[sbala]

Just wanted to share an incident reported by my friend who owns a Skoda Rapid..

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4288053

[nma83]

Originally Posted by nma83

5 years and 45000Kms on, I hit my first Skoda issue. Was doing an airport drop early today morning. Car started fine on the first crank out of home at 5AM and the drive to airport was normal (20Kms). After drop-off, when I tried to start it again the engine shuddered and refused to wake up. Glow plug warning light started flashing immediately. I tried to crank a couple of more times, and finally the engine reluctantly started, but glow plug light refused to go away.
Gingerly drove back home at low speeds. Car was behaving normally and there was no apparent difference in power delivery atleast around the 1500-2000RPM range. Reached home safely and inspected for any obvious damage on the outside, engine noise but nothing abnormal. I have not yet opened the bonnet to check the fluids, but the car was serviced in march.
I hope it is a false alarm, but will call up Vinayaka Skoda today and check for an appointment.

Got the car scanned at vinayaka okalipuram and it reported "starter relay fault - intermittent".
Turned out that the relay connection was loose, located just below the steering column, and was quickly fixed. So no real issues with the car .
By the way, the okalipuram service center has got a make over and looks much more welcoming now.

[krivbel]

Harrowing Experience at Tafe Access Service Center at Bangalore.

My Car: 2014 Skoda Rapid Ambition Plus (Ultima) 1.6 TDI.

Dealer: Tafe Access St. Marks Road.

Kms on Odo: 35,000

Problem: The diesel pump failure 120 Kms from Bangalore, with my family on board.

Why Scary? I thought German Engineered Cars don't fail, and just 30 minutes before the car stopped, I was driving in the middle of nowhere.

We had gone to Hampi to be part of the Hampi Utsav 2017, and on our way back on the 6th of November, we were driving around in the very interior parts of Karnataka for about 150 odd Kms. One hardly sees any vehicles driving around, you can at best find a couple of people every 10-15 kms on bikes or cycles!

We stopped at a restaurant at Sira, about 120 Kms from Bangalore for lunch, at 2 p.m., and post lunch the car refused to start. Few enthusiastic drivers tried to help me, they even tried to jump start the car, but I prevented them from doing anything, as my car has 2 more years of extended warranty.

I called up Tafe Access Sales Guy (the guy who sold me my car) Kashi Vishwanath to give me the telephone number of a service guy to whom I can reach to help solve the problem as soon as the car refused to start. He provided me with a Service Advisor's number, who was on leave, but he figured out that the fuel pump had failed, and the car needed to be towed. One of the local mechanics had figured out the problem, he opined that a local electrician could fix the electrical circuits of the electrical pump! Well... I thought it best to tow the car, and let Tafe Access Service Center ("TASS") handle the problem.

We towed the car to Bangalore, and then began my ordeal with the TASS at Hosur Road.

Day 1: When the car was towed to the TASS the next day. i.e. on November 7th, I wasn't home, and as a result, I couldn't handover my RC Smart card, which is required for TASS to accept my car. The TASS guys refused to accept my car, it was raining heavily, and my car was parked on the road on the tow truck. I tried to reason with the TASS guys, requesting, almost begging them to take the car in. I told them that as soon as I reached home, I would send them a copy of my smart card. I was finally routed to the TASS CRM the almighty Venkatapathy. He was busy with a customer, said he would call back in 10 minutes, but he never did! so after 30 minutes, I try again, he refuses to let the car in, lectures me on the impropriety of letting cars in without the smart card (all this while, the tow truck guy is giving me grief and threatening to leave the car on the road and leave!) Finally after a lot of convincing Mr. Venkatapathy comes out with a brilliant plan! he says he would let the car be parked in the TASS compound, but would be taken in once I send him a copy of my Smart Card, which was what I was trying to tell him for over an hour. Thanks to his good graces, my car gets parked inside the TASS, and I rush back to my home and send Venkatapathy a copy of the Smart Card, he doesn't acknowledge the message, he doesn't answer my phone calls, and again the Sales Guy Kashi comes to my rescue, he calls up someone at the TASS, who confirms that my car is parked inside!

Day 2: November 8th, I wait until 3:00 p.m. to check if my car was taken in for servicing, if they had opened a job card etc. I don't get a call, I frantically start calling Kashi, who comes back to me at around 5 p.m. stating that my car was not allotted for servicing to anyone, and it would be done so on November 9th by 3:00 p.m. I thanked him, and hung up.

Day 3: November 9th, around 5:00 p.m. a service advisor named Shruthin, calls me and tells me that the Fuel Pump's coil was burnt, and that it would have to be replaced. I asked for a reason for a coil burning, he tells me, it is an electrical pump, and anything can happen at any moment, there is no reason behind the failure. He also tells me that Rapid comes with three pumps, one at the tank, and two in the engine area for enhanced performance, and efficiency. The electrical pump at the fuel tank was the one which failed in my car. Because my car was under extended warranty, they will replace it free of cost. Shruthin also mentioned that it would take them 3 days to get the approval, and about an hour to fix the car, and I should have the car back on Saturday November 11th. I thanked him, and hung up.

Day 5: November 11, I call up Shruthin, check with him if my car was ready. I knew deep down that the car wouldn't be ready, but I expected it at least on Monday. Shruthin tells me that the approval had not yet come, it would take them 3 more days, and the insurer wanted to know the reason behind the coil burning. Shruthin tells me that TASS had furnished adequate information, and within three more days, they would get a response. I asked him to share with me the reason behind the fuel pump failure, but I still got the standard response, it is an electrical circuit failure, anything can happen any moment. I call up almighty Venkatapathy and requested him to get this fixed at the earliest. Venkatapathy has a very condescending tone to his voice, very impersonal, and his responses make you cringe, he tells me that he is woudl write an email, escalate it immediately, and get it fixed on Monday.

Day 7: November 13 Monday, I call up Venkatapathy, he said he was expecting an answer by Tuesday evening.

Day 8: November 14, He said he could possibly get an answer from the insurer on Wednesday.

Day 9: November 15, I call up Shruthin, he says they had received the approval, but the spares guys claim that they do not have a fuel pump available, and it would take them another 3 days to procure it from Mumbai! By now, I had started losing my cool, I start tweeting to @SkodaIndia, I get an automatic response stating someone would contact me.

Day 10: I again tweet to Skoda India asking for an update, knowing fully well that I would get an automated response. I call up Vekatapathy, and again start requesting him, and his highness calls up the spares division, and Lo! they had a fuel pump available, but apparently, were not sure if it would suit my car, and they were checking it with my VIN! Well... anything is possible these days, the new age service centers are like private hospitals, who try to fleece you with unwanted tests. I had no other option but to listen to what Venkatapathy says. By evening, my car was ready, Shruthin tells me that the bill was around Rs. 3,100/-! as the fuel pump was about Rs. 5,900, which was free. He tells me as though they had done me a favour, by fixing it free of cost! The saddest part was, they advised me to go for extended warranty for a part that had a cost of Rs. 5,900/- and made me wait for more than 7 days to fix it, and once they send it for approval to the insurer, I was informed I could not pay for the part myself, as the process had begun.

Day 11: November 17, I generally get the car picked up from service at Tafe Access showroom on St. Marks Road, and the TASS guys sent my car from Hosur road through a driver. On the morning of 17th, Kashi calls me and tells me that he had sent a driver to the TASS, and I should get the car by 12:00 p.m. At 12:30 he tells me that TASS will not send the car to the showroom, and that I had to call up His Highness Venkatapathy and request him to send it to the showroom. I once again call up Venkatapathy, and because I wanted my car that day, I thank him profusely for all the help he extended to me, and requested him kindly send the car to the showroom. He obliges, and he tells me that the service guys had billed extra on service, and he was reducing my bill, and the bill now stood at Rs. 3,100/-! I couldn't take any more risks with this character, so I thanked him for the reduction in service cost, and did not mention to him Shruthin had already told me the price. I finally get my car back at 6:30 p.m.

Isn't this amazing, Hyundai, Honda, Maruti guys thank us for getting the cars serviced in their service stations (barring a few exceptions), and make it a pleasurable experience, but at Skoda, I have to beg, plead and request them to do their jobs that they are supposed to do! I have no hesitation in stating Skoda's service is bad when the car has problems, it ok, if you schedule the yearly service by taking an appointment. It is unreliable, and the people at TASS give a damn for costumer satisfaction.

I have referred to Venkatapathy as his Highness and almighty because, I cannot explain in words the way he spoke to me, every word seemed like my call was unwanted to him, and he is the CRM!

Well... I would appreciate if you could tell me why and how a coil in the electric fuel pump burns, and if I can take any measures to prevent that. I hope I can get to see the explanation that TASS gave to the insurer regarding fuel pump failure.

[motorworks]

@krivbel, sad to hear the ordeal you went thru. I would advise you to visit Vinayak Skoda in Bangalore, they have 2 service centres, one near KR Puram and one somewhere near Malleshwaram. I have been servicing my car thru them for the last 5.5 years with no issues.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by krivbel

[b]Harrowing Experience at Tafe Access Service Center at Bangalore.

Problem: The diesel pump failure 120 Kms from Bangalore, with my family on board.

We stopped at a restaurant at Sira, about 120 Kms from Bangalore for lunch, at 2 p.m., and post-launch the car refused to start.

Well... I would appreciate if you could tell me why and how a coil in the electric fuel pump burns, and if I can take any measures to prevent that. I hope I can get to see the explanation that TASS gave to the insurer regarding fuel pump failure.

Sorry to hear about your experience, as Motorworks suggested you can visit Vinayak Skoda, preferably KR Puram. This is their biggest service center. TAFE Access is a notorious dealer.

It is very unlikely that fuel pump fails randomly, you would have experienced some problems like the drop in RPM or jerks while driving or starting problem at-least a few times.

[samaspire]

Originally Posted by krivbel

The electrical pump at the fuel tank was the one which failed in my car. Because my car was under extended warranty, they will replace it free of cost.

By evening, my car was ready, Shruthin tells me that the bill was around Rs. 3,100/-! as the fuel pump was about Rs. 5,900, which was free. He tells me as though they had done me a favour, by fixing it free of cost! The saddest part was, they advised me to go for extended warranty for a part that had a cost of Rs. 5,900/- and made me wait for more than 7 days to fix it, and once they send it for approval to the insurer, I was informed I could not pay for the part myself, as the process had begun.

I hope I can get to see the explanation that TASS gave to the insurer regarding fuel pump failure.

I think you have been had here by Skoda in more ways than one.

Firstly, since the part was covered under warranty, why do you need to pay for labour?

Second; when the part was being replaced under warranty, why did they claim insurance on it. Aren't Warranty Replacement costs borne by the company?

Third; since they claimed insurance anyway, doesn't that cover the installation labour?

Fourth; now that you have claimed insurance for a part worth just Rs.5900, do you realize that you have lost any NCB that you might have earned on your insurance policy?

PS: I'm assuming here that they have claimed from your insurance.

[ferrarirules]

Originally Posted by samaspire

Second; when the part was being replaced under warranty, why did they claim insurance on it. Aren't Warranty Replacement costs borne by the company?

Third; since they claimed insurance anyway, doesn't that cover the installation labour?

Fourth; now that you have claimed insurance for a part worth just Rs.5900, do you realize that you have lost any NCB that you might have earned on your insurance policy?

Answering your second, third and fourth question - The car was under extended warranty. Extended warranty for VW group cars is an insurance taken by VW for the vehicles opting for Extended warranty. So, Skoda claimed VW insurance (not owner's insurance). Hope this answers your question.

One question still needs an answer what was the Rs. 3100 charge taken by the dealership. If it was labor, owner should have disputed that as warranty fixes are free of cost.

[patron]

After driving a bit of heavy rain last month, the fog lights are filled with water. There was no wading or anything, just heavy rain.

Anyone faced this problem? How do I drain the water? Can I ask for a warranty replacement of the fog lights as it seems to be a manufacturing defect.

[hrman]

Originally Posted by krivbel

Harrowing Experience at Tafe Access Service Center at Bangalore.

Sorry to hear your ordeal. Having owned a Rapid for 5.5 years and used Vinayaka Skoda, I can vouch, they are far better than what you have gone through Tafe.

Might I suggest you tweet this or email to Venu Srinivasan/ Mallika Srinivasan, the owner of Tafe/ TVS. They should hopefully listen to the pathetic service meted out by their dealer and make amends.

[narsi_6989]

Originally Posted by krivbel

[b]Harrowing Experience at Tafe Access Service Center at Bangalore.

Dealer: Tafe Access St. Marks Road.

By evening, my car was ready, Shruthin tells me that the bill was around Rs. 3,100/-! as the fuel pump was about Rs. 5,900, which was free. He tells me as though they had done me a favour, by fixing it free of cost! The saddest part was, they advised me to go for extended warranty for a part that had a cost of Rs. 5,900/- and made me wait for more than 7 days to fix it, and once they send it for approval to the insurer, I was informed I could not pay for the part myself, as the process had begun.

I think something is fishy here. These TAFE guys seem to be fleecing the customer. I have been having good experience with Gurudev Motors, Chennai. Mine is also 2014 TDi. In May, I had went in to replace 'Flow Straightener' and 'Positioning Motor' for the central AC vents. This was under extended warranty and my car was home in 3 working days flat. Gave it on a Saturday (20 May) and got it back on Tuesday (23 May).

Not a single penny was charged for this work (including labor). Also, there was no talk of any insurance. I walked in, explained my problem (did a small research on my part and told the SA what part was causing the problem - Saves diagnosis time you see) and walked away. All the approvals and work was done in 3 working days.

Check with TAFE why they charged 3100/- for you if it was in warranty. And what was the insurance funda all about?

Below is the bill for reference.

[krivbel]

Thanks motorworks, I was thinking of going to Vinayak Skoda going forward. I had never experienced issues with TASS until now, but I guess, TASS can't be trusted anymore.

Originally Posted by deehunk

It is very unlikely that fuel pump fails randomly, you would have experienced some problems like the drop in RPM or jerks while driving or starting problem at-least a few times.

Deehunk, that's what surprised me as well, there was no drop in RMP, there were no jerks while driving, the car was really smooth until I parked for lunch. It just refused to start. I would very much like to see the explanation that TASS gave to VW insurer regarding the fuel pump failure.

Originally Posted by samaspire

Third; since they claimed insurance anyway, doesn't that cover the installation labour?

As ferrarirules mentioned, the extended warranty is serviced by VW insurance, the TASS would replace the part, and the insurer would reimburse the costs to TASS. I am very curious to learn what explanation was sought by the insurer, and how did TASS convince the insurer.

Originally Posted by hrman

Might I suggest you tweet this or email to Venu Srinivasan/ Mallika Srinivasan, the owner of Tafe/ TVS.

Thanks hrman, I could not find the twitter handle for either Venu or Mallika Srinivasan, I don't know how else to reach them. Generally Skoda calls for a feedback, and the service engineers expect a rating of 10, or else their ratings are affected. This time however, after reaching out to Skoda with complaints as to TASS, I have not received any call asking for a feedback. I don't think anything will change with only me creating noise. But I will keep trying.

Originally Posted by narsi_6989

Check with TAFE why they charged 3100/- for you if it was in warranty. And what was the insurance funda all about

Thank you narsi for sharing your bill. My fog lamps were broken some time ago, so I had to get the lamp and the assembly installed. The Rs.3,100/- included the costs for the lamp and assembly, and labour costs, Plus Rs.500/- for washing the car, Plush GST. I should have mentioned this in my earlier post, my bad...

All said and done, isn't it strange that a fuel pump can just stop working without any warning? I do understand that electrical components fail for no reason, but as dehunk suggested there should have been some warning before that happened. In my case it just stopped without any warning. I cannot believe that mine was the first case that is being reported. But now, I have lost confidence in the car, if the pump can fail once, it can fail again! TASS service engineer Shruthin was confident that the pump will never fail anymore! They expect me to believe their assurances.

[hrman]

Apparently, the electronic or mechanical components can conk off without warning. I had the coolant pump, motor conking off after 4.5 years of ownership. Although I had extended warranty which had expired just 6 months before the incident, Skoda refused to honor or give goodwill warranty.

[deehunk]

When there were repeated reports of injector failure on Rapid and Duster couple of years back, I had requested owners to share the pre-failure experience for analysis. Nobody had ever made any such observations. The mechatronics on Skoda cars is too good to miss any pre-failure symptoms. I have shared my own experience on this thread about warning lights and unexpected niggles. Anyways, closely monitor the car from now on as they have replaced the fuel pump.

[hrman]

Originally Posted by krivbel

Thanks hrman, I could not find the twitter handle for either Venu or Mallika Srinivasan, I don't know how else to reach them.

I got her email id from the web:- ms at tafe.com.
You can give it a shot.

[krivbel]

Thanks deehunk will look out for any warning signs in the future.

Thank you hrman, I will email Mallika Srinivasan