[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by rkg

If TATA Nano catches fire title of threat will be "Another NANO catches fire"

If a Maruti catches fire threat title is " another car catches fire"

very good...

rkg,

I don't remember seeing even 1 other incident on the forum where an Alto has caught fire. If there were many previous cases, perhaps then a title like "Another Alto catches fire" would make sense. (As was the case with Nanos)

Accidents do happen, but there's a certain threshold under which you can assume that they are accidents (caused by extraneous factors). However, if the occurrence of incidents are way above that threshold, chances are they are more than just accidental happenings.

The Alto sold 23,000 units last month, where-as the Nano sold 1,200 units (Thats 5% of the Alto's volumes). If they were both equally likely to spontaneously combust (or if this was a case of pure accidents), we'd be hearing about Altos catching fire 20 times more often than Nanos!

That is clearly not the case.

So please avoid unnecessarily trying to create a Maruti vs Tata war here -- based purely on your sentiments, and not on any kind of facts and figures.

Lets stick to the general topic here - and not bring brands into the picture.

Thanks,
R

[Speed Pujari]

Another life lost. May his soul RIP.

My heart gets heavy whenever I see Fire accidents or crashes resulting in fatality.
It is still very hard to explain to the people that life is more important than the mileage or the price of car.

Having a reliable car with a fire safety mechanism would have at least helped the person, or might have saved his life altogether. It is just a matter of spending some more money.

Hope we learn some lesson and get out of 'Kitna Deti Hai' attitude and I also pray that manufacturer someday respect the life of an average Indian and stop making tin cans.

[JustCause]

The Regn. No. was in the papers today - DL 8C NB XXXX. This no. is less than 2 years old, probably 14-16 months. The fire started from behind, not from the engine side. Hence, he wasn't able to get out in time. I suspect CNG fitment here.

Moreover, he was doing low speeds in the service lane when the flames engulfed the car.

Media persons & cops are silent on whether CNG fitment was the culprit.

[psp62in]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

So please avoid unnecessarily trying to create a Maruti vs Tata war here --


R

Yes, agree. However that's not the way the rest of the public sees this. I have seen / read about quite a few non-nano cars (including some brands known for quality) but generally they do not become "news". On the other hand, Nano's fire incidents have been used by competitors to their advantage. (btw, does any one have any statistics on nano's & other cars aflame?) And tata havent done any great job by not publishing any reports on their investigations. Even on a forum like TBHP one at times sees wild guesses and uninformed debates.

In any case, the incident highlights again the serious hazard from vehicle fires. these are always known to spread very rapidly and typically originate due to electrical problems. One lesson I have learnt from a near-miss in my old car is to avoid any kind of aftermarket electrical accessories.

[aaren]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

rkg,

I don't remember seeing even 1 other incident on the forum where an Alto has caught fire. If there were many previous cases, perhaps then a title like "Another Alto catches fire" would make sense. (As was the case with Nanos)...

So please avoid unnecessarily trying to create a Maruti vs Tata war here -- based purely on your sentiments, and not on any kind of facts and figures.

Lets stick to the general topic here - and not bring brands into the picture.

Thanks,
R

Rehaan, Thanks. When I saw this news in the morning, it upset me because of unnecessary loss of life. The reasons why I shared with this forum:

a. bring attention to this issue within this forum;
b. how we as a forum consisting of some bright minds can start bringing pressure on to the automobile industry to share with public what were the causes of this tragic events;
c. how can we as a forum take up the matter with the appropriate Ministries through proper channels.
d. as a paying public we need to know what kind of measure have the companies taken to prevent recurrence of these events.

Without Ralph Nader, the automobile industry in US and thus, other parts of the world, would not have come this far. I do not think this is the right thread between brand A vs. brand B. It is the question safety of people in this forum and elsewhere.

We know, thanks to this forum, that i20 has a major issue with its steering column with Hyundai has steadfastly refused to accept. What if the defective steering column were to cause massive damage ?

Sorry for going off the topic, but wanted to share my feelings.

[shankar.balan]

In India, like it or not, life is considered cheap. thats why there is no accountability from anyone for loss of human life.

they say that a truly civilized society is measured by the way older people and animals are treated.

while we were a great civilization once, we have now succumbed to the lure of filthy lucre to the exclusion of all else. so while 50 centuries of civilization may look down upon us today, what is happening is a fast degeneration of the fabric of society.

just step back and take a look.

[amitoj]

What a sad loss of a young life.

Just thinking aloud. Does the proliferation of cheap Chinese after market stuff have any role to play in the increase in number of such incidents?

I am not talking of ALL the goods manufactured in China. Reputed companies have setup stringent quality checks in all their manufacturing units all over the world. I am talking of unbranded/imitation stuff from China.

[murillo]

Originally Posted by noopster

Maybe but how on earth can a car going up in flames because of engine overheating be a customer's fault?



Sure it can. A car going up in flames certainly does not count as a regular occurence. Even if it is indeed a one-off, MSIL owe it to ALL its customers and especially the poor guy who watched his baby go down in flames a full explanation.

I am all for giving people a fair chance to explain etc. but let's not go overboard here.

This post is about a previously reported fire in Dzire.

The short report in NDTV says that the car got overheated and as soon as the driver got out, the engine went up in flames. So the primary reason is engine overheating and there are many reasons/combination of reasons why this can happen either from the manufacturer side or from the customer side or from both.

From the manufacturer/dealer side:
Delivering a car with low coolant or engine oil levels
Malfunctioning temp sensor/thermostat
Faulty/leaking hoses, pumps for the coolant
Etc.

From the customer side:
Improper/incorrect modifications to the fuel system
Cheaper/unauthorized LPG/CNG kits installation
Revving at the redline for consistent periods of time
Driving without releasing the parking brakes
Towing heavy weights
Ignoring temperature gauge or high temperature alarm light
Etc.

In fact, irrespective of the reasons, when a driver notices abnormal engine temperature, the first thing he should do is pull over and stop - not keep driving until it blows up.

I am not excusing MSIL off for this incident. I agree with you completely that MSIL owes an explanation to its customers. We cannot put our and our family members' life at risk. There is genuine concern among the well-informed customers about issues like labor problems and the consequent compromise on quality. MSIL should not brush these concerns under the carpet and should come up with a responsible reaction.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by JustCause

The Regn. No. was in the papers today - DL 8C NB XXXX. This no. is less than 2 years old, probably 14-16 months. ....

My 52 months old WagonR bears registration number DL8CNB XXXX!

Where did you gather your information?

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by johnjacob

Another possibility is rodents like rats could chew on the wiring eventually causing a short circuit that could start the fire.

Not many people realize how dangerous these rats are.

My own car had a trail of petrol on the road when it parked - thanks to rat bite. A carelessly (or intentionally) thrown lit cigarette or a Beedi would have resulted in a nice Hollywood type car explosion.

Petrol leaking (because of rat bites) inside the hot engine bay is a recipe for disaster.

[antz.bin]

If I am not wrong, this Alto burning is the 4th maruti which caught fire in the last 10 days. The Dezire in Mumbai, the Alto in Delhi, a Ritz and an Omni in Pune. This is apart from the 2 Nanos about 2 weeks back. Something is either wrong with Maruti Safety precautions, the alternate fuel modifications, or is it rat breeding season now (that would explain the sudden surge in activity )

[rkg]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

rkg,

I don't remember seeing even 1 other incident on the forum where an Alto has caught fire. If there were many previous cases, perhaps then a title like "Another Alto catches fire" would make sense. (As was the case with Nanos)

Accidents do happen, but there's a certain threshold under which you can assume that they are accidents (caused by extraneous factors). However, if the occurrence of incidents are way above that threshold, chances are they are more than just accidental happenings.

The Alto sold 23,000 units last month, where-as the Nano sold 1,200 units (Thats 5% of the Alto's volumes). If they were both equally likely to spontaneously combust (or if this was a case of pure accidents), we'd be hearing about Altos catching fire 20 times more often than Nanos!

That is clearly not the case.

So please avoid unnecessarily trying to create a Maruti vs Tata war here -- based purely on your sentiments, and not on any kind of facts and figures.

Lets stick to the general topic here - and not bring brands into the picture.

Thanks,
R

5 minute search google resulted in these links

Driver injured in car fire - Times Of India

Maruti Quality Issues?,Indian Car Industry News,Maruti Quality Issues?:Automobile/Car Industry Press Release,All Authorized Car Dealers in New Delhi, Maruti Quality Issues?, Car Showroom, New Delhi Traders, Manufacturers, Maruti Automobiles, Auto Exp

Deepak Bishnoi on December 25, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Our Maruti A Star Vxi caught fire by itself on the Road. The car was standing on a signal light, suddenly it caught fire under the bonnet & the car burnt completely. There is some serious problem ( manufacturing fault or servicing fault by the service dealer). The car registration number was DL9CL 4858. Place: New Delhi, India.
Date of incident: 27.11.2010.
Till now maruti has not replied & informed the cause of fire after the inspection by their team.
It happened in two days after we received it after regular servicing from Authorised dealer M/s Apra Auto India Pvt Ltd, F-85, Okhla Phase-1, New Delhi. Territory Service Manager from MSIL visited & inspected the vehicle, but not shared reports with us. We request Maruti to look into the matter & try to find out reason forb the same, as it is very unsafe to use Maruti Vehilcles.(Maruti Suzuki A-Star Recalled In Europe For Tail Light Problem)

Three month old Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire catches fire ~ Wheel-O-Mania

[JustCause]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

My 52 months old WagonR bears registration number DL8CNB XXXX!

Where did you gather your information?

My neighbor has a similar no. from the series & coincidentally, his is also an Alto but Wine red colour (BS3).

[gsbhatia]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Instead of iron rod keep a Life Hammer in the car. Will break any vehicle window and can cut the seat belt straps.

Amazon.com: LifeHammer The Original Emergency Hammer (Orange): Automotive

I've been carrying a similar tool in my car since 2004. It is an Emergency Hammer + Seat Belt Cutter + Plier + various other tools. I keep it wrapped in its case, in driver side seat pocket just in case, and I hope to never get a chance to use it. Bought it from Target for some $15. Made in China, but doesn't look cheap and has no rust even after 7+ years of ownership.
[IMG][/IMG]

[ACM]

I believe that across brands in a significant number of the cases the fault probably lies in the aftermarket fitment.

Yet the capacity of the various brands / models to cope up with aftermarket fitments may vary. So for example given the past record aftermarkets accessories in a Nano seems to be a strict nono, while for other cars though aftermarket accessories still are a cause for alarm, the existing wiring probably copes better with these installation.

And Yes maruti seems to have the min number of burnout accidents as a % of the number of cars sold and hence are about as safe as it goes. While we say that there are also other brand models that have sold even lesser than a TATA nano which have had burnout incidents and possibly have a worse ratio on hand that tends to go unreported.