[Shreyans_Jain]

I bought my Hexa XTA in February 2017. It was among the first few Hexas to be sold in Delhi NCR. To this day, I am glad of my decision of picking up the big Tata over the Innova Crysta. The space and comfort offered by the Hexa remain unmatched. I strongly believe that there no better car for long distance touring. My 93 year old grandma insists on travelling in Hexa and Hexa only. Tells you everything.

I had purchased my car with the maximum available 5 years of warranty (3 years + 2 years extended warranty) as well as 3 years/1lakh km Gold AMC. Between 2017 and 2020, the car clocked over 90000km in three years. During this time, I paid nothing for service and maintenance. Everything came from the AMC, including wear and tear parts like discs and pads. My out of pocket expense was limited to a set of tires and a new battery. The car was perfectly reliable and needed nothing apart from regular service.

Then, COVID hit and usage plummeted. 2020 and 2021 saw the car run for 10000km combined. Most of this came from two driving holidays: Panchmarhi and Kashmir. Nowadays, it is my wife’s daily driver, as well as the designated car for family use. Hence it needs to remain perfectly reliable and available at all times. However, it’s 100% reliability and low cost of ownership record has taken a hit over the past few months.

Issue 1: Fuel Pump
Our tale of part failures begins in August 2021 when engine suddenly stopped starting. The starter motor would fire but the engine just wouldn’t start. We had to manually operate the fuel pump, only then it would fire up. As if it was taking in air from somewhere. Affairs at my trusted local TASS were not in order at this time, so I sent the car over to the good folks at Worlds of Service, Noida. They promptly diagnosed it to be a fuel pump issue. I pushed Anupam to try his contacts with Tata to get the pump replaced under extended warranty. He tried, but it didn’t work out. I was told that TASS Greater Noida insisted on replacing both the high pressure and low pressure pumps, and the bill would be in tune of Rs 1lakh.

On my instructions, the car was brought back to WoS and the fuel pump was opened up for repairs. Anupam was confident it could be fixed. Fix it they did, and the car was returned. It ran fine for a few weeks, but then another problem appeared. Every time it crossed 2000rpm, the check engine light would come on, the car would go into limp mode and loose power. It would accelerate at a crawling pace and not exceed 80kmph. Turning off the engine and restarting would reset it and make the car normal, till it hit 2000rpm again.

Scan showed the issue to be linked with the fuel pump again, with the error reading “fuel pressure too high”. The car ended up spending a good 2 months at WoS. They were unfortunately not able to fix this. I ultimately called the car back and showed it to my trusted SA who was now back at the local TASS. He too diagnosed it to the fuel pump and I gave him the go ahead to replace it. Total cost including labour was about Rs 60000/-. Car is running absolutely fine since the pump was replaced.

Issue 2: Suspensions
This is a wear and tear replacement and not a part failures per se. The vehicle kept loosing alignment after every few days. The issue was diagnosed to a worn out front suspension. The entire assembly was replaced: tie rods, ends, arms, link rods. The shockers were in good shape, they were retained. The suspension lasted a very decent 1L km, and the shockers are still going strong. Still, the replacement was fairly expensive. Total cost was about Rs 31000/-

Issue 3: Coolant hose pipe failure
A hose pipe carrying coolant burst during our recent family trip to Dehradun. This was a failure that pretty much left us stranded in 45 degree summer heat. The car was somehow limped to TASS Haridwar. They didn’t have the damaged part in stock, but were resourceful enough to perform an emergency jugaad repair with MSeal. The repair held up and we were able to complete the trip with no further incident and bring the vehicle back home. TASS Faridabad later replaced the damaged hose pipe. Total cost was about Rs 5000/- including fresh coolant.



Issue 4: Timing belt
The timing belt on the Hexa needs to be replaced every 5 years or 150000km, whichever is earlier. The car is currently in the shop for timing belt replacement as it is past the 5 year mark. The alternator belt was found to be weak and is being replaced. Idler bearings are also being replaced. The estimate given is about Rs 18000/-

Issue 5: Rusting of exhaust
The latest issue. The exhaust has rusted and developed holes, in a very Hyundai like fashion. The car sounds like a generator without the canopy! The estimate from TASS for replacement is Rs 90000/- As of now, I have refused and am trying to make it work with welding and repairs. If unsuccessful, I will have to shell out for a complete replacement.






Post Script:

This is not a Tata bashing thread. I continue to be a happy and satisfied Hexa owner and plan to retain the car till the 9 year mark (stupid 10 year rule in Delhi NCR). The odometer currently stands at 110000km. My experience at my local TASS with my trusted advisor has been good. Their diagnosis has been spot on and prompt and their dealings have been fair. Mine is among the oldest and highest run Hexas on the forum. The idea behind this thread is to make other owners aware of potential issues that can happen as their cars age.

A car is just a collection of parts. All parts have their life, after which they have to be replaced. That being said, so many failures over the past 6 months tell me that a lot of parts here have been designed for a life of 5-6 years or 1lakh km. These failures will happen out of warranty for most people, and they will end up paying out of their own pocket.

[vishy76]

Thanks for a detailed account of part failures. Here's what I think of these issues:

- Fuel Pump failure: I believe this failure is inexcusable. Especially considering the high pressure fuel pump was involved too (that's what I believe based on your narrative and the prices quoted). Unless and until you have always run the car on reserve, used contaminated diesel or not changed the fuel filter on time, the fuel pump (both low and high pressure) should not give up like this.

- Suspension components: Failure of the same is completely normal. It's not even a failure per say, it's called a running repair. 1L km on these roads is "paisa vasool" in my opinion, especially considering your dampers are still stock. Part prices are also very reasonable.

- Coolant pipe rupture: Not excusable, but can be ignored as a one off case considering it was a cheap fix. Ignoring it however, could have cost you your engine. Good that you paid heed and had it sorted on time.

- Timing belt: Running repair. Not something to worry about at all. Needs replacement every 1.2L km and I suggest you get it replaced before that mark rather than on or after 1.2L km. If that rubber belt snaps, your engine is totalled effectively. 1.2L km for the alternator belt is also more than enough.

- Exhaust rusting: This frankly comes as a surprise to me. I am aware of the fact that earlier Hexas with the dual exhaust had issues where the joints would rust. Tata replaced these with a single exhaust. It shouldn't be a very expensive fix.

However, I am very surprised that the catalytic converter material is crumbling. This is something that should last the life of the engine. Cat cons are not cheap, as is supported by the 90K quote you have mentioned.

All in all, the only thing you need to worry about is the catalytic converter. I would suggest getting a used one. Replace the exhaust end pipe with a single exhaust. Get the timing kit replaced (I find the price justifiable. If you are happy with the dealership's labour quality, go ahead with them) and I don't think there's much else left to be looked at. You have fixed atleast 70-80 percent of what needs to be fixed. The next few issues should also be running repairs (majorly the mounts and maybe certain parts of the rear suspension).

The car will go for another 1L km without any issues.

[GTO]

Quite frankly, other than the fuel pump, everything looks okay for a car with over 100,000 km. Even the fuel pump isn't that bad; I am accustomed to 2 - 4 major part failures in 100,000 km of ownership, no matter which brand (including my Hondas). Example, my Civic saw an ABS unit failure, steering rack failure, pre-mature engine mount failure, some AC problem (don't remember - either compressor or condensor or something else) etc. in <50,000 km.

Despite being discontinued, the Hexa is still a rockstar due to its excellent ride quality & competent AT gearbox. Keep using your car & keep investing in it .

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by vishy76

The car will go for another 1L km without any issues.

There is Injectors, Alternator, Engine mounts, some random electrical bits etc to go through before its over - not for the faint hearted but could be worse if it was MT.

And that suspension will need constant attention to keep it from eating the tires considering OPs high usage, a problem that plagues pretty much all Tata vehicles due to their excessive weight.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by GTO

Quite frankly, other than the fuel pump, everything looks okay for a car with over 100,000 km..

Despite being discontinued, the Hexa is still a rockstar due to its excellent ride quality & competent AT gearbox. Keep using your car & keep investing in it .

Not at all OK. Coming from a line of Marutis, Hondas and a rugged Mahindra, I am used to mechanical reliability. Wear and tear is one thing, but the car leaving you stranded is something totally unacceptable. Maybe after 2L km, but never this soon.

I have been lucky. During both the catastrophic failures (coolant pipe burst and exhaust giving out), I was the one driving. I handled it. It could have so easily been my wife. Alone, or worse, with her friends. I would not have heard the end of it.

Originally Posted by vishy76

- Fuel Pump failure: I believe this failure is inexcusable.

- Coolant pipe rupture: Not excusable, but can be ignored as a one off case considering it was a cheap fix.

- Exhaust rusting: This frankly comes as a surprise to me. I am aware of the fact that earlier Hexas with the dual exhaust had issues where the joints would rust. Tata replaced these with a single exhaust. It shouldn't be a very expensive fix.
However, I am very surprised that the catalytic converter material is crumbling.

These parts have no business failing at 1L km. Again, I am used to reliable cars and keep them for as long as I can. We have never faced these kind of issues this early in the ownership. Hexa had also been flawlessly reliable for 1L km. All this issues have cropped up over the past 6-8 months.

The exhaust rusting is weird, there is no sign of rust anywhere else on the car. The SA was very clear, there is not going to be any support from Tata on this. As the warranty is over, it will entirely be out of my pocket.

- Suspension components: Failure of the same is completely normal. Part prices are also very reasonable.

- Timing belt: Running repair. Not something to worry about at all.

The car will go for another 1L km without any issues.

Suspension is a wear and tear thing, obviously. The quality is commendable, it lasted for solid 1L km after all the abuse I threw at it. For comparison’s sake, my City at its 170k km service had its third suspension replacement. Assuming the Hexa’s replacement parts are of the same quality as those which were factory fit, I can make my peace with the prices here.

Timing belt replacement is something new for me. My previous cars have never needed this. I am going by whatever my SA is saying for this. I don’t expect to bother with timing related work again for as long as I’ll keep my car.

Don’t know if there will be more surprises in future or not. Whatever the case, the car will be impeccably maintained for as long as we have it. The TVD is scheduled to be replaced at the next service 120k km. The only thing bugging me is the ATF oil replacement. It will have to be done, if not this year then the next.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

And that suspension will need constant attention to keep it from eating the tires considering OPs high usage, a problem that plagues pretty much all Tata vehicles due to their excessive weight.

Actually, my car has been able to maintain its alignment fairly well over the years. What I have seen is that most tire shops don’t have the correct values for Hexa. They simply use the data of the Safari Storme, and that doesn’t work. Surprisingly, the toe limits as mentioned in the manual are also incorrect. Our local MRF flagship store procured the correct values for Hexa on request, and that has worked out well for me.

[Agambhir]

I have driven my Hexa AT for 55k now and it's almost 4 years since i bought it. If not for Covid the distance covered could have been well about 75k and i so wish that NGT allows 2 extra years for NCR based diesel car users because Covid cut short our car usage to effectively 8 years.

I loved Hexa so much that i became a TATA customer for the first time in 2018. I felt it's been in the market for a while and sold good numbers and so the niggles would have been taken care of. This was also my most expensive car, having driven 800, alto, accent, duster before owning Hexa. However, it's been a tale of horrors since then.

Having experienced three different brands before (Maruti, Hyundai, Renault) I am in a position to say that TATA doesn't give importance to quality control and it will take them ages to understand what good customer service could mean. In the current scenario, with their market share making gains, customer service has taken further hit due to sheer load factor that they can't cope with.

I have spent immense time and effort with my Hexa at the workshop and it feels like i actually am maintaining an elephant (remember the ad.) I have spent so much money on cabs/taxis as the workshop would always be out of loaner cars (also an indicator of quality issues.) And yet i am not sure if there won't be any further problem. Yes, they can be generous with their sofa/tea/coffee but what the heck, what i need is a trouble free car.

Now let me share the list of issues / defective parts that my Hexa has dealt with over the past almost four years before my post starts to appear more like a rant.

Chronology of issues with my HEXA AT, August 2018, 55K
May 2022 Car overheats due to coolant leak from the radiator, radiator changed, no external damage found. Cost me 20k.

Jan 2022 Exhaust pipes crack, showed them a Team BHP post to convince them to provide it to me free of cost.

Dec 2021 Turbocharger complain, issue detected after sending car thrice for engine whistle noise beyond 90kmph. Turbocharger changed at a cost to me of 70k.

August 2021 Warranty expired, didn’t realize I had no extended warranty, no reminders given by TATA

May 2019 Windshield cracked without any external damage, accepted by TATA and replaced

Jan 2019 and before Power window switch misfire, switch replaced
Speakers stop working
Door handle jam, replaced in warranty
Steering wheel plastic coming off, part replaced in warranty
Missing roof rails, promised by the salesman but the factory missed it, the company and showroom argued between themselves for more than a year before compensating me.

August 2018 HR26DR5601 purchased

I wonder if Tata can do a complete check and tell me once and for all that there would be no more issues. I wonder if TATA should replace a car that appears to be a lemon. I wonder if auto industry should also have a regulator to possibly put auto giants to task where required (not sure if SIAM plays this role and / or it should play this role.) The only way the TATA workshop team so far provides me comfort is by narrating to me tales of much bigger issues being faced by so many of their customers - isn't that great !!

Happy to know your thoughts, inputs.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Issue 5: Rusting of exhaust
The latest issue. The exhaust has rusted and developed holes, in a very Hyundai like fashion. The car sounds like a generator without the canopy! The estimate from TASS for replacement is Rs 90000/- As of now, I have refused and am trying to make it work with welding and repairs. If unsuccessful, I will have to shell out for a complete replacement.

[

This needs to be TIG welded so that it would last, why TIG? That is what the technicians suggested. Also inspect all exhaust hangars ans brackets and replace them if they are worn out, excessive play or vibrations will crack the joints.

Coincidentally while I was out for a walk on Monday there was a white Hexa base variant parked on the road in a hurried manner. I was wondering why someone would park it like that but while returning I had a good look at it and saw the exhaust flange hanging underneath.

Emission controls systems usually have a longer warranty than rest of the bits , you may want to contact someone in Tata for a warranty replacement in this case.

[purohitanuj]

I would suggest to get all hoses, rubber belts (alternator, power steering, AC compressor) to be changed. On of my belt snapped during a city run ( on 90K run Scorpio S10 AT ) and when I closely inspected all rubber parts, I could see small cracks. As the engine compartment is subjected to very high and low temperatures in rapid succession, thus the rubber parts wears down in 4-5 years. Add hot coolant at high pressure to this and a failure is inevitable.

Thus I got all rubber hoses, belts changed during my next service which costed around 25-27K, but now I am assured for next 90K Kms.

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Timing belt replacement is something new for me. My previous cars have never needed this. I am going by whatever my SA is saying for this. I don’t expect to bother with timing related work again for as long as I’ll keep my car.

Some cars have timing chains which usually last the life of the engine if oil changes are done properly. Rest of the cars rely on timing belts, like Hexa and S-Cross 1.6. Due to age and wear, these have to be changed as per the duration or running mentioned in the user manual. This comes under normal maintenance so nothing to worry about. Probably all your previous cars came with a timing chain so you never had to get this done earlier. Sharing a video below for more information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tWF4QCR8U4

Edit: Attaching a page from the Hexa user manual. Seems the SA did the right thing.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Update: the car is now back from the service center. The parts replaced are the timing belt, auto tensioner, idler pulley, alternator belt, another touch idler assembly and the water pump. Basically, the entire system of belt and pulleys is now brand new. Water pump was replaced as it had a minor leakage. In addition, the coolant was replaced and AC gas was topped up. Silencer has been welded and repaired. Let’s see how it holds up. Final bill amount is Rs 24600/-

[nvldvr]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Update: the car is now back from the service center. Final bill amount is Rs 24600/-

Why was the fuel pump not replaced under extended warranty?

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by GTO

Even the fuel pump isn't that bad; I am accustomed to 2 - 4 major part failures in 100,000 km of ownership, no matter which brand (including my Hondas).

Though I think we should stop recommending extended warranties for Tata cars though. Though more of a discussion for the extended warranty thread https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buyin...yes-no-20.html (ARTICLE: Extended Warranties. Yes or No?)

The pump should have been replaced under warranty - I don't see any explanation for why it wasn't covered. I had a similar experience 10 years ago, when I was made to pay advance for a fuel pump repair which was reimbursed partially only after several escalations. Looks like things have gotten only worse since.

No Point in paying for peace of mind if they only make it worse. Extended warranty for a Hexa XTA would have been 23K odd - Not a trivial sum. Taking this money and providing absolutely nothing in return is pretty sad.

To the OP - Next time, for anything pump, injector etc related, go to a Pump Specialist. Ideally TVS/Lucas/Delphi Authorized. I have found that going to them yields results which are both faster and cheaper.

Originally Posted by nvldvr

Why was the fuel pump not replaced under extended warranty?

Given he bought the car in Feb 2017, it should have expired by now.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

The estimate from TASS for replacement is Rs 90000/-

I'm looking at the boodmo catalog for the hexa exhaust, and the prices are nowhere close to that
https://oriparts.com/3/336/1864/550494#item_11359210

Have a look

[nvldvr]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

Given he bought the car in Feb 2017, it should have expired by now.k

He bought the car in Feb 17, and the pump defect occured in Aug 17. So it should have been covered under extended warranty, unless Tata gave some flimsy reasons for denying the EW, like a delayed service or something.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by nvldvr

Why was the fuel pump not replaced under extended warranty?

Originally Posted by greenhorn

The pump should have been replaced under warranty - I don't see any explanation for why it wasn't covered.

Originally Posted by nvldvr

He bought the car in Feb 17, and the pump defect occured in Aug 17. So it should have been covered under extended warranty, unless Tata gave some flimsy reasons for denying the EW, like a delayed service or something.

When the pump defect initially occurred, I had expected it to be covered under extended warranty. The odo reading at the time of failure was just over 1L km, hence the car was due for service. When Anupam sent the car over to TASS Greater Noida (he has a working relationship with them), they first insisted doing the 1L km service for the record, which I agreed to. But at the time of the EW claim for the pump, the excuse given was that the duration between the 90k and 100k service has been more then 1 year (thanks to COVID), hence warranty cannot apply. We escalated, the car stayed there for a good 10 days, but things ultimately didn’t work out. These people then put it on record that “customer refused fuel pump replacement and took back car against advice and at own risk”. That shut down any chance of warranty at my local TASS later on. Basically, they saw an opportunity and wanted to milk me. Their estimate was 1lakh, compared to the 60k I finally spent.

Yes, the pump was repaired by a pump expert, but it wasn’t successful. This problem started in Aug 21, and the pump was finally replaced in March 22. The car was basically unusable during the period, spent a total of 3 months in shop, and caused us a lot of heartache. Had my local TASS not been able to fix this problem, I would have sold it off.

I'm looking at the boodmo catalog for the hexa exhaust, and the prices are nowhere close to that
https://oriparts.com/3/336/1864/550494#item_11359210

Have a look

These are surprisingly economical prices. I don’t have any prior experience with Boodmo. Is their stuff genuine or of good quality?

The exhaust repairs have seemingly gone well. The car sounds normal. But whenever it gives out, this can be a viable and practical option.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

These are surprisingly economical prices. I don’t have any prior experience with Boodmo. Is their stuff genuine or of good quality?

You can read the reviews here
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...ts-online.html (Best sites to buy parts online)
I use them a lot to source hard to find parts for my Indica. As long as you're buying from the swaran RJ seller, the stuff should be Tata original.

Be prepared to be very patient though. Some hard to find parts may take months. But if they can't find it, be assured you'll get your money back