[priyankar85]

This is a rare shocking incident that happened to me recently with the purchase of the Jeep Compass. Yes, the same flawless flagship that is buzzing across the country. The booking was done with Sky Moto Jeep, Pune on 2nd September and the delivery was completed on 10th October. I will post a detailed ownership review and the dealership experience in a few days.

I read a few articles in the past too on the gifted BMW in Kochi, defective civic in Trivandrum, repainted Duster in Delhi, etc. Actually I didn’t go through these earlier, it is after this disaster that I reviewed all these threads. I had no intention of putting up this incident as nothing much can be done now about it but I feel we need to spread the awareness to the unaware consumers, to save them from the pain and mental stigma.

On 10th October, I picked up my car in the evening from SkyMoto SB Road, Pune. I have a lot to tell about the delivery which I will post on the ownership thread. As there was no number plate, I got the Red Hulk home and parked it. Received the number plate on 12th and I started commuting to office from 13th October 2017. Close to 20 people I know examined the car and no one could pick up the defect, it was that perfect. I did have some issues like light rattling in the right driver door, re-circulation switches off when not on Auto AC for which I went to the Akurdi service centre and they helped me out instantly. All these signs were spelling out concern of FIAT to promote their image as more than that of National engine makers. I still had 3 accessories to be installed/completed - reverse camera, mats and detailing. Due to strict budget I postponed the reverse camera and mats for later as the red colour would need immediate protection.

On 29th October, I had scheduled an appointment with Aquatint for the opti-coat gloss. This was the first time, I was going for something other than the regular 3M paint protection. The 3M treatment was done on my red swift and my parents silver Creta so we were happy with the results. I was planning to get the same treatment for the compass but I had a brief whatsapp discussion with Nikhil from Aquatint and he listed the differences, advantages and restrictions for the opti-gloss, opti-pro and opti-pro plus. I was convinced, since it is a one-time investment and aquatint is quite popular amongst the Pune t-bhpians. You can spot at least 2-3 members there every evening. I was planning to surprise the Pune group post the coating but when I returned to pick up the car from office, 599gto and ///M were already there to greet me.

On 31st October, I reached aquatint by 11AM and handed my car to Nikhil for the detailing process to be completed. He had confirmed it would be done by 8PM in the evening. He also informed me as it was the opti-gloss process for an SUV, he had to hold all other activities at his shop. I left aquatint and caught a cab to office. It would have been hardly 20mins and I got a call from Nikhil, I thought maybe he needed some more information on the work to be done or if I had left anything in the car. That is when I got the shock of my life. He informed me that the front left door panel had been re-painted I couldn't comprehend all the reasons that rushed to my head for the reason of re-painting - Major damage, Renewing a display car, minor dents, 21 days since delivery what can be done etc. Any way you look at it, I had received a damaged car from the dealership. The paint job was almost perfect but the edges and the trapped dust particles gave it away. I really appreciate the support from Nikhil and actually calling me to inform on the blunder.


The next obvious step was to call the Sky Moto Sales advisor who delivered the car. At the first instance he was defensive quoting that they don't do such stuff and he has no clue on any such activity done on the car. I understand he is an SA and wouldn’t have the knowledge of the Service activities or body work done on the car, but he can at least provide a more considerate response, provide a way forward and address the issue with a genuine concern. He said he would call back after checking with the Service team. I got a call back and he gave me the Service DM's number. On contacting the DM at Akurdi, I got a response that he would call back in a while as he was at the plant. I called back after 1.5 hours while having lunch (actually I was just toying with the dal and rice as I wasn’t feeling hungry due to the events that unfolded in the last 2 hours). The tone and the response of the DM was much better than the SAs and he assured me that he will take care of the situation and he will report this back to Jeep and on investigation will provide me a new door. He asked me to get the car to the service station for inspection and he will provide the response from Jeep within the next 6 hours. I told him that the car is under the detailing process and I would be able to get it down to Akurdi the next day. He said that is fine but asked me to leave out any detailing work on that door so that there are no doubts in the investigation. I asked him to give the details as to why was it re-painted in the first place, he casually responded that it would be minor scratches when opening or closing the door during transit from stock yard to Dealership, RTO etc. The car had travelled around 40kms when it was delivered to me.

I took my car to the Akurdi Service center on 1st Nov and the DM himself took all the pics of the re-painted door. He said the door will be replaced and I specifically asked him not to opt for re-paint if option is given. I told him that I want the door replacement to be done in front of me and he agreed. I got a call at 7.30 PM same day from the DM informing me that the door would be sent across by 2nd Nov afternoon and I can come down to get the part replaced at the earliest.

As I was completely busy with office work I forgot to check with SkyMoto on the receipt of the part. On Friday morning I was planning to call them but I got a call from the DM stating that the part is still in transit and will reach by 4PM, so replacing it wouldn’t be possible on Friday. I avoid any metal work on Saturday so skipped scheduling an appointment. He confirmed that I could come by at 10AM Sunday and he would have a guy ready and will supervise it himself.

On 5th November, I reached the Workshop by 10:15 AM and as Sunday is off there was limited staff present. This was a one-off job scheduled for Sunday on priority. I was searching for the DM to get the work started but the personnel at the workshop were already instructed on the work required. They brought the entire front left door assembly to minimize the installation time. This piece was straight out of the assembly line. There were two people working on the job, one of them was experienced and the other one was a novice who was simply helping in the labour work. As the entire door was being replaced, fitting and setting time was reduced and the complete replacement was done in front of me in 75mins.

When leaving the service centre, I heard a strange hissing from the driver side a/c vent, turns out that the vent shuts off when the fan is set to full blast. If we slide the air-flow slider to the middle, it slides to the left, closing the vent so you can’t have half open ac vents when fan is at max. Showed this to the DM and he said he will get the part replaced in 2-3 days. The video of the malfunction was taken and will be sent to Jeep again. Hopefully I get the part by Wednesday.
At the end, no matter how the Sky Moto addresses the issue, I will always have it at the back of my mind that the left door has been replaced. The funny part is if Aquatint didn’t notice it, it would have never been caught.

I have an experience of over 120k kms and got all my repairs done for my previous car in front of me but I still couldn’t spot the difference across the original and re-painted part. I would estimate 80% of the car buyers (including me) don't expect a flaw in a brand new vehicle at whatever price , or we dont watch enough Saavdhaan India , whatever might be the case we are not well-prepared to handle the intricacies of a detailed PDI and hence need another set of more experienced and professional eyes are required.

Bulleting out few points when taking Delivery of your new car:
1. Bring along your friendly mechanic with you for the delivery. I know this sounds weird but this is the only way to be sure. The car will eventually be driven by you and your family and the pooja can be done at home but think practically, he would be able to catch hold of the paint jobs as well any issues in the mechanical parts and of course once you sign the receipt of delivery you can keep circling the dealerships and manufacturers in vain. Alternately, nowadays detailing a new car is common and you can always take it to trustworthy detailing to get it checked out but then again the delivery has been signed and the job of the SA is done
2. Team-bhp has prepared a checklist and you can add your points to it as well. Make sure you include the features specific to your variant in the checklist. No matter what your SA or dealership says about the PDI they have completed, you can’t put your money on it. This blunder was surely to be caught by the Sky Moto team - either at the PDI or if there was a re-paint done at the workshop they would be aware of the paint job done. You can definitely ask for a Stock yard visit, which I did and briefly inspected the vehicle.
3. Don't hesitate to pester your SA on the deliveries, RTO activities, etc. cause that and only that is what he/she is there for. You won’t even get a call from them post-delivery, in fact I called my SA 15 times because I was caught by traffic cop for driving with a TC, and the SA didn’t respond.

I have posted this thread for only informational purposes and not to raise complaints against the Workshop nor the product. This is a potent car and the responses from the Workshop were prompt. Yes I do have some concerns with the delivery but I would list them out in the ownership thread.

[Nonstop-driver]

Originally Posted by priyankar85

I have an experience of over 120k kms and got all my repairs done for my previous car in front of me but I still couldn’t spot the difference across the original and re-painted part. I would estimate 80% of the car buyers (including me) don't expect a flaw in a brand new vehicle at whatever price ,

Really disheartening to read through your ordeal, but I'm glad you got the parts replaced quickly.

I can feel your pain. I had to put my brand new car through an insurance claim to replace the boot door and rear bumpers. The car is black so they were painted at the Hyundai service centre. When I picked up the car, the paint job seemed fine but within a week it faded. Every time I walk across the boot my heart sinks. HASS obviously didn't bother since it looks "fine enough" to them.

It's hard to identify good paint con-jobs, you shouldn't blame yourself too much.

[IshaanIan]

It is especially hard to notice a good paint job on non-metallic coloured cars. Obviously the fact that it had to be repainted would always be in the back of your mind considering you paid in full for a brand new car with no discounts, but another way to look at it is that if it was only one door panel, then in all probability the car wasnt in any major accident, considering the con-job wasn't extended to the fenders or the other door. Also luckily it wasn't a perfect paint job and you were able to notice it and have the door replaced fully. Overall I feel you should think about it in this way and enjoy your new car to the fullest

[Sankar]

Its unfortunate that the car was repainted before delivery and not fresh as one would expect. But the dealer handled this really well. Sending a fully painted door from factory is rare and I have not heard of this being done before, probably it helped that FCA is based in the same state.

[selfdrive]

Kudos to Nikhil for identifying and raising the issue to you. While it was definitely not acceptable for the dealer to pass on such a vehicle to you, maybe it needs to be investigated whether the dealer (or someone else in the company) knew about this repainting job.

On the other hand, it is also heartening to see that FCA have worked quickly to resolve the issue without any arguments or heated discussions.

Now that you have a new door, I think you should keep away the negative thoughts and focus on enjoying the car. Best wishes for many safe and happy miles together.

[PrideRed]

It was a smart(or call it bad from customer point) move by dealer. It would have been very difficult for them to sell this piece had a prospective customer known that door was repainted. They have already incurred loss by re-painting and any further discounts would just add to the loss. The good thing about the whole fiasco is dealer accepting the mistake, replacing the door in short time. Sending factory painted door from Jeep is great move as well.

[saket77]

I remember many years ago that someone working with a big automobile dealer told me that it is a common practice to repair/ repaint panels of cars damaged in transit and selling afterwards, obviously, without intimating this to the purchasers. This all is done at dealership levels and unless you are vigilant enough on your own during the PDI, then you are pushing your luck. But now since you have gotten it replaced, time to enjoy the Jeep.

Originally Posted by Nonstop-driver

The car is black so they were painted at the Hyundai service centre. When I picked up the car, the paint job seemed fine but within a week it faded. Every time I walk across the boot my heart sinks. HASS obviously didn't bother since it looks "fine enough" to them.

Happened to me once at Maruti ASC. My car's hatch had to be repainted and they messed up with dripping clear coat which was easily visible. I asked them to correct this. They said that it's not that bad and I should accept it!
All I did was ask for the ASC name stickers that they stick on cars coming to service. And I told them that I will add the words "painted by" before their name.
They arranged for repainting next week.

[Dry Ice]

You are right in doubting how the painted door arrived straight from the factory.

Painting always happens at the dealer's facility for such replacements. Did they replace it from another same color car which might have been in stock with them? And your door goes to that car. Just wondering.

Just goes to show, brand doesn't really matter as the people on the ground are the same. They will do these things anywhere they are. Really sad.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Painting always happens at the dealer's facility for such replacements. Did they replace it from another same color car which might have been in stock with them? And your door goes to that car. Just wondering.

Just goes to show, brand doesn't really matter as the people on the ground are the same. They will do these things anywhere they are. Really sad.

I am guessing it took so long as the part was ordered from the factory and then installed - the OP mentioned transit time.

While I agree with you that the brand doesn't matter - what really stood out for me was the attitude of the dealer - it was a positive interaction and the DM was proactive in calling Priyankar up about the delay instead of Priyankar having to chase the dealership to find out the status!

Unfortunate that it happened - could've been during transit, or a mistake from the factory itself (no matter how good the process is, there are always odd cases that come up), but the attitude of the dealership is what makes or breaks the experience!

[priyankar85]

Thank you for all the positive responses, I thought it was wrong of me not to make a big fuss about this but hearing out the experiences here it seems the DM has handled it very well. I wasn't expecting a brand new door from the assembly line. They said they would call in for the panel only and install it on the door with the window and frame assembly but I was pleasantly surprised when they got the entire door.

Originally Posted by Nonstop-driver

When I picked up the car, the paint job seemed fine but within a week it faded. Every time I walk across the boot my heart sinks. HASS obviously didn't bother since it looks "fine enough" to them.

It's hard to identify good paint con-jobs, you shouldn't blame yourself too much.

So there was no response from HASS thereafter?

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Did they replace it from another same color car which might have been in stock with them? And your door goes to that car. Just wondering.

The door was packed with Polystyrene and it was unwrapped in front of me. I didnt take a pic of the packed door but yes the packaging debris in the background was from the unwrap process. My previous door might go back to a different car, might as well attach it to an accidental car brought in by a customer - who knows

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by priyankar85

The door was packed with Polystyrene and it was unwrapped in front of me. I didnt take a pic of the packed door but yes the packaging debris in the background was from the unwrap process. My previous door might go back to a different car, might as well attach it to an accidental car brought in by a customer - who knows

I think this is AMAZING customer care that Jeep and the dealer has shown! I would rate them 10/10 for this. I have never seen or come across such a happy ending in my 25 years of using cars!

[GTO]

Sucks to receive a 'repainted' car, but the fact is that damage to new cars does happen in transit & most owners won't even notice such things. In fact, today's paint jobs are so good that it would be difficult for an enthusiast to spot a repainted panel. After Auto Hangar repainted my C220's door (damaged by driver), the end result was 'factory perfect'.

You brought home such a nice car. Now, forget about this experience and enjoy the diesel engine, solid build & mature suspension.

When leaving the service centre, I heard a strange hissing from the driver side a/c vent, turns out that the vent shuts off when the fan is set to full blast. If we slide the air-flow slider to the middle, it slides to the left, closing the vent so you can’t have half open ac vents when fan is at max. Showed this to the DM and he said he will get the part replaced in 2-3 days.

Got to love Jeep niggles .

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by priyankar85

The door was packed with Polystyrene and it was unwrapped in front of me. I didnt take a pic of the packed door but yes the packaging debris in the background was from the unwrap process. My previous door might go back to a different car, might as well attach it to an accidental car brought in by a customer - who knows

If that's the case, truly a turnaround story! In the threads you mention, I am sure you would have noticed, how difficult it was to get the dealership even accept the issue/take responsibility.

Really impressed by their response, both the dealer and the company!

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I think this is AMAZING customer care that Jeep and the dealer has shown! I would rate them 10/10 for this. I have never seen or come across such a happy ending in my 25 years of using cars!

+1. That's exactly why I was sceptical about the replacement door earlier. No way a dealership will agree with your diagnosis and admit fault so easily. There's gotta be something fishy somewhere. But, given OP's positive experience, all praises to FCA and the dealership.

Originally Posted by GTO

You brought home such a nice car. Now, forget about this experience and enjoy the diesel engine, solid build & mature suspension.

+1. Now you also know their customer centric support, which is an added bonus.

[ferrarirules]

It is heartening to see that Jeep service listened to your issue and gave a rectification to your satisfaction. But there is one thing which still remains they tried to hide the facts from you in the first place. Had it not been the eagle eye of your detailer. You might have never come to know about it.

Hence, +1 to the service center staff for addressing it with a brand new door from the factory. The icing on the cake was that the door was factory painted.

At the same time, -1 to the sales staff for not being up front with you and telling you this at the time of delivery.