[RaSing]

Is anyone facing a hard steering issue on your car ?

Mine is a August 2016 manufactured Ciaz ZDI+ purchased in Sept 2016. It has done close to 16k kms on ODO till now. I feel that after 10k kms the steering began to feel bit harder and is now quite hard . The initial light steering feel has gone away. In fact it so hard that i feel pain in my neck after a 80 kms drive i do daily. I thought of having it checked but then i read the same problems being faced by some other users who reported it here https://www.consumercomplaints.in/ma...oblem-c1062867. and i know the ASS response would be the same, that it is a EPS and it is either OK or not OK and in that case the steering would not have come back to centre when taking a turn or the steering malfunction light would go ON. Sometimes, i guess that it may be a tyre problem. I am running the stock tyre 195 55 GoodYear Tyres. Since this is a major problem for me who is driving the car daily for 80 kms , i am considering alternatives.

What options do i have ? Can you guys help me on this

1 Get it checked at ASS- i dont think would yield any positive results
2 Can i get it tuned or may be rectified on some outside garage.
3 Is this is a tyre problem ? May be Good years ? Shall i change to some other brand .
4 Is this due to the bigger size tyres as compared to VXI and VDI versions?
5 Last but not the least , sell the car and suffer a depreciation loss.

[ashwin49]

My car is just a month old and I have to already strap up my right hand because of the hard steering. I think the problem is quite widespread as a quick Google search will show you other forums where folks have complained about the same. One of the core issues is the steering will not come back to the mean position automatically like a true power steering mechanism. I would like to solicit feedback from other folks on this forum as the problem is wide enough for Maruti to issue a recall.

[Midas]

Originally Posted by ashwin49

My car is just a month old and I have to already strap up my right hand because of the hard steering.... One of the core issues is the steering will not come back to the mean position automatically like a true power steering mechanism.

Generally Ciaz steering is considered to be on the lighter side. It's lighter than swift and other driver oriented cars.

Regarding returning to position, what I found is that it will happen when there is accelerator input. Return action doesn't work when there is no acc input, especially if you are at very slow speeds.

[ashwin49]

Originally Posted by Midas

Generally Ciaz steering is considered to be on the lighter side. It's lighter than swift and other driver oriented cars.

Regarding returning to position, what I found is that it will happen when there is accelerator input. Return action doesn't work when there is no acc input, especially if you are at very slow speeds.

This is happening at +40 kmph speeds as well. Considering that this is not a wear and tear issue , the car being only a month old, leads me to believe faulty part is to blame for some of cars. I have checked the Power Steering fluids and this seems to ok, I have also ensured that the air pressure in tyres are according to OEM specifications. I think this issue warrants a separate thread where folks who have the same issue can come together and try to collectively raise the issue with MS.

[rambo1o1]

Originally Posted by RaSing

Is anyone facing a hard steering issue on your car ?

Originally Posted by ashwin49

My car is just a month old and I have to already strap up my right hand because of the hard steering..

Originally Posted by Midas

Generally Ciaz steering is considered to be on the lighter side. It's lighter than swift and other driver oriented cars.

Regarding returning to position, what I found is that it will happen when there is accelerator input. Return action doesn't work when there is no acc input, especially if you are at very slow speeds.

I had a similar complaint with the steering but this was only at idle with no accelerator input. i haven't noticed any return action problem and hence cant comment.

While turning the wheel left to right and vice versa quickly, it used to suddenly get hard for a moment.I tried getting it checked with the service center.
They hooked up their laptop and repeated the same scenario. The software was showing some voltage levels if Im not mistaken and the fluctuation were minor and according to tolerance levels(as what the engineer said).
I thought it might be because of my tires which were almost bald(stock goodyear 15inch).

After changing them to yoko earth 1s, the issue persists. However as what bhpian Midas has said, if i apply accelerator input and turn the wheel quickly, the issue doesn't occur. Hence the MASS guys have brushed it off as inherent design flaw and they assured me that if it becomes worse at driving or low speeds then they would change the full assembly under extended warranty.

This issues doesn't seem to hamper normal driving but im extra focused to see if it deteriorates further.

[ashwin49]

Originally Posted by rambo1o1

Hence the MASS guys have brushed it off as inherent design flaw

If this is design flaw ( i.e getting passed off as a feature) I doubt they will provide a warranty replacement is'nt it? As this implies that this condition is standard to the car and not a malfunction. The power steering ( or lack thereof) is one of the hardest in contemporary cars and took me back to Ambassador days !

If there are large enough number of folks with the same issue, the manufacturer should typically offer a recall after figuring out a workaround.

[RaSing]

Originally Posted by ashwin49

My car is just a month old and I have to already strap up my right hand because of the hard steering. I think the problem is quite widespread as a quick Google search will show you other forums where folks have complained about the same. One of the core issues is the steering will not come back to the mean position automatically like a true power steering mechanism. I would like to solicit feedback from other folks on this forum as the problem is wide enough for Maruti to issue a recall.

• What tyres did u get as stock ? Are they good years ?
• What is the odo right now ?
• Is that a top model ZXI+ or ZDI+ ?

I talked to one of my friend owning a ZXI+ and he does not see a similar issue on his car. He runs on Apollos and has done close to 9k kms. Also i asked ptaneja on this forum who has done more than 20 k again on Apollos on ZDI+ and he is not facing that either.

My guess is

• It may be a problem with only top end variants with that 16 inches tyre.
• It may be a particular tyre brand that may be causing this.

Just trying to link the pieces of information and hope that it comes out to be a tyre problem rather than a design flaw

Also,on googling i saw this another post. Can someone comment on how correct is this

Q: Steering becoming hard in few days even after alignment.
asked by Jayakumar on November 22, 2016
Hello experts..Iam from India, In Chennai. A month back I purchased a new sedan..Maruti Ciaz with EPS. Right from day one I have a hard steering. The alignment was corrected by the service men, and the steering became perfect. But in few minutes of driving the steering became hard again. The service men checked the tire pressure and there was marginal improvement. But in some 100kms of driving it got worse. I again checked alignment at another location after 2weeks of the first one. As expected, the toe-in had become toe-out. After correction the problem is solved. But again after an hour of driving, it had again become hard. Iam sure the angle is disturbed again. Steering feel - At 40 to 50kmph the minor adjustments in steering is painfull to shoulder. More effort to turn and same effort to bring it back, even a small angle. Although some amount of self centering is available when turned for more angle at low speed. Pl advice what could be the actual issue. Thanks Jayakumar
A: Hello. From what you describe it would app...


Eduardo Ruelas
Automotive Mechanic
THANK EDUARDO
Hello. From what you describe it would appear that your vehicle may be experiencing some sort of steering or suspension issues. If the toe adjustment keeps falling out of specification then it may be possible that one or more of the steering components may be worn. If the vehicle’s tie rod ends, the suspension linkage components that steer the vehicle, wear out they may not become loose, and easily fall out of adjustment. Similar symptoms can also be caused by worn ball joints, or suspension bushings. If the alignment is falling out of adjustment to the point of causing the steering to become hard, then the alignment is likely off enough to cause accelerated wear on the tires. Continuing to drive the vehicle in these conditions may cause the tires to wear abnormally, as well as place additional stress on the suspension and steering components. I would recommend having a professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to inspect the suspension and steering systems for possible faults

Link to the above post is https://www.yourmechanic.com/questio...t-by-jayakumar

[ashwin49]

Originally Posted by RaSing

[list][*]What tyres did u get as stock ? Are they good years ? [*]What is the odo right now ? [*]Is that a top model ZXI+ or ZDI+ ?

I got MRF as stock. I think you might be onto something here as I have a ZXI. ODO is 2200 KM.

[rambo1o1]

Originally Posted by ashwin49

If this is design flaw ( i.e getting passed off as a feature) I doubt they will provide a warranty replacement is'nt it? As this implies that this condition is standard to the car and not a malfunction. The power steering ( or lack thereof) is one of the hardest in contemporary cars and took me back to Ambassador days !

If there are large enough number of folks with the same issue, the manufacturer should typically offer a recall after figuring out a workaround.

My ciaz is a 2015 zdi ,42k km covered.Came with 15inch Goodyear assurance. Had this slight hardness since 28k km.
I was promised that if the hardness increased to an extent that it became impossible to drive freely, the whole steering assembly would be replaced. This service center seems to be much more customer friendly since I had some suspension parts replaced at 2 years under warranty without any fuss. The EPS is covered under extended warranty so I'm hoping that if it detoriates further, it should happen within this period.

Your case seems to be very severe, I feel it's better if you change your service center and write to MSIL... If they don't feel it's an issue, ask them to test a newer ciaz against yours.. wish you good luck.

[ptaneja]

Originally Posted by RaSing

[list]

Also i asked ptaneja on this forum who has done more than 20 k again on Apollos on ZDI+ and he is not facing that either.

My guess is

• It may be a problem with only top end variants with that 16 inches tyre.

As we discussed before, no issues encountered so far with my vehicle - I don't see any noticeable difference in steering pressure (even if it is) . And yes, it came with Apollo stock + 16" tyres. With the rim size out of the picture, it is more or less suspension/steering issue, or, maybe Apollo vs GoodYear ?

Coming to think of it, I faced a similar issue with my older vehicle - SX4 ZXI. It's steering was very stiff as compared to VXI, and every time I went in to the service centre, it was pointed out to broader and bigger tyres than VXI. So eventually, till it was sold off, it was driven with a heavy steering ! Comparing my Ciaz's steering with SX4, this is waaaay waaaay lighter ....

[PraNeel]

Originally Posted by ashwin49

My car is just a month old and I have to already strap up my right hand because of the hard steering.

Hi Ashwin, since your car is only a month old, why don't you take the car to service center and explain the problem to them. Go on a test drive with mechanic and SA and let them experience the issue. This is the only way your issue can be resolved.
Also meet the service manager if required. They will replace the parts, if necessary. I am confident this will resolve your issue.
You also have an escalation mechanism and believe me escalation works very well in Maruti. I have faced two very peculiar issues and both have been resolved with the above approach.

[RaSing]

Originally Posted by PraNeel

Hi Ashwin, since your car is only a month old, why don't you take the car to service center and explain the problem to them. Go on a test drive with mechanic and SA and let them experience the issue. This is the only way your issue can be resolved.
Also meet the service manager if required. They will replace the parts, if necessary. I am confident this will resolve your issue.
You also have an escalation mechanism and believe me escalation works very well in Maruti. I have faced two very peculiar issues and both have been resolved with the above approach.

Can you please let us know the escalation mechanism with maruti. Also if you have any relevant email ids to be written to.

Thanks

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by ashwin49

My car is just a month old and I have to already strap up my right hand because of the hard steering. I think the problem is quite widespread as a quick Google search will show you other forums where folks have complained about the same. One of the core issues is the steering will not come back to the mean position automatically like a true power steering mechanism. I would like to solicit feedback from other folks on this forum as the problem is wide enough for Maruti to issue a recall.

Sorry to hear problems cropping up so quickly. I would suggest you to go and take a Test drive of the Ciaz(if possible the same variant) at least 2-3 dealers. If even one of them has a better steering than your car, I believe you have a strong enough case to get the problem fixed under warranty, maybe a defective EPS unit or whatever the exact problem and the corresponding replacement required.

I'm suggesting you do the TD yourself, since a hard steering is subjective. What's manageable for one, wont be good for another. Eg: I have an Ecosport ecoboost whose clutch i found to be very hard, got it looked over at the A.S.S and then found out its normal. Even my father found it perfectly fine to use it. I just found it hard since I was not used to it. Not necessarily the same as your case, but it would be better to diagnose the problem first.

[RaSing]

Got my power steering checked at the ASS today. As expected it was all ok as per them. They did three tests .

Checked Wheel Alignment
Steering Force Test
Voltage Test

Left with only two options now
Replace tyres and check
Escalate to Maruti which again i think would not yield any positives

Sad

[ashwin49]

All, Thanks for all the suggestions. Let me again follow up with a different service center and perhaps get a passenger to take a video in the meanwhile of the issue of non centering steering wheel.