[ike]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

https://www.amazon.in/MANNOL-Cleaner...2C1392&sr=8-10
[/url]

Thanks for this, have ordered. Do you use this just before a highway/high speed drive or can it be used while being driven in the city as well?

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by ike

Thanks for this, have ordered. Do you use this just before a highway/high speed drive or can it be used while being driven in the city as well?

You do not need to go on a highway run. Just fill the DPF cleaner when the tank is really empty and fuel up to full. You can then do even short runs and the what I found is that the error goes away pretty quickly. A longer run is definitely even more useful.

[Alfresco]

Originally Posted by GTO

I took the Safari Facelift to a fabulous property literally in the middle of nowhere! The roads were so broken, there was no way a sedan could make it here. Enjoyed my 5 days with the Tata Safari in Bombay & on the road-trip.


What’s Not: Niggles & bugs, no 4x4 / AWD (XUV700 offers it), rough edges & inconsistencies in build / part fitment / finishing are evident in some areas, 19” rims are unsuitable for a rough & tough SUV (tyres prone to damage, short sidewalls, R19s bring a bit of a firm edge, I’d personally prefer the Safari with R17 wheels), ergonomically still imperfect (I managed alright, but never found my “perfect” driving position), FCA 2.0 diesel engine shows its age + gets noisy at high revs (XUV700’s diesel is superior), no powerful turbo-petrol AT like the XUV700

Niggles faced: Electronic parking brake error on the MID, switching off ADAS braking sometimes required the car to be restarted, central locking didn’t unlock and / or boot didn’t unlock, Wireless Android Auto dropped connection a couple of times (two different phones)
......

The pre-facelift Safari never made me smile like this, but Tata has really worked wonders with the midlife update. The Safari Facelift has dramatically improved over the earlier car. Cements my belief that you should wait 2-3 years after a fresh new car launch for the much-improved version that inevitably follows:

Why can't people write balanced statements the way this post has been written?

I see so much of Tata bashing going on in this forum as if they have committed a sin by trying to manufacture good, desirable vehicles at a very low price point.

Please remember that Tata Motors survived the great socialistic era when innovation was banned. Even then they tried making a home-grown car when suddenly the market was opened up.
Could they have done it better? Definitely.
Are they improving with every iteration? YES

Compare the products like first-gen Indica and the current models that they are offering. There must be something that they are doing right that so many of their units are selling.

I have owned Tata buses (low maintenance), Tata Winger (high maintenance after 3-4 years) and a Nexon EV (zero maintenance).

Would I buy another Tata? Might, or might not.

My 19 year old Innova petrol is still working fine. But I would see lots of Innovas undergoing repairs whenever I would go for service.
So, should I generalise the perception of a company based on my experience?
If I have faced a problem, did the dealer/company solve the issue? Did the problem recur?

If a dealer is trying to sell cars with problems, then complain to TML and leave immediately.
Opening up a bidding war between different dealers and then bashing the company for not playing along? That is wrong, IMHO.

Constructive criticism is always welcome. Pointing out problems in a decent way is welcome.

Running a company, manufacturing a product, getting it right, and estimating the demand is a very difficult process.

Tata and Mahindra are here to stay.
They have not run away and they never will.

[Thinking_Slow]

Safari first service experience

Summary: Hugely disappointing experience.

Got the first free service done after a month of ownership. Link to my mini-review of this car (2023 Tata Safari Facelift Review). Odometer was at ~1900Kms. Dropped the car at Kropex Singasandra, which is the same dealership where I purchased the car from.

While buying a Tata car, I knew that the service experience is going to be underwhelming. But sorry to say that in spite of having very low expectations, I was still disappointed. Tata motors simply do not have the intent for good customer service in their DNA. I don't think it's a specific dealer issue as I have read numerous negative reviews on almost all Tata service dealers in Bangalore. Are other regions different? Please comment, would like to know other experiences.

The good:
1) The whole experience was an ordeal but would still like to mention that the service team leader was very cordial and approachable. He conceded that there is a struggle to maintain customer satisfaction and service levels because of the lack of resources at his disposal.

2) The service-drop was pretty quick. The SA (service advisor) duly noted all issues/requests in job card and I was out of the service center within 20 minutes.

The bad:
1) Unkempt service reception area. Boy, was it bad! Kropex Singasandra service reception is worse than a state government department. Shabby desks, Poor furniture/interiors and casual/unprofessional attitude of staff. However, I must add that I am not blaming the staff. Things like these are part of a work place's culture and they flow from the top. I get a feeling that the folks at top of Tata motors are simply not interested in providing a good service experience to costumers. Most of their energies and investments seems to be directed towards sales.

2) Unresponsive SA. Don't want to take the name but will just say that the SA did not look like the right man for the job. The whole demeanor was so unprofessional that it was beyond belief. I had politely made it a point during the drop that service must be completed on the same day as it is a long weekend and I need the car for a trip. I got the reply "I will try my best to deliver it today". Try my best? During the first free service, no major maintenance work is needed. The car is put through basic external checks like AC, brakes, consumable fluids, DEF refill and regular cleaning. Couple of hours should be enough for this job so I was surprised at the casual "will try my best". Besides, the advisor was not very approachable. He was not picking my calls when I was anxious and wanted updates on the service progress to ensure that vehicle gets delivered on same day. However, they did deliver the car by 6:30PM. I am not sure if it was because I was pushy OR they genuinely worked towards it.

3) Poor service job. Now, this is subjective and experiences of different customers can vary. In my case, I am deeply disappointed because none of my issues were fixed. The two issues/requests were:

a) Alignment of bonnet and tailgate (pictures attached below showing the mis-alignment). This was not fixed and reasoning provided was - "Tailgate is supported on hydraulics, we should not tinker with it". To which I said "OK, can we fix the bonnet at least?". Reply was - "Not recommended to do bonnet as well". Needless to say, it did not make much sense to me. After some push, the team lead said he will note down the issue and report to "the body works team in Tata". I don't know if these are genuinely a hard fix OR they were simply not interested.

Note: Had shown the mis-alignment issue 2 weeks back in the same service center and they had promised to fix it during the first service. They did not give any indication then that it is not so easy to fix.

b) Had requested for a software update as I wanted to get rid of the glitches and niggles. At the time of delivery, was told that software has been updated. I forgot to check it during delivery and found later that it was NOT updated! It still has September's version running (R12.46), which I believe is the very first version for the new Safari. I don't understand what could be the reason for giving false information. If a software update is not available, they can simply say so and it will make sense. Hope I am not misunderstanding and I am checking the software version at the right place. Picture of infotainment's "Settings->About" screen is attached below

4) Extremely poor post-service delivery. Had to wait for 30mins at the unpleasant reception area, in spite of informing about my arrival well in advance. The SA excitedly asked me to follow him to the yard to inspect the vehicle before delivery. We walked some 300meters to get to a large open area with lot of vehicles parked. Did not find the vehicle there. He seemed perplexed and we then walked back to service center. There was a small wash area behind the building and the car was there. To my surprise, car was not washed/cleaned. SA asked me "Do you need it cleaned?". I replied with surprise "What do you think I have been waiting this long for?". Dissapointed, I went back to the waiting area and talked to the service lead. He called the SA and uttered some strict words. Eventually, they cleaned the vehicle and delivered.

Closing remarks:
I sincerely hope that Tata motors get better. They are making decent products at reasonable prices and it feels good that an Indian manufacturer is trying to make it big. But if providing this kind of service experience is part of the work culture, it will ruin the ownership experience for a lot of customers.

I don't think I am going back to Kropex Singasandra anytime soon. Hope I will find a decent dealership for service. Suggestions are most welcome. There is a Prerana motors (Kudlu gate) close to my place. Will give them a try next time.

Also, I am open to feedback. Would like to know if I am being unreasonable in my expectations. Would like to know if I can do something better from my side. Thanks in advance.

Software version


Bonnet and Tailgate misalignment

[thegreatdanton9]

Originally Posted by Thinking_Slow

Safari first service experience

Bonnet and Tailgate misalignment
Attachment 2565004

Attachment 2565003

Attachment 2565005

Attachment 2565016

I have similar issue with tailgate alignment with more gap on right side. My service advisor took request and corrected it ever so slightly. For perfect alignment, I was told it may break glass on tailgate if we play with it a lot.

This mis alignment was pointed by me during delivery pdi to sales and he showed me few harrier and Safaris with similar gap.on right side. Not sure if this gap is intentional.

[greyhound82]

Originally Posted by Thinking_Slow

Closing remarks:
I sincerely hope that Tata Motors gets better. They are making decent products at reasonable prices and it feels good that an Indian manufacturer is trying to make it big. a But if providing this kind of service experience is part of the work culture, it will ruin the ownership experience for a lot of customers.

Welcome to Tata ASS.

I will not allow them to wash my car as the quality of washing is very pathetic as they didn't use proper wash mitts which results in swirl marks and scratches

Panel alignment issues are common in all Tata and it's their trademark so better live with that rather than relying on the ASS to tinker with it

Expect ASS to soil interiors or broke some of the parts, so it's better to do a thorough inspection before receiving the car

If the software is working fine, better not to update else you need to mention it multiple times to SA for the same

My experience is almost the same with Delhi, Bhopal and Trivandrum. I will rate Bhopal slightly high.

[vattyboy]

As we all know Tata vehicles come with niggles.

This is your sad experience only when you have given the car for a regular service, now imagine going to the ASS frequently to solve the niggles.

This is the reason I went with Hyundai Creta this month, even when my budget was permitting me to buy Tata Harrier and Mahindra Xuv 700. Their vehicles are good-looking with good performance but they lack reliability and after-sales service.

I owned Tiago from 2017 to 2021 and I have experienced a pathetic ASS of Tata.

Now my suggestion is to try all the ASS in your city and select the best one from the lot and try to stick to it.

[Amrit@wheels]

Such frequent A.S.S horrors ensure that I stay away from Tata vehicles. Their cars are seriously good but their service is seriously terrible. It makes me wonder why there has not been any improvement in so many years of constant complaints by the customers.

[sudanmohit]

Originally Posted by Thinking_Slow

Safari first service experience

Summary: Hugely disappointing experience.

Got the first free service done after a month of ownership. Link to my mini-review of this car (2023 Tata Safari Facelift Review). Odometer was at ~1900Kms. Dropped the car at Kropex Singasandra, which is the same dealership where I purchased the car from.

While buying a Tata car, I knew that the service experience is going to be underwhelming. But sorry to say that in spite of having very low expectations, I was still disappointed. Tata motors simply do not have the intent for good customer service in their DNA. I don't think it's a specific dealer issue as I have read numerous negative reviews on almost all Tata service dealers in Bangalore. Are other regions different? Please comment, would like to know other experiences.

Welcome to the world of Tata motors. They love their customers and their cars too. That's why they make sure that both cars and their owners spend maximum possible time in the showrooms (which hardly have anything to show off)

Tara is making good cars but that's exactly where the goodness ends.
I'll share my experience (few years ago)

I had indica Vista vx 2012 model. It was my first car bought on notes of patriotism. Now the rear wiper was giving mild screeching sounds upon movement so I asked them to look at it in first service. Then in second and third and fourth too...

Everytime they'll justify the sound to small sand particles settled on glass from air.
After complaining multiple times I stopped.

Now the experiences:

1. Somewhere around 2016, I was at Chittorgarh fort when two huge langoors together jumped on the roof cracking the windshield and putting a small dent in front part of roof.

Took them more than two weeks to do denting painting and windshield replacement. The paint job was outstanding (pun intended), because one could see the patch of paint from 300 meters. Upon complaining they said this is the best possible.

2. Few days later a kid on a new splendor was trying to showoff his skills to friends and found my stationary car interfering his route . All the Newton laws of motion played their respective part with the end result of the boy along with friends and bike on road and my car with dents on driver side front bumper and bonnet. The wiper fluid spilled on the road and the fluid tank got detached/broken. So another visit to the Tata after sales. Again a wait for two weeks or more (because there is no permanent painter appointed and he comes from some other city on special call basis). Anyways after a fortnight, I was finally called to get the car. As I reached there, the first thing I noticed was that rear wiper was hanging lifelessly . Upon asking I was told that car was given to them in same condition. Upon raising the voice, I was given old service details where I had complained about rear wiper (remember I complained about noise only). They asked somewhere around 5k(not sure about exact amount) for whole wiper replacement as it wasn't repairable. I told them that I don't want them to replace it and I'll take the car with broken rear wiper. Now comes the best part. After I completed payment and autographs on the forms, I started the car and within first 10 metres, the wiper fluid tank fell under the bonnet. Nobody had paid any attention to one of the chief complaints.
Finally after another round of exchange of love qoutes and tank repair, I took the car to a nearby fng. A simple tightening/replacement of a screw at rear wiper made it like new. It served till I sold the car in 2022. Poor fellow didn't even charge a single rupee as a good gesture.


Needless to say that was my first and last Tata car.

They do make good cars, wish they had better dealerships

[wheeledwanderer]

Was planning for a Nexon EV, seeing this horror, i better keep away from Tata products! Thanks for the feedback!

[hAwX]

I recently had my first service at the Luxon service centre, which is one hour away from my home, and I was 90% satisfied. The remaining 10% doesn’t really count as they apologised for their minor mistakes and tried to correct them. I had a list of 11 issues in my notes, all of which were heard and addressed by them. Not all of them got fixed, as these issues are… inevitable because it’s a Tata? Let’s just say that. I was super happy with Luxon's service.

Anyway, the alignment of my fog lamps was wrong, and it took some time but they corrected it. I had some issues with panel gaps but they weren’t concerning and they told me there’s literally nothing the service centre people can do to correct it as that’s factory fit and finish. They can only work on it if there’s an accident or insurance claim which personally made sense to me. 90% of my issues were related to the software. It was updated but I still face them often. Again, what can they do about it as Tata is responsible for their software..

Moisture was getting trapped inside my rear connecting DRL, but it will be replaced under warranty. The part arrived a week ago; I just haven’t had the time to get it fixed. I will have it done in a couple of days. Whenever the DRL fills with droplets, it stops working and returns to normal once it dries up.




I don’t think anybody noticed, but there’s a super weird and annoying humming sound from the roof ambient light. This took a lot of time to diagnose as I just mentioned to them that there’s a humming noise when the vehicle is on, more noticeable when the AC and engine are off. To prove their point, they had me sit in different Safaris and Harriers to tell me they cannot help; it’s an issue with the car itself. So now I drive with the roof ambient light turned off.

Now, the FAQ for me: What’s the fuel economy? I recently went on a short road trip, and the iRA showed 17 consistently. I can vouch for that as I only fill full tank during a fuel stop. Now, when it’s only city driving, it’s a different story; I get 8-12. The iRA App also shows the exact percentage of fuel left in the tank, so I am assuming its calculations are better than the one on MID, which tends to stick towards 11-12. I love the turbo whistle it makes. I would have been so disappointed in myself if I had gotten my Hycross/Invicto delivered to me before the Safari. Driving on twisty curved roads with a 19-inch monocoque equipped with EPS was blissful. The economy mentioned below includes all kinds of terrain and drive selector modes with total 5 people and luggage for 3 days; its a mix of city, highway, uphill, downhill, off-road, etc.



I faced a lot of software-related issues during my trip. Tata really needs to do something about it first before trying to fix their service network. My car pretended to break down in the middle of nowhere. The gear showed ‘F’ with almost all the warning lights lit up. I should have taken a picture! But it was fixed with a simple restart and it never showed up again.

I really missed Lane keep assist during my trip to Tamil Nadu. I am not even sure I will get to use it on a proper expressway as I am thinking of moving back to Dubai next month.

Here is my most favourite picture from the trip:


The car has its own profile on Instagram @StellarBronze. Since I was just days away from taking delivery of an Invicto in Stellar Bronze color.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Thinking_Slow

Summary: Hugely disappointing experience.:

a) Alignment of bonnet and tailgate (pictures attached below showing the mis-alignment). This was not fixed and reasoning provided was - "Tailgate is supported on hydraulics, we should not tinker with it". To which I said "OK, can we fix the bonnet at least?". Reply was - "Not recommended to do bonnet as well". Needless to say, it did not make much sense to me. After some push, the team lead said he will note down the issue and report to "the body works team in Tata". I don't know if these are genuinely a hard fix OR they were simply not interested.

Note: Had shown the mis-alignment issue 2 weeks back in the same service center and they had promised to fix it during the first service. They did not give any indication then that it is not so easy to fix.


Bonnet and Tailgate misalignment
Attachment 2565004

Attachment 2565003

Attachment 2565005

Attachment 2565016

Very honestly, after reading all the horror stories about TATA A$$, I'll never bother to let them fiddle with something that's not a major issue at all - like the alignment. Owners generally say that vehicles come back with more issues after service, so why give them a chance to do it.

You should definitely try another A$$ & see which one do you find the best and stick on. No point losing your peace with someone who doesn't serve your standards. Hope you have a better experience from now on and this is just a one off case.

[rnaduthota]

I don't think I am going back to Kropex Singasandra anytime soon. Hope I will find a decent dealership for service. Suggestions are most welcome. There is a Prerana motors (Kudlu gate) close to my place. Will give them a try next time.

Out of all other service centers in Bangalore, Classic Motors Yeshwanthpur is a lot better. All SA's are very well experienced and overall service is excellent too. it is little far however for major service you can try this service center.

[Nayan]

I own Harrier XZ+ MT (MY Feb 2021). Now completed 91,000km. Total 6 major services done at TASS. One major accident claim under zero dep. Two times change of front windshield.
My opinion is, anyone who wants a car without any headaches, should not buy a Tata car. However tempting it may be, in any aspect, whether it is value for money, looks, engine, built quality, ride and handling, fuel efficiency, safety etc etc.
Tata motors falls miserablely short as far as manufacturing Q&C is concerned. TAMO is too slow to do necessary changes in the parts from vendors / assembly line to deliver a properly engineered product. All the cars are half-baked products. The issues faced are inconsistent & unpredictable, some are present in few cars, but absent in others. They can be hardware issue, software issues, fit & finish issues and what not. The service centres lack adequately trained personnel. The ethos of customer service/satisfaction are absent. Everyone believes in jugaad. The culture is such that even though an experienced service centre staff from Maruti/ Hyundai/ Toyota joines TASS, he will be slowly moulded into a typical TASS staff.
I repeat my suggestion. Anyone who wants a no-nonsense car with least headaches from service, should stay away from Tata car.

[FLYBOYSID]

Originally Posted by Nayan

My opinion is, anyone who wants a car without any headaches, should not buy a Tata car. However tempting it may be, in any aspect, whether it is value for money, looks, engine, built quality, ride and handling, fuel efficiency, safety etc etc.
.....
I repeat my suggestion. Anyone who wants a no-nonsense car with least headaches from service, should stay away from Tata car.

Hi Nayan,

91000 Km of driving in about 4 years is an awesome value. Must have been fun too.

I would however beg to differ from your opinion. Niggles, QC issues etc in TaMo cars are known well and are in a way making TaMo infamous. I having seen 5 Tata Cars in the family i.e. 2 Indicas, an Indica Vista, a Tiago and a 23 Safari agree there are niggles. However, I have never faced issues in getting them sorted. That could be because of my persistence, nature etc etc.

I have had major issues with my SX4 and minor hiccups with my Ciaz. My friends VW Vento too had issues and the car stayed in the ASC for two weeks from the next day after delivery. So over the years what I gather is No brand is immune from issues. Some have a bit more. You get what you pay for, and the car stays how you maintain it.

Excessive brand bashing doesn't really help build a correct picture of the product. Most of us are reluctant to post our good experiences. I am sure TaMo car owners too would have many of them.

Cheers