[NotanF1driver]

Hello BHPians.

Today happens to be the day, where I am the one who posts about Tata's terrible service support. I have read several ownership threads here regarding bad service, and still went with a Tata. The car in isolation, is excellent and ticked all boxes.

Car in question: Tata Safari 2022
Ownership period: 5 months
Dealership: Malayalam Vehicles, Kochi

I, had to face issues from the day of delivery, which are detailed in Safari’s official review thread:

1. Check engine warning - this was present the minute the engine was cranked up on the day of delivery. This was due to DPF error.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5279909 (2021 Tata Safari Review)

2. The car was delivered with a missing wheel well cover, which I noted later. This got replaced (the full wheel cladding) and I paid some 1k for it - was rectified in the first service check-up.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5286238 (2021 Tata Safari Review)

3. Flip seats wont flip and tumble. Still unresolved.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5367348 (2021 Tata Safari Review)

The third issue is still being addressed. I escalated the matter to Tata Motors via their Twitter handle. They were prompt enough to call me the very next day morning and apologized for the ordeal and promised to get it fixed. Unsurprisingly, that was it, and no one else called or informed me on what are the next steps.

Now comes the worst part. I called up the SA and asked him on an update. He said that it would take one week to get the part delivered at the service center. He calls me back again in the evening and says “Sir, did I tell you on the cost of the part? It is around 49 – 50 range”. I was shocked to hear him reconfirm that it is 50 thousand! He told me that the whole seat assembly needs replacement and since this is a case of some broken parts, it would not be covered by warranty. It seems to be a small issue from my visual inspection - see images below.

Left side lever - cable is detached from the lever


Right side - lever is attached (adding for reference)


Summarizing the aspects:
1. If there are no issues with the car, in isolation, the vehicle is nothing short of brilliant.
2. Once the car develops a slightest of issue (I acknowledge that cars are prone to issues as they run on nuts and bolts), dealing with service is a pain. You would not understand this until you are in such a situation (at least, I did not).
3. Flip fold seats were not damaged by me hitting the mechanism with a hammer or anything. It just gave up based on daily usage. In my opinion, that should be covered in warranty - if not, what would be?
4. The issue was first reported on 26 Jul which has not yet been resolved by the dealership. Making a customer wait for 3 – 4 weeks for a small issue is unacceptable. I cant understand what took them so long to tell me about this.
5. I can't consume the fact that the seat assembly needs to be replaced for as a fix. If a door lock is not working, is replacing the door the only solution? The dealership says that child parts of rear seat is not available to order. Does that mean the customer should pay for the entire seat assembly?
6. I asked the SA to send me a written confirmation on two things – one, that the warranty claim is rejected by Tata along with the reason. Two, that the part which needs replacement along with the cost. Spoke to his manager as well and explained this – no one seems to be interested.
7. I spent my hard-earned money on a Tata product, not because I am a patriot, but the product seemed genuinely good. If someone asked me now if I am willing to switch my car with another, and incur a loss of 2-3L on it, I would do it. I know it is immature to sell a car for a silly reason like this, but this thought has been in my mind since these issues came up. I have work responsibilities which takes up a lot of my time, and I value peace of mind more than anything else.

My question is, if a common man like me, is in such a situation, what are the ways in which one can proceed? Had I been a social media influencer or an editor with an automobile magazine, I could have used some influence. What next, BHPians?

@Mods - this is my first new thread, please guide me if I have not done some things right.

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by NotanF1driver

Hello BHPians.

...

3. Flip seats wont flip and tumble. Still unresolved.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5367348 (2021 Tata Safari Review)

...

Now comes the worst part. I called up the SA and asked him on an update. He said that it would take one week to get the part delivered at the service center. He calls me back again in the evening and says “Sir, did I tell you on the cost of the part? It is around 49 – 50 range”. I was shocked to hear him reconfirm that it is 50 thousand! He told me that the whole seat assembly needs replacement and since this is a case of some broken parts, it would not be covered by warranty.
...
...
3. Flip fold seats were not damaged by me hitting the mechanism with a hammer or anything. It just gave up based on daily usage. In my opinion, that should be covered in warranty - if not, what would be?
...

Sorry to hear about your experience. In my opinion, this is clearly a case of manufacturing defect which should be covered under warranty. As a user you are expected to use this seat folding mechanism thousands of times without any failure during the life of the vehicle. I am sure TATA would have a test rig to test this for thousands of cycles. From the pictures it clearly looks like the failure is caused by poor plastic quality. And if for such an issue, the entire mechanism has to be replaced it reflects on a poor design. Good manufacturers always use Design failure mode and effect analysis (DFMEA) in their design process to study actual/possible failure modes and mitigate them.

This is not a part that can be abused by users (unlike for example a clutch) even if you use the seat tumble mechanism hundreds of times. All that the user can do is to pull the lever to engage the cable. Usually all warranty claims have to be sent to the manufacturer for study and approval. This policy may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and some of them give the dealer the authority to make a decision based on the value of the component to be replaced. Manufacturers always asks the dealer to send the defective piece back to them for their study and analysis.

It may be quite possible that your dealer has not reached out to Tata Motors. If they have, the dealer would have a system in place that shows the communication with the manufacturer. Ask the dealer for the communication they have had. Hope this gets resolved in your favor.


See the condition of the plastic between the bad side and the good side. Is the good side tumble mechanism used as much as the damaged side?

[greenhorn]

Is the issue the plastic alone? Or is it a symptom of a larger issue where the cable is stuck and the plastic became damaged because of the load from the stuck cable.

Alternately, is it even damaged? It doesn't look so at first glance. Maybe it's possible to re attach the cable. Try a local fng. Tata service centers are good for only replacing things. They have no experience or interest in applying their brains to fix issues, especially when said application of brains could result in lower revenues for them

Does that cable extend if you try it with a pair of pliers. If yes, can you pull it sufficiently to put it back into that groove

[Livnletcarsliv]

Hi NotanF1driver, I have been in your situation and still am.
All that I say is "YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING" in this situation because we consumers are like rats for the OEMs as well as the government. Especially Tata with their lorry/bus attitude for such potential successful products like Harrier/Safari. Period.

The only thing that you can do is to wait till the issue is resolved by Tata. Since the product is under warranty, you can take it up with Tata directly.

Please understand this clearly. Harrier/Safari is totally a half-baked product from Tata. Unfortunately,
1. Harrier/Safari is based on JLR platform, which Tata modified to make it affordable. It is not working out.
2. The full steering set (assembly, pump, rack, etc) is of very poor quality and poorly calibrated as well.
3. Hyundai's auto transmission, Fiat's engine, JLR & Lotus suspension tuning etc, etc, etc, did not work well.
All in all, Harrier/Safari is like an assembled PC (which we used some 20 years back if you remember). Unfortunately, I realized this only after buying this car.

While Tata may score top safety ratings (Harrier/Safari still not tested), Tata will be the last in terms of reliability, ASS experience, fit, and finish. Tata's attitude is so bad that they don't even want to take the vehicle for service. Especially, Harrier/Safari being their flagship products, the customer and ownership experience is literally a nightmare and walk-on the nails. We should be very fortunate and lucky enough to own a Harrier/Safari without issues/niggles/problems.

Harrier/Safari is selling not because it's a good product, but only because of the long waiting periods and undelivered commitments by M&M (XUV700), poor safety rating of the crowded Seltos/Creta, non-diesel options from VAG, expensive Compass & C5 Aircross, Tuscon.

While I am in your situation for the past 2.5 years, I unable to sell the car because this is my only car (and it is a BS4 model) and I cannot afford to spend an additional 15L-20L for a new car. My situation is - either I sell this and settle down for a small car below 15L (or) go for a used car. Unfortunately, my mind and heart don't want to step down for a small car. Neither am I lucky enough to get the right used car (I had a bad experience many years back).

So, SELL YOUR CAR (if you can) and be at peace.

[Shonith]

I would suggest you to lodge an official complaint to tata motors directly through their customer care number and mail ID. You will get a better picture of whether this is covered under warranty or not. But if the company leaves it to the delears discretion to replace it under warranty or not then you will be in no better situation (I was in a similar situation for a two wheeler and the company left it to the dealer's discretion).
From my personal experience i can say, you have to put your foot down to get things done if you come across as a soft customer they might try to get away with it.
If you are willing to take the legal route you have that option as well. Even if you don't want to deal with the hassle of court case you might want to tell the dealer that you don't mind taking him to court.

From the looks of it I would ask myself "Do I want to deal with such things in the future as well". If it's affecting your mental peace it would be a good option to think of replacing the car.

[mukeshannamalai]

I was in similar situation with my Safari , a good car with poor quality control, poor service. The left pull was never fixed inspite of raising it with service, the car came with paints attached with door rubber beadings in several place and i compromised on it however it was so frustrating to drive with left pull and ended up selling and getting me a fortuner. Fortuner lacks the features of Safari, this may not be the right decision but i have some sense of calm mind now whenever i visit Toyota service and when i drive the vehicle, no doubt Safari's ride quality was far better.

[NotanF1driver]

Update: The SA called me up and said that they would need 4 working days to give this to me in writing! They had to just write a confirmation that the warranty claim is rejected with the reason, and the replacement part number along with the cost. I now can understand that they have not done their work properly, and are doing these now (after 3+ weeks).

Originally Posted by pjbiju

See the condition of the plastic between the bad side and the good side. Is the good side tumble mechanism used as much as the damaged side?

The observation is spot on! The left side is the one which has been used - since Safari's right side middle seats don't tumble. The levers are there to adjust back rest angle and to fold the seats (not tumble). Right side has never been used. My car is Safari XZA+ 7 Seater.

Originally Posted by greenhorn

Is the issue the plastic alone? Or is it a symptom of a larger issue where the cable is stuck and the plastic became damaged because of the load from the stuck cable.

Alternately, is it even damaged? It doesn't look so at first glance. Maybe it's possible to re attach the cable. Try a local fng. Tata service centers are good for only replacing things. They have no experience or interest in applying their brains to fix issues, especially when said application of brains could result in lower revenues for them

Does that cable extend if you try it with a pair of pliers. If yes, can you pull it sufficiently to put it back into that groove

I can't say for sure if the system is damaged. I tried doing things myself, but I think it needs specialized tools.

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Hi NotanF1driver, I have been in your situation and still am.
So, SELL YOUR CAR (if you can) and be at peace.

Oh! That actually hurts! It does take a lot of money and efforts

Originally Posted by Shonith

I would suggest you to lodge an official complaint to tata motors directly through their customer care number and mail ID. You will get a better picture of whether this is covered under warranty or not. But if the company leaves it to the delears discretion to replace it under warranty or not then you will be in no better situation (I was in a similar situation for a two wheeler and the company left it to the dealer's discretion).
From my personal experience i can say, you have to put your foot down to get things done if you come across as a soft customer they might try to get away with it.
If you are willing to take the legal route you have that option as well. Even if you don't want to deal with the hassle of court case you might want to tell the dealer that you don't mind taking him to court.

From the looks of it I would ask myself "Do I want to deal with such things in the future as well". If it's affecting your mental peace it would be a good option to think of replacing the car.

I have asked the dealership for an official communication. I will lodge a complaint once I get this from the dealer. However legal route (consumer court, I guess) is not something in consideration as it would take more efforts. Replacing the car does hurt me now, but may help in the long term.

Originally Posted by mukeshannamalai

I was in similar situation with my Safari , a good car with poor quality control, poor service. The left pull was never fixed inspite of raising it with service, the car came with paints attached with door rubber beadings in several place and i compromised on it however it was so frustrating to drive with left pull and ended up selling and getting me a fortuner. Fortuner lacks the features of Safari, this may not be the right decision but i have some sense of calm mind now whenever i visit Toyota service and when i drive the vehicle, no doubt Safari's ride quality was far better.

Oh! How much money did you lose on this sale? How long did you keep the car, I am curious to know. I might be able to sell it and buy a new car with the sale proceeds, but I will have to come down to the Taigun/ Seltos/ Creta segment. Might not be possible to add more funds .

Side note - I don't hail from a rich background, and bought this car by extending my budget to the maximum.

[z_3en]

Originally Posted by NotanF1driver

Oh! How much money did you lose on this sale? How long did you keep the car, I am curious to know. I might be able to sell it and buy a new car with the sale proceeds, but I will have to come down to the Taigun/ Seltos/ Creta segment. Might not be possible to add more funds .

Side note - I don't hail from a rich background, and bought this car by extending my budget to the maximum.

Now that you have tasted a safari anything else would just be a compromise. But seriously if you wish for a long term ownership just go for a toyota. Sure is a peace of mind

[sandeepsc]

I have gone through same ordeal as yours for my Hexa. But in my case warranty was honored by Tata for gear box failure. Parts availability is major concern with Tata service. You have to be really patient to get things sorted. You must escalate this warranty issue with Tata itself and this thread will come handy for you just as in my case happened. Tata service is really a hit or miss depending upon service location and your relationship with service center.

[Livnletcarsliv]

Originally Posted by NotanF1driver

Oh! That actually hurts! It does take a lot of money and efforts

I understand. But better now than regret later. What you lose now will compensate for more with peace of mind and reliability which is the TOP MOST priority in buying a car in India.

[DR Manabendra S]

Hello Nootan F1driver, I would suggest you email this issue to the official email id of Tata motors. And also, if possible, try and go to another service centre, if there is any . And if warranty does not cover broken parts, then what's the point of it? And if you can find a good garage outside, see if they can fix this. On a side note, there have been rumours of Tata launching a facelift of the harrier,which is supposed to be equipped with ADAS. If Tata motors can't solve these basic mechanical issues, I doubt how these service centres will manage to solve the complex electrical issues that are involved with such technology.

[Gildarts]

The lever does not seem damaged. Looks to me like the cable can be reattached in the slot. Try this with a FNG mechanic. Replacing entire seat assembly for such a silly defect reflects on bad design and negligence.

[Vishal.R]

Would also suggest to engage with someone familiar with consumer court. preferably a lawyer. This will help in making sure that all the processes are followed from your side, to make the case strong.

[som9729]

Originally Posted by NotanF1driver

Hello BHPians.

Hi There!

Sorry to hear about your ordeal.
But this is normal with Tata.

Back in 2004, I purchased an Indigo LS(?) from them. Sales was good. Service was a horrible experience to say the least!
In 2007, I upgraded the LS to an Indigo XL Dicor. (I was quite a fool back then!)
The XL's turbo would continuously fail. The car felt like an old Ambassador!
No pickup, no life, nothing!

The service center would fix it, and next time (within 2-3 months), the issue would repeat, and they'd "fix" it again etc.
This went on for almost 6 years! (I kid you not!)

Ultimately, I ended up driving a DICOR without a functioning TURBO. Imagine that: A vada-pav without a vada

Once the car also broke down on the main road for some reason related to cooling.

And the ASC's circus continued until I was forced to sell the vehicle.
By that time I Was completely frustrated and decided never to buy a Tata again!

Even now, seems their culture has still not changed.

As long as the car is good from the factory and has no major issues, the ASC will do an average service job & dump the car in your lap.
If ever, the car has any serious issues, then most of the time, the ASC will turn the situation into a bag of rattlesnakes that you don't wanna open!
Its really hit or miss, and is completely subject to the individual dealer, the mechanics. No consistent good experience.

In comparison, I have purchased Toyotas & Marutis since then, and never looked back!
They do a great job in the ASCs, across cities, and their vehicles are serious-niggle free.

Selling off the car might be costly, but its worth the peace of mind.
Imagine that you have niggles in your car after 2-3 years!
Consider what Tata'll do to you then!!!!


If selling off is not an option, then consider escalating to TATA & fighting it out with the dealer.
I did this with a TATA ASC in Hyderabad. They had replaced the XL's cooling fan (in front near the grill), with a used unit!
After receiving my notice, they opened a new fan in front of my driver & installed it without extra charge.

Note that I'm not actually suggesting that you send a legal notice, because once you do this there are two possible outcomes:
1) The ASC will panic & resolve your issue (As was my case)
2) The ASC will lawyer up, in which case the issue can drag out.
So, If you decide to go legal, be consciously clear about what it involves (expense/time etc)

Failing all the above, bear with these issues until the warranty expires.
Then find a good local mechanic & never look back at the ASC again!

[UD2021]

Replacement of a major item due to non availability of a child part is an issue. The lumbar support in the driver's seat of my Hexa has stopped working. Took up the matter with TATA motors at different levels and was finally told that I would have to change the entire seat (quoted at 24,000/-) due to non availability of the internal mechanism.