[RahulNagaraj]

Thanks to Dr Aman Veer Singh for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

Dear Team-BHP,

I am a specialist Doctor working in Chandigarh and also a car enthusiast as I have been your regular follower for a long time.

I did my research and after understanding that I need a no-frills SUV with good mileage, zeroed onto Harrier XTA+ with on road price of approx Rs 22 lakhs, and bought it from Tata Chandigarh on 31 Aug 2022.

Since that day my Nightmare started.

I noticed bad rumbling and vibrations on every turn which I informed the dealership of the very next day.

Then started their showdown of repeated repairs of the steering pump, rack and column. Now it's been more than a month and they have not been able to rectify it. And haven't given any confirmation whether they will pay back my money or replace the vehicle or just keep making a monkey out of me.

The car has done about 1500 km and is mostly due to test drives and to the service centre.

Kindly suggest.

Badly in need of your support during this hard time. Cancelled all my plans as cannot take this car for trips. The family is tensed about the loss of such a big amount and getting involved in court cases.

Bulleted summary with all the details:

Defective product sold without PDI- Steering rack vibration and malfunction in brand new harrier since Day 1. Now the dealership does not want to replace or repay the money even after repeated attempts to fix the defect failed.

• I bought a Tata Harrier XTA plus variant with an ex-showroom price of Rs 19.5 lakhs on 31 August 2022 from tata Berkeley phase I Chandigarh. I was assured that proper PDI has been completed and the car is in perfect condition.
  
• The day I took the car home, I could feel that the steering was a bit heavy and not well-balanced on turns. The next day when I started driving to work I could feel grunting and vibrations on some turns. I immediately bought it to the notice of the dealership.
  
• They asked me to bring the car for a checkup at the dealership, where they tested it and agreed that there was vibration and grunting on turning the steering even when the car was idle with the engine on. I have a job card for the same dated 4th September 2022.
  
• So I was asked to visit the workshop where they confirmed my fears, made a video recording of the manufacturing defect and checked the steering rack pump assembly by taking the car into the garage.
  
• I was informed that there was a manufacturing defect in the steering rack with metal pieces detected in the pump filter and that they will replace the parts in my brand-new Harrier.
  
• I was told that the part would be shipped from Pune and it took 10 days for the parts to arrive. The whole steering rack assembly and Steering pump were changed on 14 September 2022 as they told me that the company has noticed some issues with the old pump system and a new modified part is being fitted. But to my disappointment, the sound and vibrations persisted the same as before.
  
• I persisted that I don’t need such a headache-causing car, I need my money back and I no longer trust their product quality. Then they told me that it was just a part causing problem and let us call the Tata plant team from Pune and this time we will definitely sort the issue. Again new parts were ordered and a person from the plant came in September end. They tried everything from changing the pump assembly thrice and even changing the steering column borrowing from a demo car. But nothing changed and the sound persisted.
  
• Now they are again telling me that we will call the vendor and another Tata engineer to see the issue.
  
• I have had a harrowing experience leaving my patients and job and making regular visits to the workshop and every time they just make another excuse.
  
• I have already paid 30000 in EMI and have not enjoyed any road trips in the much-awaited car. Now with the festive season around, I am just stuck with the thought what if this issue is not resolved? Will my 22 lakhs just go to waste?
  
• Despite my repeated requests they just keep saying we are talking with the authorities. I have recorded the on-table conversations where they can be heard accepting the manufacturing defect.

My heart goes out to ask?

1. As a customer am I liable to buy a defective product worth 21 lakhs? And not ask for a replacement or damages for the poor quality of Pre-Delivery checks from your end in your flagship product. Are tata cars being just pushed to unsuspecting customers? (Tata has doubled the cars delivered in September 2022 (YOY))
   
2. My whole buying a new SUV has been ruined as I am now forced to drive a new car which vibrates and grunts on every turn I take. Nothing can make up for the loss of happiness that has been caused.
   
3. The customer always suffers seems to be the policy of car makers. Why is there no Returns policy on Manufacturing defects which are detected as early as the first few hundred km?
   
4. Even if I go to a consumer court, it will easily take 5-10 yrs for a decision. The only solution I see is to damage their brand image, advertise their faulty cars and bring it to the notice of unsuspecting buyers.
   
5. Now my parents and family are tensed and fearful of losing the peace of mind going into legal procedures, publically going out on road to fight for their cause and losing the money they put on a car that does not do its job, i.e to drive around like a normal car.

Now after what I have gone through I would like to make a difference in the whole scenario where dealers and companies just push customers around like scum bags. And I would like to know from team BHP what can be done.

Regards from your hardworking doctor who has toiled so hard to earn a specialization after 15 years of studies, worked day and night for 5 years to save enough to buy an SUV and is now stuck with a car which does not even run without a grunt on tarred city roads.

Please Help!

Vehicle details:

Tata Harrier
XTA plus, Orc White
Date of purchase 31-08-2022
Owner name- Dr Aman Veer Singh, Consultant Radiologist.

[Benoit]

I always discourage people from buying a harrier or safari. These 2 cars are a mess. Absolutely unreliable. I am losing track of how many new threads are created for harrier/safari issues. (I swayed 3 people away, for the record.)

The only reason they sell is because of the long waiting periods of xuv700, creta and seltos. With these many cars on the road, discontinuing the products will make customer lose trust on Tata. Tata needs to own these issues and fix them asap. And improve the Quality checks on further production.

They can also consider moving away from the platform for the next generation. A home built platform from scratch seems more reliable with Tata. Like the ALFA.

Harrier/Safari seems like a reboot of the Indica/Indigo nightmares.

[damodar]

Why is the problem continuing even after replacing with a brand new steering rack and pump so many times? Is it that the buyer is not willing to accept that sound he is getting when rotating the steering in a stationary vehicle is an inherent behaviour with the hydraulic steering in all Safaris and Harriers? In most cases like this, the buyer will find it hard to accept that a part had to be replaced in a brand new vehicle.

[IshaanIan]

I think there was a thread earlier where someone else had posted videos on youtube about their never ending sorrows brought upon by a brand new Tata Harrier I feel anyone on this forum would be pretty alert by now and tread cautiously when it comes to all things Tata. Nevertheless, Dr. Aman is in a really serious pickle and I hope Tata comes to his rescue and sorts him out either by fixing everything once and for all or with a replacement/refund.

I remember when my Kizashi was hardly 6 months old and it felt like the steering vibrated when braking at high speeds. When I reported the issue to the SVC, I was told it was normal but when I insisted that it may be normal in my WagonR but it is not in the Kizashi, they got some regional service technician, zeroed in on the steering rack, replaced the rack within a week and returned the car in perfect order allowing me to continue with a good ownership of it. Considering this issue has been verified and documented I am shocked that it has not been fixed by now I mean is Tata really that callous?

Considering what Dr. Aman has pointed out about how difficult it is to get proper justice on the matter and the fact that a brand new 20lac expenditure will obviously sting, I think the best strategy would be to have Dr. Aman buy himself a brand new (or used even) S-Presso and experience what a reliable "no-frills SUV with good mileage" is while these harrowing events take their course

[sparameswaran]

The most terrible thing to experience is intractable issues with your new car. I wish no one is subjected to such agony.

Having said that, one of the first thoughts which came to my mind was whether the owner, unfamiliar with hydraulic steering setup, ‘mistook’ the normal vibration/sound to be abnormal.

My Safari has a sort of steering ‘sound’/‘vibration’ (more felt with your hands than ‘heard’) which comes on and off (infrequent), just like my previous Fiat Linea T Jet had it.

I am not trying to downplay the issue reported by the owner, in case someone feels so.
I own a Safari and I believe if someone experiences the steering ‘sound’ for the first time in a new car, he/she will definitely think it as abnormal and want it to be ‘rectified’.

If the issue reported is different from what is the norm with hydraulic steering, then it is indeed a cause of serious concern.

Hope it will be resolved quickly to the satisfaction of the unfortunate new car owner.

[lsjey]

The justice system in India moves very slowly. Given that it would be better for Dr. Aman Veer Singh to strike a deal with the dealer to sell the car back to the dealer. If there is a loss take it as tuition fees for the lessons learnt and move away from Tata. My suggestion may seem harsh but this is what I’d do if I get stuck in this situation. The more time the car spends with the service center, the more it loses its value, and more time the good doctor will be away from his normal work and life. There is no point in prolonging the suffering.

Regards,
Lsjey

[bullitt1]

The best action would be to do a course correction and get rid of the car, limit losses for peace of mind. If only the manufacturer gave some thought to these issues instead of never ending variants with different paint jobs.

[i74js]

Tata is missing on the big thing. They do not have multiple products in INR 2 million category, while Mahindra has. Both Harrier and Safari duo are borrowed products with platform from JLR, engine from FCA, slush box from Hyundai. The skills were required in putting it together so that the components can work in sync offering a VFM product to the customers.

When products are built from scratch, essentially complete onus is on the OEM; while in this case it is more of assembly, testing and calibration of performance. How come a well-placed and well experienced auto sector player is not able to deliver on the expectation of customers or rather premium customers? If this how the company is behaving, they will remain as fall back or plan B for buyers in this category resulting in unpredicted and dwindling sales of otherwise beautiful thought / product idea.

I believe this will also trigger a loss of brand value of the name “Safari” very similar to how MSIL did with “Zen” and Hyundai did with “Santro”.

Poor show Tata.

[ishan12]

For people here saying that such steering vibrations and noise are normal for Safari and Harrier, do you also think that the TATA technicians and folks at the dealership are stupid enough to acknowledge the problem and replace with a new rack for what is supposed to be normal? I am quite sure they have a better understanding for what is normal and what is not. Infact, most of the times, their behavior is the opposite, trying to pass off minor issues and niggles saying its normal and that all cars in the brand/ model have it.

I was also once looking forward to the facelifted Harrier that's coming up next year, but reading multiple such horror stories of owners facing issues in brand new cars, I guess I would stay clear of TATA and book the XUV700.

[Apex1815]

Dear Aman Veer,

Sorry to hear about the issues you are facing with your ownership of Harrier.

While you will have a tough time dealing with this problem, I want to suggest you that you register your complain on Parivahan portal.

A Recall section has been created by MoRTH on Parivahan portal to register the complaints related to the major defect which can lead to a safety incidence.

https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/vehic.../welcome.xhtml

MoRTH will be performing the screening, analysis, investigation and lastly recall of the vehicle, based on the complaints received by the owners of the vehicle. Kindly refer the FAQs for updated information on the recall provisions..

This is one of the way to report your grievance to MoRTH.

After all, you never know when regular things are not working the least expected option may help you !

[UD17]

Originally Posted by Benoit

I always discourage people from buying a harrier or safari.
The only reason they sell is because of the long waiting periods of xuv700, creta and seltos.

Very very true statements.

I am looking for a SUV in 2023 and I am not at all considering the Tata Safari or Harrier for the obvious reasons of reliability, niggles and prolonged suffering through the service centers.

But as you have mentioned there are some reasons that the Harrier + Safari sells in good number (approx. 5K/month). One of the most powerful reasons that i could think are the Road presence and the butch design of these cars. The long waiting period of competitor's car is further adding fuel to the fire.

I would like to know the views of members here, what would be the future of FCA 2L MJTD engine if Tata safari/harrier suffer decline in sales?

[akg7091]

If the sound / noise is similar to what other harriers at the workshop make then he should take the car back as affected parts have been replaced.

I had a few issues with my XUV700 within a month of delivery. The gearbox malfunction light used to come on every 2-3 days. The dealer reset the errors and changed some cable and the light went away. On a trip to Shimla, the light came on and persisted. How Mahindra handled my case made me felt secure in a remote area and reassured me that Mahindra has my back.

1 ) I was told that as long as there is no sound / noise / smoke / hesitation etc from the gearbox it's just some loose cable somewhere. If anything happens then I can rest assured Mahindra will have the car picked up from whereever I am and have it delivered back in Noida at it's expense. They also offered a taxi for the rest of my trip if needed with expenses to be reimbursed by Mahindra.
2 ) On my return the dealer changed the gear selector lever after discussing with Mahindra engineers and the issue hasn't happened since then. Every single issue that I have raised, no matter how small, was addressed in the right spirit by the dealer.

The dealership also went out of the way to fix an issue with static audio when AAC was being decoded( Chennai team was involved and my complaint was the first one in India to reach them. It led to a beta version of the infotainment software being provided by Mahindra after 4 months of RCA which I tested for a week before it was pushed to other dealers nationwide ). This was an issue which was intermittent and hard to reproduce and impossible to capture on video because the static was masked by the audio of the song being played. Mahindra and dealership employees visited my house 3-4 times and waited till the issue occurred so we could collectively take notes. Vehicle was at the dealership on and off for 2 months for this issue to be documented properly. Other XUV700s in the workshop were tested and ALL of them had the same issue. Post this I suggested / guessed this was an issue with the decoder for AAC being used by Mahindra. 2 odd months after this a beta update was installed on my vehicle and the issue disappeared

Never did I feel that I have to "fight" to get my car fixed. It feels as good as new. Before the purchase, I was afraid of how horrible Mahindra CC might be ( I had an indica before and that car was a L E M O N ). This is where Mahindra scores over Tata. Too many stories of customers getting lemon cars and Tata customer care not helping at all.

[Azalactone]

Homegrown manufacturers like TATA MOTORS and MAHINDRA are improving day and night in vehicle technology and expertise and ofcourse 5* safety rated cars but it's going to be take a lot of time for them to come up to Maruti Suzuki level of customer service.

The Maruti Suzuki dealership calls customers even 1 month after servicing to enquire about any problems faced. The complaint will never be closed unless the customer gives the go.

Maruti Suzuki dealerships are legacy dealers with decades of being in the business. The 3S dealership from where we purchased two cars and have given both our cars for servicing has been at the same address for more than 2 or 3 decades or since the launch of Maruti 800 in 1983.

Tata dealers come up and next year they are gone. Not at all trust worthy.

Indian companies can never match the Japanese when it comes to customer service and after sales service.

I always feel good when i see Tata, Mahindra achieving sales success. But they haven't yet come to a level where they can be trusted like Maruti Suzuki.

I don't care if Maruti Suzuki cars are called tin cans because they are doing their primary job of making reliable cars to take one from Point A to Point B very well. Everything else (5* safety, ventilated seats, mood lighting, wireless Android Auto/Apple carplay and all those fancy gimmicky features are tertiary). If the 5* rated car is giving issues in its basic primary objective then i wouldnt even look at them no matter how good and loaded with features they are.

Tata Mahindra are making way better cars than they did few years ago but i won't be going anywhere near them for many years. Even if i do it will always be for a secondary vehicle. Primary always will be Japanese/German.

"Vocal for Local" feels good provided it gives the same kind of quality, reliability and after sales service as the Japanese companies. Other wise it's just a marketing tactic to emotionally convince customers to buy a Indian car instead of a Japanese, Korean, German etc.

[akg7091]

Originally Posted by Azalactone

Indian companies can never match the Japanese when it comes to customer service and after sales service.

I disagree with you on the "Indian v/s Japanese" - I had a wonderful experience dealing with Mahindra while Nissan has left me wondering if the company even exists or are we buying cars being sold by a small importer with no after sales support.

What I do agree with is the fact that none can match Maruti service. Give a dealer 9/10 on the centralized feedback call and the dealer will come to your house to resolve any genuine issues. Maruti cares about it's customers. You don't have to worry about a rogue dealer as there will be 10 other dealers nearby to sort out any service issues.

[AZT]

I think the forum has been desensitized to faulty Harrier threads. These used to get a lot more replies.