the Safari, it is a great car! It is quite a change from my current car (Civic) but I am enjoying it so far. Not having to calculate how to navigate speed bumps is a blessing.

I would also like to point out a couple of issues I noticed.

• There is a bit of fogging in the rear connected DRL (see below picture). This was noticed during the PDI and I was assured that the same would be rectified before delivery but due to part unavailability, I was requested to take delivery with the promise that they would replace the part as soon as possible (hopefully within a week). The dealership was apologetic regarding the same but there is only so much they can do. Have been promised a complimentary Teflon coating for the trouble.

• The car seems to be a bit moody. The front park assist ("FPA") does not always get activated. I tried getting uncomfortably close to cars parked in front however the FPA does not get activated every time. I believe this is a software issue and hopefully, an update will provide for better calibration. Have the owners encountered the same?
• Sometimes, the lock animation for the front DRL is too rushed. The corner DRLs are still completing the lock animation but the center DRL has already completed the same. It seems out of sync. Again this seems to be a software issue.
• The easy access feature of the front drive seat works occasionally i.e. the seats don't always slide down while opening the door to allow easy access to the driver. I also saw a random error "Memory Seat Failure! Unable to select stored position", although this error did not impact the seat functionality or selecting the stored seat position. Again seems like a software issue.
• The infotainment system does not always play music in good quality. This one is difficult to explain but sometimes the music quality is very flat and without any bass (as if the amplifier has not kicked in). When the above scenario is experienced, changing the JBL music modes also does not make any change. This seems to go away on its own. I am hoping this is a software issue.

Other than the above, mechanically, the car is perfect. I drove it on the new Atal-Setu bridge and it masked speeds effortlessly. The adaptive cruise control also worked like a charm.

Hoping to have the above issues rectified at the earliest and do some serious mile-munching.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

To prove their point, they had me sit in different Tata Safaris and Harriers to tell me they could not help and that it was an issue with the SUV itself.

BHPian hAwX recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently had my first service at the Luxon service centre, which is one hour away from my home, and I was 90% satisfied. The remaining 10% doesn’t really count as they apologised for their minor mistakes and tried to correct them.

I had a list of 11 issues in my notes, all of which were heard and addressed by them. Not all of them got fixed, as these issues are… inevitable because it’s a Tata? Let’s just say that. I was super happy with Luxon's service.

Anyway, the alignment of my fog lamps was wrong, and it took some time but they corrected it. I had some issues with panel gaps but they weren’t concerning and they told me there’s literally nothing the service centre people can do to correct it as that’s factory fit and finish. They can only work on it if there’s an accident or insurance claim which personally made sense to me. 90% of my issues were related to the software. It was updated but I still face them often. Again, what can they do about it as Tata is responsible for their software..

Moisture was getting trapped inside my rear connecting DRL, but it will be replaced under warranty. The part arrived a week ago; I just haven’t had the time to get it fixed. I will have it done in a couple of days. Whenever the DRL fills with droplets, it stops working and returns to normal once it dries up.

I don’t think anybody noticed, but there’s a super weird and annoying humming sound from the roof ambient light. This took a lot of time to diagnose as I just mentioned to them that there’s a humming noise when the vehicle is on, more noticeable when the AC and engine are off. To prove their point, they had me sit in different Safaris and Harriers to tell me they could not help; it was an issue with the car itself. So now I drive with the roof ambient light turned off.

FAQ for me: What’s the fuel economy?

I recently went on a short road trip, and the iRA showed 17 consistently. I can vouch for that as I only fill full tank during a fuel stop. Now, when it’s only city driving, it’s a different story; I get 8-12. The iRA App also shows the exact percentage of fuel left in the tank, so I am assuming its calculations are better than the one on MID, which tends to stick towards 11-12.

I love the turbo whistle it makes. I would have been so disappointed in myself if I had gotten my Hycross/Invicto delivered to me before the Safari. Driving on twisty curved roads with a 19-inch monocoque equipped with EPS was blissful. The economy mentioned below includes all kinds of terrain and drive selector modes with a total of 5 people and luggage for 3 days; it's a mix of city, highway, uphill, downhill, off-road, etc.

I faced a lot of software-related issues during my trip. Tata really needs to do something about it first before trying to fix their service network. My car pretended to break down in the middle of nowhere. The gear showed ‘F’ with almost all the warning lights lit up. I should have taken a picture! But it was fixed with a simple restart and it never showed up again.

I really missed Lane keep assist during my trip to Tamil Nadu. I am not even sure I will get to use it on a proper expressway as I am thinking of moving back to Dubai next month.

Here is my most favourite picture from the trip:

The car has its own profile on Instagram @StellarBronze. Since I was just days away from taking delivery of an Invicto in Stellar Bronze color.

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I sincerely hope that Tata Motors gets better. They are making decent products at reasonable prices and it feels good that an Indian manufacturer is trying to make it big.

BHPian Thinking_Slow recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2023 Tata Safari facelift first service experience

Summary: Hugely disappointing experience

Got the first free service done after a month of ownership. Link to my mini-review of this car. Odometer was at ~1900Kms. Dropped the car at an authorised Tata service centre which is the same dealership where I purchased the car from.

While buying a Tata car, I knew that the service experience was going to be underwhelming. But sorry to say that in spite of having very low expectations, I was still disappointed. Tata Motors simply does not have the intent for good customer service in its DNA. I don't think it's a specific dealer issue as I have read numerous negative reviews on almost all Tata service dealers in Bangalore. Are other regions different? Please comment, would like to know about other experiences.

The good:

• The whole experience was an ordeal but would still like to mention that the service team leader was very cordial and approachable. He conceded that there is a struggle to maintain customer satisfaction and service levels because of the lack of resources at his disposal.
• The service drop was pretty quick. The SA (service advisor) duly noted all issues/requests in the job card and I was out of the service center within 20 minutes.

The bad:

Unkempt service reception area

Boy, was it bad - worse than a state government department. Shabby desks, Poor furniture/interiors and casual/unprofessional attitude of staff. However, I must add that I am not blaming the staff. Things like these are part of a workplace's culture and they flow from the top. I get a feeling that the folks at the top of Tata Motors are simply not interested in providing a good service experience to customers. Most of their energies and investments seem to be directed towards sales.

Unresponsive SA

Don't want to take the name but will just say that the SA did not look like the right man for the job. The whole demeanour was so unprofessional that it was beyond belief. I had politely made it a point during the drop that service must be completed on the same day as it is a long weekend and I need the car for a trip. I got the reply "I will try my best to deliver it today". Try my best?

During the first free service, no major maintenance work is needed. The car is put through basic external checks like AC, brakes, consumable fluids, DEF refill and regular cleaning. Couple of hours should be enough for this job so I was surprised at the casual "will try my best". Besides, the advisor was not very approachable. He was not picking up my calls when I was anxious and wanted updates on the service progress to ensure that the vehicle got delivered on the same day. However, they did deliver the car by 6:30 PM. I am not sure if it was because I was pushy OR they genuinely worked towards it.

Poor service job

Now, this is subjective and the experiences of different customers can vary. In my case, I am deeply disappointed because none of my issues were fixed.

The two issues/requests were:

Alignment of bonnet and tailgate

This was not fixed and the reasoning provided was - "Tailgate is supported on hydraulics, we should not tinker with it". To which I said, "OK, can we fix the bonnet at least?". The reply was - "Not recommended to do bonnet as well". Needless to say, it did not make much sense to me. After some push, the team lead said he would note down the issue and report to "the body works team in Tata". I don't know if these are genuinely a hard fix OR they were simply not interested.

Note: Had shown the misalignment issue 2 weeks back in the same service center and they had promised to fix it during the first service. They did not give any indication then that it is not so easy to fix.

Software update

Had requested for a software update as I wanted to get rid of the glitches and niggles. At the time of delivery, was told that the software had been updated. I forgot to check it during delivery and found later that it was NOT updated! It still has September's version running (R12.46), which I believe is the very first version for the new Safari. I don't understand what could be the reason for giving false information. If a software update is not available, they can simply say so and it will make sense. Hope I am not misunderstanding and I am checking the software version in the right place. A picture of the infotainment's "Settings->About" screen is attached below.

Extremely poor post-service delivery

Had to wait for 30 minutes at the unpleasant reception area, in spite of informing about my arrival well in advance. The SA excitedly asked me to follow him to the yard to inspect the vehicle before delivery. We walked some 300 meters to get to a large open area with a lot of vehicles parked. Did not find the vehicle there. He seemed perplexed and we then walked back to the service center. There was a small wash area behind the building and the car was there. To my surprise, the car was not washed/cleaned. SA asked me "Do you need it cleaned?". I replied with surprise "What do you think I have been waiting this long for?". Disappointed, I went back to the waiting area and talked to the service lead. He called the SA and uttered some strict words. Eventually, they cleaned the vehicle and delivered it.

Closing remarks

I sincerely hope that Tata Motors gets better. They are making decent products at reasonable prices and it feels good that an Indian manufacturer is trying to make it big. But if providing this kind of service experience is part of the work culture, it will ruin the ownership experience for a lot of customers.

I don't think I am going back to this service centre anytime soon. Hope I will find a decent dealership for service. Suggestions are most welcome. There is a Prerana Motors (Kudlu gate) close to my place. Will give them a try next time.

Also, I am open to feedback. Would like to know if I am being unreasonable in my expectations. Would like to know if I can do something better from my side. Thanks in advance.

Software version

Bonnet and Tailgate misalignment

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