I never anticipated sharing an unpleasant experience in my first blog on this platform. However, today I find myself documenting the unfortunate incident that occurred with my 3-year-old Maruti Swift car that had clocked just 11,000 kilometers, and the inadequate after-sales service that I received from the company. Maruti Suzuki was once synonymous with reliability and quality, but it appears that the company has deviated from its path and is no longer upholding the high level of service that it was once known for.
The Incident:
On the evening of January 12th, 2023, I was driving back from work on Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad, maintaining a steady speed of around 90 km/h. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise emanating from the front of my car, which initially sounded like a tyre bursting. But upon closer examination, I noticed smoke wafting out from under the bonnet and engine oil dripping from the engine. Fearing the worst, I quickly pulled over to the side of the road on Outer Ring Road and arranged to have my car towed to Maruti Authorised Service Center for repairs.
Disappointing Experience:
I had my car covered under both Extended warranty and had taken “Engine Protect” rider in my Vehicle Insurance. The insurance was also taken from Maruti Insurance.
Initially, I had claimed insurance under the engine protect rider, but the same was denied as there was no external damage to the car.
After that, I went for claim under warranty and the engine was dismantled. It was found that one of the Connecting rod had broken and damaged the engine block.
Maruti refused the claim under warranty, stating that it was a hydrolocking case and water had entered the engine without providing any proof. This was puzzling as it was the dry season and I had not entered any waterlogged areas. Moreover, there were no watermarks on either the air intake or exhaust side. I denied paying any money and asked them to provide a detailed investigation report or cover the repairs under warranty.
Later Maruti arranged for the insurance survey again, and this time, due to pressure from Maruti, the insurer (HDFC Ergo) approved 50% of the claim amount. Despite this, I made it clear that I would not bear the remaining 50% and that Maruti had to cover it. Finally, Maruti paid some portion, and I had to pay Rs. 10000, which I reluctantly paid as I did not want the issue to linger on any further.
Finally, The engine block, piston & rings, and valves were replaced, while the crankshaft was checked for damages, but there was no damage, so it was not replaced.
Conclusion:
Despite having the car covered both under warranty and Insurance, still I had to struggle a lot and after a lot of deliberation, the cost was shared by the Insurance company and Maruti and I also had to make payment more than my actual liability (I was liable to pay for consumables only). And for covering a portion of the amount also, the company behaved as if they are doing me a favor and they are doing it for “goodwill”.
It is my hope that this blog post serves as a warning to potential Maruti Suzuki customers, and that the company takes immediate action to improve its after-sales service. Maruti Suzuki was once a name that stood for reliability and quality, but it seems that the company has lost its way and is no longer providing the same level of service that it used to be known for. I hope that Maruti Suzuki will take this matter seriously and resolve it promptly so that customers like myself can have confidence in the company once again.
In the end, I'm unsure if I should feel relieved for paying only Rs 10,000 despite initial rejection of my warranty and insurance claims, or disappointed for paying more than my actual liability despite having taken all possible cover.
![When Reliability Fails: The disheartening story of a 3-year-old Maruti Swift's engine failure-whatsapp-image-20230312-6.08.32-pm-1.jpeg](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/technical-stuff/2427941d1687220635t-when-reliability-fails-disheartening-story-3-year-old-maruti-swifts-engine-failure-whatsapp-image-20230312-6.08.32-pm-1.jpeg)