[sarfraz1997]

Originally Posted by ajmat

One question

Is the new E10 fuel to blame?

It’s not the E10 fuel, it’s some component in the fuel system iirc.


It just makes me wonder, hasn’t Skoda faced any of these issues in their 17 lakh kms road tests? Or did they just shrug it off and never bothered?


Also, Kushaq and Taigun are running on a different tune than the other cars with 1.0 TSI. There’s a healthy chance that some parts have been changed for this instead of just a tune or map. The issue could be very well in one of these parts.

[ACe_10]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I think more than 25 brand news cars have reported breakdowns - and many of them reported in twitter have tagged media channels for attention - but there is almost no coverage of this issue anywhere.

For media outlets, their priority is keeping Skoda happy and getting a larger pie of the marketing spend. No way any media outlet will risk upsetting the VAG group over minor things like ‘journalism’ and ‘consumer interests’.

Coming back to the breakdowns - this is a seriously disappointing turn of events. Kind of makes you nostalgic for the good old days of VAG 1.0 - great cars and nightmare ASS.

What really worries me is the nature of the breakdowns - serious issues like this are not unheard of but typically don’t manifest until at least 6 months to a year. Sometimes real world issues are hard to predict in testing (for instance the mineral/synthetic oil issue in the DSG back in 2012).

But these EPC issues right of the bat clearly shows that not enough testing has been done on the production version to identify what is clearly a manufacturing or an engineering issue. I don’t know if COVID was an issue and something that affected development process - given that VAG had no new cars for many years now, there must have been great pressure to launch the car on time rather than take another 6 months to iron out the issues. A gamble that clearly did not pay off.

I was really looking forward to the Kushan/Taigun/Slavia as potential upgrade options early next year. But I shudder the think what other demons lie in wait in that car.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Before getting into recalls and ministry intervention - first mainstream media should cover this issue.

Bowing to the emperor is how one of them started their video review

They will never bite the hand that feeds them. Even the infamous vlogger community has nothing to say (yet) on the issues faced by customers.

When TBHP asked Ford why the Indian Endeavour has less chassis support then the International model it was given the silent treatment by Ford and it still remains unanswered and maybe someone from the engineering team might speak about it since Ford has decided to pack up their bags from India.

[chetan]

OT: With the EPC issue plaguing the Kushaq, will there be a similar problem with the up coming Taigun ?

[JithinR]

Originally Posted by ACe_10

..
What really worries me is the nature of the breakdowns - serious issues like this are not unheard of but typically don’t manifest until at least 6 months to a year. Sometimes real world issues are hard to predict in testing (for instance the mineral/synthetic oil issue in the DSG back in 2012).

But these EPC issues right of the bat clearly shows that not enough testing has been done on the production version to identify what is clearly a manufacturing or an engineering issue. I don’t know if COVID was an issue and something that affected development process....

There is no way that Volkswagen/Skoda were aware of this and still decided to go forward and launch the product just to meet some deadlines.

Like someone else has mentioned in this thread, it is more likely that some last minute vendor change (in terms of hardware or software) has caused this issue to come up.

[amods]

Was just going through the Ford's exit thread and came here to read all this. Now don't label me any fanboy(I own a VW myself) - I've also read all hell about Tata/Mahindra/Kia/Hyundai issues but never seen such a severely faulty product this soon into a launch in my recent memory and the manufacturer doing nothing(dealers are still working on issues but maybe they are recurring due to faulty parts/engineering).

I'm wondering what's wrong with few overseas manufactures - some of them don't want to hear customer's want(read Ford), while some hear but take customers for granted by launching great wire-frames in disguise of a new and tested product - but in haste. Customers are stuck with their money put in a pit as a result. And if they turn away from the company, it is conveniently blamed on govt policies and taxes by few.

I'm sure Skoda's after sales service is not great by many means if I compare it to Tata. Now why won't someone buy a Tata instead of a Skoda - they are getting almost everything(sometimes better) that a Skoda can offer - be it build quality, features, great designs, engine specs et al.

Speaking for myself, hypothetically if I get a new lemon car, I will be happier to have a small oil leak in engine or a freezing/non operational ICE for few days than being stuck for hours on a traffic signal or a remote highway. Thanks but I will take a Tata/Mahindra overseeing current situation.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by amods

Speaking for myself, hypothetically if I get a new lemon car, I will be happier to have a small oil leak in engine or a freezing/non operational ICE for few days than being stuck for hours on a traffic signal or a remote highway. Thanks but I will take a Tata/Mahindra overseeing current situation.

I dont want to pinpoint manufacturers, but personally, I would be okay having one EPC light issue on all cars manufactured compared to having different niggles in different cars which would appear over time. If the Kushaq will be done with this EPC fiasco, then thats one bad phase. Thats what matters. But if other problems crop up, then that will bring down the brand within no time.

And considering that this EPC issue is occuring on both 1.0 and 1.5, it should be a rather simple bugfix that would have to be done and isnt a major mechanical or electrical fault related to engine. When the same issue isnt on the other cars running the 1.0TSI, this is related to a component specific to Kushaq. Such issues are easy to detect and fix.

[officer416]

What is surprising is the mainstream auto journalists who consider themselves as the gold standard in auto journalism by selling those yellow magazines have remained mum on this issue. They won't post any customer complaints or highlight this issue in their videos to bring awareness. This mindset of offending the auto company and losing access to press cars is appalling.
Same was the situation when Skoda/VW cars were having issues with DSG gearboxes. Nobody from these media houses paid heed to the issue and consumers were left high and dry.
Without highlighting these things in media no company will face any pressure, give these companies a PR nightmare and they all focus their resources to fix things asap.

[Rahul9229]

Update :

I got a call from the dealership that a new updated part has been ordered specially for my car from their production facility and will be fitted tomorrow and I can expect the vehicle back by Monday. They are assuring that with this new updated part, there will be no more EPC issues.
Though my faith has gone down , hopes are still high that I get my car back in perfect working condition and the issue gets resolved for all users ASAP. It's disheartening how they have handled this otherwise amazing car.
I took test drives of so many other cars, but somehow could not settle for any other car after test driving a kushaq. The ride, handling, comfort, everything was like perfectly tuned for my liking and I knew I won't be able to settle for anything else without doubling my budget. I avoided the DSG variant and settled for 1.0 variant to hash out any reliability related issues. But skoda turned this new car experience into a nightmare.

[SN88]

I think I got the whole Skoda 2.0 thing wrong. They meant they would be taking the unreliability game to the next level. Silly me!!

[Sids85]

So what EPC is failing? You are driving a car which is European, robustly built, get 2 airbags and have a reassuring thud while closing the doors. Even if the car breaks down in the middle of the road, you can be assured of being safe sitting inside the car. The Korean cars are pathetic. Not aware of them breaking down in middle of the road but since their build quality doesn't have the reassuring 'Thud' so consider them unsafe even with 6 airbags and all disc brakes.

This was exactly how the discussion on Team BHP Kushaq review thread went by between VAG and Korean supporters. Today with such continuos news of Kushaqs breaking down left, right, center; will the 'fans' still defend VAG for a substandard product being marketed and sold in India. This after VAG themselves said they tested across various terrains in Indian conditions for millions of kms. Did they test using only Premium fuel like Speed/Shell/Power? Expecting these very niggles to crop up in Taigun.

[Silver Knight]

Before Skoda 2.0, Skoda manufactured 'relatively' reliable cars. Even then the service experiences were horrible at Skoda service centres. Now with the 2.0 reliability issues, it will be something the service centres will be hard to cope with. Also, cars like Kushaq will have many first-time VAG owners and for them, it will be a shocker. Whatever said and done, I will never own a VAG car.

[Senna_sempre]

Whoa!! These repeated EPC issues are giving jitters for me. I am eagerly waiting for the launch of Slavia. I would like to replace my Ford Figo S TDCi (2017 make) once its launched. As the Slavia is supposed to get same mechanicals as Kushaq I am very skeptical about its reliability now.

The last thing I want is a car breaking down somewhere in a remote place with a family onboard . Maybe I have to sacrifice the driving dynamics and opt for a much reliable and better option in Honda City as there will be a peace of mind for sure. After all the 1.5 iVTEC is a gem of an engine .

I really wish the VAG group gets their act together and fix these EPC issues once and for all. Fingers crossed.

[VEA]

I have heard from a dealer personnel that there is a delay in shipping of Kushaq from the factory. This is apparently due to applying a fix (fuel pump replacement or similar) for the EPC issue. Now, this could very well be usual dealer BS, but I hope this is true.

[eccentric]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I would be okay having one EPC light issue on all cars manufactured. Such issues are easy to detect and fix.

Yeah, huge kudos to Skoda India in achieving 100% precision on replicating this EPC error across all batches of Kushaq manufactured till date that they just break down middle of nowhere. : If it's easy to detect and fix, why Skoda India hasn't announced an official recall yet?

The threat here is not the error, but its aftermath and the non-expertise of the OEM to even identify the root cause and provide the possible solution within a specific time frame. Does Skoda India expect the customers to buy the vehicle and quarantine it inside closed gates?

From being 'Obsessed with Quality since 1897' to becoming 'Simply Clever at localization in 2021', Skoda India is clearly nonchalant with quality to the Indian market that they treat their customers as lab rats, leaving them stranded and gasping for breath!

The below screenshots depict the present scenario,

Dear Mr. Hollis,
Customer satisfaction goes a long way. It's not coming anywhere by overpricing a localized product and then rendering the vehicle undriveable. Satisfaction arises when you drive the car with a wide grin plastered across your face and not with fear lurking around the corner of your mind of expecting a possible breakdown! Confidence in the brand is built when the owner can proudly say, "I've driven my Kushaq for a lakh KMS with reasonable maintenance costs and had no breakdowns!"
With that said, when could we expect an official recall from your end?

Screenshots courtesy: PowerDrift

If one thing the VW2.0 doing best is the Marketing. From advertisements in newspapers and commercials across TV channels, to audio promotions at local FM stations, Skoda India is just hitting the ball out of the park on promoting a world class substandard product!