Mahindra Quanto - turbocharger issues My tale of woes with the Mahindra Quanto, says a lot about M&M service quality. There was a sequence of errors and omissions which led to extremely serious issues - I hope my post here helps someone who finds themselves in a similar situation.
I was the owner of a Mahindra Quanto from 2013 Feb, till July 2017. The Quanto served me well for 3 years, and that's when issues began to surface. I won't even mention the expensive clutch replacement (at 50,000 km), because this post deals with a much more serious issue. I began noticing the following telltale problems:
1. Sudden loss of engine power. It would automatically "set itself right" after a few minutes
2. Whistling and whining noises from the engine while accelerating
3. Excessive smoke from the exhaust - white smoke
4. The "engine check lamp" used to come on frequently
These are classic turbocharger issues, and the sign of an impending catastrophe. However, even after several trips to the service center (Sireesh Auto), over the course of several months, they didn't diagnose the issue accurately as a Turbo problem. I was always told that there were some "minor adjustments" which they did, but I would be back with the same issues soon.
I am a frequent highway driver, and one one such trip, there was a sustained loss of power for a very long time, on the Hassan - Chikmagaluru road. The engine check lamp was also ON for an extended period of time. I stopped the vehicle almost immediately and tried calling Mahindra road side assistance. A lady picked up the phone in Gurgaon and asked me to wait for assistance and not drive the car with the check lamp on. 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes - and absolutely no help was forthcoming. When I started the car, the check lamp had magically gone off. I drove into Hassan, to the Mahindra service center. Absolutely no follow-up or callback from the roadside assistance folk. In the service center here, they again did not accurately diagnose the issue, but just got rid of the check lamp and assured me that it was safe to drive. I drove into the hills, and back to Bangalore without further incident.
On the fateful day, I was doing my usual Bangalore-Mumbai trip. The vehicle had just been serviced in Sireesh Auto two days ago. After an overnight halt at Davangere, the next morning's drive was marked by constant loss of power. The engine check lamp came on near Belgaum, and soon the oil indicator too. I realized that there was something dreadfully wrong here. The oil indicator lamp kept going on and off, and I just about managed to take it to the nearest service center (Sutaria Auto Parts, Udyambagh, Belgaum). Yeah I know, I know - I shouldn't have driven till there, but given my previous experience with Mahindra roadside assistance, and given the fact that Sireesh Auto had always brushed away the engine check lamp as "unimportant" (for more than one year), I figured I was better off getting the vehicle to the service center at least.
There, I was informed of the worst - my turbocharger had given way. There was no way I would be able to take the vehicle any further. What was worse, the Turbocharger is an EXPENSIVE part - upwards of Rs. 75000, I was told. Well, there was nothing for it but to leave my car there, for them to confirm their diagnosis, and proceed to Mumbai by alternate means of transport. Now, over the next few days I was told that the delivery time for a new Turbo was more than 15 days. Whats worse, they said that they would typically need to do an engine overhauling and check if there was a deeper issue. All in all, nearly a month's work.
Well, there was no way I could have left the vehicle in Belgaum. I arranged for it to be towed back to Bangalore, with me tagging along in the tow truck. Bill: Rs. 25,000 towing + Rs. 2500 (Belgaum service center). Got the Quanto deposited in Sireesh Auto. There, they ordered for a turbo, and in nearly a month's time, returned the car to me. Bill: Rs. 78,000.
So, after being poorer by nearly Rs. 1 lakh+, I was hoping to use the vehicle for at least 25000 km more. No such luck. I made one trip to Chennai and back, and I began hearing knocking sounds from the engine, and a terrible smell from the AC vents. The last straw was when I noticed white smoke coming from the AC vents. I gave the vehicle back to Sireesh Auto, where they told me that an engine overhauling would be required, which would leave me poorer by Rs. 1.5 lakh.
I did what any sane person would do. I took my vehicle to cars24.com, where I had to sell it at a massively discounted price. Coupled with the fact that the Quanto commands a low resale value, and the fact that there was a problem in the engine anyway, there was no way I could have expected a good price.
To add insult to injury, Mahindra (Sireesh Auto) offered me a measly Rs. 1.7 lakh for the car.
So, let's back up for a moment:
1. Telltale signs pointing to serious deterioration in the turbocharger were pointed out time and again to Sireesh Auto. Not only was the issue not resolved on time, they failed to detect it and diagnose the issue accurately.
2. Mahindra roadside assistance was a thorough and total disappointment.
3. The vehicle gave up on me bang in the middle of the journey from Bangalore to Mumbai.
4. I had to spend a total of Rs. 1,15,000 to get the vehicle back in shape.
5. In less than 2 weeks, there were more serious problems, and the vehicle had to be sold for practically scrap value (if you factor in the amount already spent on the turbo repair).
A highly disappointing and unfortunate series of experiences with M&M. It is at times like this, that I understand why experts advise one to go for a Toyota or a VW. Reliability of the vehicle (especially the engine) is just incomparable. |