[Babayaga_g007]

Originally Posted by Mariner_sky

Thank you for your wishes.

I can see your location as Pune, whereas i booked my car with Elite kia Rewari. The car is already in transit and reach their stockyard around 20th of this month. I also negotiated with dealers from Gurgaon, ASB kia and Allied kia. They also claimed the same that the car will come on order and i can get a delivery in same month after booking. Both dealers from Gurgaon also matched the quotation as stated in my above post. Let me know if you plan your purchase from Gurgaon so i can give you numbers of the SA i was in touch with.

Thank you for the inputs Mariner_sky! I'm trying to get the best discounts out of Pune dealers which none of them seem willing to give haha. If you could just share me the quote you received that would be enough. Thanks again

[Mariner_sky]

Originally Posted by Babayaga_g007

Thank you for the inputs Mariner_sky! I'm trying to get the best discounts out of Pune dealers which none of them seem willing to give haha. If you could just share me the quote you received that would be enough. Thanks again

Prerequisite for better deal is multiple number of dealers.

So if the above condition is fulfilled you need to select a dealer which is conveniently close from where you put up as having a good relation with your dealer goes a long way

Now what i did was i asked for their best quotation, one dealer was offering all inclusive insurance at ₹1 and the other one was giving exchange bonus without exchange (bogus claim, they just need a RC of a car in your name and insurance copy to put it in their system).

So i made a quote myself combining these two deals and bluffed, luckily they took the bait and added ₹5k complementary accessories. So you can also get little creative. First quote offered to me was ₹23.73 lakhs and i closed the deal on ₹22.33lakhs

Finally i told my preferred dealership that this is what I’m getting from Gurgaon and he matched the deal and i closed the deal on same day.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Mariner_sky

[Babayaga_g007]

Originally Posted by Mariner_sky

Prerequisite for better deal is multiple number of dealers.

So if the above condition is fulfilled you need to select a dealer which is conveniently close from where you put up as having a good relation with your dealer goes a long way

This is great info, Thanks a ton!! I'll update this thread with the best deal I get xD.

[blogslogger]

My Travails with Kia Warranty

Our GTX completed 1 year on November 1st. The DRL's have yellowed in the headlights. Since I've taken both Extended Warranty and My Convenience packaged, I thought it would be a convenient warranty approval process. Oh, how wrong I was.

TL;DR: I took my headlight for warranty replacement. It's been a month and no signs of replacement parts arriving yet.

Glossary:
GM- General Manager
SM- Service Manager- Reports to General Manager
SA- Service Advisor- Reports to Service Manager
ASC- Authorized Service Centre

Here is a not so brief timeline of events.



October 15: Went to a three-letter ASC in Hyderabad with the complaint of DRL being yellow. Since some genius decided even the grille needs a DRL, it looked awkward during night drives. The adjacent headlight strip was yellow, and the grille led strip was white. Anyway, the SA took a few videos and photos and told me they have to get approval from the HQ to replace my lights. Fair enough, I thought and asked how many days it would take. They replied that the approval, yes or no, would take 3 days. They would inform me when the approval comes through. I wait 5 days.

October 20: Called the ASC to check on the status. I was told that the request was still under review. I asked how long it would take to get an answer. The SA replied that it would take a few more days. I wait another 5 days.

October 25: Called the ASC again. This time I was told that the request was approved and the parts were ordered. I asked how long it would take to get the parts. The SA replied that it would take 10 to 15 days.

November 1: Went to ASC to check on the status. I was told that the parts have not yet arrived. Apparently, this is the first Seltos with the problem. They told me they clubbed my order with a few FL Sonet headlights, and once they arrived, they would call me to bring my vehicle. They say that the warranty process actually starts when the parts arrive. They send the current pictures of the car and then start the approval process. I find it odd that there is no coordination between the SM's.

November 10: Called the ASC again. This time I was told that the parts have still not arrived. They mention Diwali and a few weekends as reasons for the delay.

November 14: This time, I call Kia customer service, and they take the SM into the call. They mention that RH Headlight has arrived while LH is pending. They mention it will be done by November 20. I question him saying that Anantapur to Hyderabad is hardly a day's drive and shouldn't take 20 days for parts to arrive. And since headlight's are potentially one of the fragile things in a car, they should ideally be in stock.

I am not especially concerned about the timeline, as the headlights, apart from looking bad, are functionally fine. My concern is if they take this much time for a minor part's warranty replacement of a new car, what will happen in case of a bigger part or more complex repair such as the DPF or Exhuast system?

And to top it all, I do not know who is at fault- SA, SM, GM or Kia.

Overall, a pretty poor showing by Kia.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by blogslogger

My Travails with Kia Warranty

I am not especially concerned about the timeline, as the headlights, apart from looking bad, are functionally fine. My concern is if they take this much time for a minor part's warranty replacement of a new car, what will happen in case of a bigger part or more complex repair such as the DPF or Exhuast system?

And to top it all, I do not know who is at fault- SA, SM, GM or Kia.

Overall, a pretty poor showing by Kia.

I believe the service centre(s) might not be maintaining certain parts inventories as there are no demand for it(yet), for the Seltos facelift. As more cases of warranty or replacement come in, they will keep those stocked up.

I went through the warranty process for my 5 year old Seltos just before my extended warranty expired last month. It was a lot different than yours.

I went for my normal service which I had booked in advance. While showing the car to the advisor, I mentioned about the yellowing of the DRL and if it can be covered under extended warranty. The warranty team took some photos and videos to process the request, removed the old headlight and put in a new one. All this took 2 hrs extra than what the general service takes and they returned the car on the same afternoon (I was waiting in the lounge).

A few months ago, the other headlight (along with few other parts) had to be changed after the clips were damaged in a minor accident. Even then this service centre had all the parts (fog lamp, bumper trims, clips, etc) readily available.

A few years ago the power window module had to be replaced and that was not readily available. The service centre said this was the first case they were seeing with the PW and they would request the part from factory. They got back to me 3 days later that the part had arrived and I can come for replacement.

I guess the size of dealership might also make a difference - bigger their operations, bigger would be their size of inventory and frequent order delivery between plant-service centre.


PS: I do see this yellowing of DRLs affecting a lot of the new Seltos' on the road (similarly the Carens suffer too). The old Seltos fared better here.

[kgt.v8]

Originally Posted by ashis89

I do see this yellowing of DRLs affecting a lot of the new Seltos' on the road (similarly the Carens suffer too). The old Seltos fared better here.

The DRLs on previous gen Seltos had smaller LED bulb arranged to look like a line. The facelift Seltos DRL look like LED strip.

It would be good to know if this yellowing of DRLs due to low quality part usage or is it due to some other reason.
Mahindra has been using LED strip like DRLs on XUV700 for close to 3 years now. I have not seen anyone reporting yellowing of DRLs on XUV700 thread or Tata Harrier/Safari facelift threads.

[blogslogger]

Originally Posted by kgt.v8

The DRLs on previous gen Seltos had smaller LED bulb arranged to look like a line. The facelift Seltos DRL look like LED strip.

It would be good to know if this yellowing of DRLs due to low quality part usage or is it due to some other reason.
Mahindra has been using LED strip like DRLs on XUV700 for close to 3 years now. I have not seen anyone reporting yellowing of DRLs on XUV700 thread or Tata Harrier/Safari facelift threads.

Pre FL Seltos had multiple LEDs in the DRL. So each LED was smaller and had less heat. The FL version has just a few LEDs in the edge and an optical fiber pipe. The pipe gets hot and yellows over time. The same pipe is used by Skoda, VW and Audi. Hence the yellowing. I've seen a few very old XUV 700s DRL yellowing so it seems Mahindra is using a similar setup.

[bharathdonti]

Originally Posted by blogslogger

My Travails with Kia Warranty

Our GTX completed 1 year on November 1st. The DRL's have yellowed in the headlights. Since I've taken both Extended Warranty and My Convenience packaged, I thought it would be a convenient warranty approval process. Oh, how wrong I was.

TL;DR: I took my headlight for warranty replacement. It's been a month and no signs of replacement parts arriving yet.

Glossary:
GM- General Manager
SM- Service Manager- Reports to General Manager
SA- Service Advisor- Reports to Service Manager
ASC- Authorized Service Centre

Here is a not so brief timeline of events.



October 15: Went to a three-letter ASC in Hyderabad with the complaint of DRL being yellow. Since some genius decided even the grille needs a DRL, it looked awkward during night drives. The adjacent headlight strip was yellow, and the grille led strip was white. Anyway, the SA took a few videos and photos and told me they have to get approval from the HQ to replace my lights. Fair enough, I thought and asked how many days it would take. They replied that the approval, yes or no, would take 3 days. They would inform me when the approval comes through. I wait 5 days.

October 20: Called the ASC to check on the status. I was told that the request was still under review. I asked how long it would take to get an answer. The SA replied that it would take a few more days. I wait another 5 days.

October 25: Called the ASC again. This time I was told that the request was approved and the parts were ordered. I asked how long it would take to get the parts. The SA replied that it would take 10 to 15 days.

November 1: Went to ASC to check on the status. I was told that the parts have not yet arrived. Apparently, this is the first Seltos with the problem. They told me they clubbed my order with a few FL Sonet headlights, and once they arrived, they would call me to bring my vehicle. They say that the warranty process actually starts when the parts arrive. They send the current pictures of the car and then start the approval process. I find it odd that there is no coordination between the SM's.

November 10: Called the ASC again. This time I was told that the parts have still not arrived. They mention Diwali and a few weekends as reasons for the delay.

November 14: This time, I call Kia customer service, and they take the SM into the call. They mention that RH Headlight has arrived while LH is pending. They mention it will be done by November 20. I question him saying that Anantapur to Hyderabad is hardly a day's drive and shouldn't take 20 days for parts to arrive. And since headlight's are potentially one of the fragile things in a car, they should ideally be in stock.

I am not especially concerned about the timeline, as the headlights, apart from looking bad, are functionally fine. My concern is if they take this much time for a minor part's warranty replacement of a new car, what will happen in case of a bigger part or more complex repair such as the DPF or Exhuast system?

And to top it all, I do not know who is at fault- SA, SM, GM or Kia.

Overall, a pretty poor showing by Kia.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I got my Seltos from the same ASC, and thankfully, my headlights are working well now. But your insights will help me be better prepared if any future issues arise (fingers crossed that they won’t!).

[blogslogger]

Originally Posted by ashis89

I believe the service centre(s) might not be maintaining certain parts inventories as there are no demand for it(yet), for the Seltos facelift.

I went through the warranty process for my 5 year old Seltos just before my extended warranty expired last month. It was a lot different than yours.



A few months ago, the other headlight (along with few other parts) had to be changed after the clips were damaged in a minor accident. Even then this service centre had all the parts (fog lamp, bumper trims, clips, etc) readily available.



I guess the size of dealership might also make a difference - bigger their operations, bigger would be their size of inventory and frequent order delivery between plant-service centre.


PS: I do see this yellowing of DRLs affecting a lot of the new Seltos' on the road (similarly the Carens suffer too). The old Seltos fared better here.

Thank you for the response. The dealership being one of the biggest in Telangana, I was surprised at the lack of parts. And more so with the attitude of the staff.

Your easy headlight replacement post set my expectations for the warranty replacement. But things took a differnt turn.

Kia for some reason, thought to cheapen out and are using an optical fiber-based DRL instead of multi-led, causing heating issues in the pipe and DRL failing early.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by blogslogger

Kia for some reason, thought to cheapen out and are using an optical fiber-based DRL instead of multi-led, causing heating issues in the pipe and DRL failing early.

As far as I know, several OEMs use optical fibers for DRLs for flexibility of design and styling. Individual LEDs take up more space and manufacturers can't make those creative DRL designs! Not just Kia, you will notice yellowing of DRLs is an issue with other manufacturers as well, such as VAG, Mercedes or even BMWs.

VAG:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post5565203 (The DRL Thread: Everything about daytime running lights)

https://www.team-bhp.com/news/led-dr...around-15-lakh

https://www.reddit.com/r/TaigunClub/...urning_yellow/

MG:
https://www.mgevs.com/threads/led-dr...-yellow.16811/

BMWs:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5520412 (A GT joins a GT - Estoril Blue BMW 330i GT M-Sport comes home - EDIT: 100,000 kilometers up | SOLD)

https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1725183

https://www.reddit.com/r/F30/comment...yellow%20color.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEM7uljyMnY

Hyundai:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5849121 (2023 Hyundai Verna Review)


Maruti:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vita...2775860165405/

It is rare on Tata and Mahindras although I have seen few examples on Nexon and XUV 300, 500 and Marazzo.

[prasanth_reddy]

Hi Fellow BHPians,

I am confused between Seltos X Line DCT and Thar Roxx AX7L P AT, to give you a background, We are a couple in our late 20s, 2-3 road trips per year & yearly 10k on the ODO and I'm 6 feet tall. This would be our primary vechicle.

My only problem with Seltos is safety and i really like it since very well-rounded car, with Thar Roxx the problem is drive comfort & premiumness. Have done test drives of both and seltos felt comfortable, whereas thar has typical BoF comfort levels but i liked the driving position (barring thigh support) & road presence

My mind says Seltos but heart says Thar. Please help in clearing this dilemma.

Thank you for your time.

[blogslogger]

Originally Posted by prasanth_reddy

Hi Fellow BHPians,

I am confused between Seltos X Line DCT and Thar Roxx AX7L P AT, to give you a background, We are a couple in our late 20s, 2-3 road trips per year & yearly 10k on the ODO and I'm 6 feet tall. This would be our primary vechicle.

My only problem with Seltos is safety and i really like it since very well-rounded car, with Thar Roxx the problem is drive comfort & premiumness.

If your road trips are all on the 'road', go with the Seltos. It is a way better cruiser and very fuel efficient, both in petrol and diesel guises. It is loaded with better tech, more reliable, and has a good service network with better treatment. If your trips involve a lot of offroading and you need to have the GC, go for the Thar. It has better credentials, better looks, and its a Jeep!

Safety is subjective, as only the old Seltos was tested by GNCAP. The new one apparently has better structure, and the X-Line has a lot of active safety features to have a bit of peace of mind.

[blogslogger]

Originally Posted by blogslogger

My Travails with Kia Warranty

November 14: This time, I call Kia customer service, and they take the SM into the call. They mention that RH Headlight has arrived while LH is pending. They mention it will be done by November 20. I question him saying that Anantapur to Hyderabad is hardly a day's drive and shouldn't take 20 days for parts to arrive. And since headlight's are potentially one of the fragile things in a car, they should ideally be in stock.


Overall, a pretty poor showing by Kia.

A followup. Still no update from the ASC. I hope they don't give me thanksgiving as a reason for the delay now.

[vaimittal]

Has Kia recently updated the infotainment via OTA and updated the FM UI ? Earlier I could see the bulb displaying the frequency but now it's only a list of stations. Or is there any way to revert to bulb UI ?

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by vaimittal

Has Kia recently updated the infotainment via OTA and updated the FM UI ? Earlier I could see the bulb displaying the frequency but now it's only a list of stations. Or is there any way to revert to bulb UI ?

Yes that change was made in the last update a month back. The new software does not have the bulb display for the FM frequency anymore.