[slayer23]

Hey Vijin,

How’s the experience been so far? It’s been almost 10 months since you purchase. One of my friends has short listed this and wanted to understand ownership experience post 6 months of buying. Any inputs would be helpful.

[Vijin]

Originally Posted by slayer23

Hey Vijin,

How’s the experience been so far?

I haven't been able to update anything in the last few weeks, primarily because there hasn't been much going on with the car and my WFH schedules have been extremely hectic and exhausting.
Furthermore, the strict lockdown in Kerala has kept her idling in the garage.
In addition, for short local runs, I use my beater car, a grand i10.

My XUV300 has been with me for 18 months now, but my ODO is still a little under 9000 km. So far, I have no complaints to report (touchwood). I'm looking forward to my next long road trip. I did get some time to drive on the Hill highways (SH59), and I'm pleased with the steering response and don't have many complaints about the AMT. Now that I've covered a few more types of topography, I appreciate suspension tuning even more than before.

ASS has already resolved a few minor niggles that have been reported in this thread. The glossy Aquamarine is a scratch magnet, and there appear to be quite a few of them visible, particularly on the bonnet.
I've observed elderly people struggle with the width of the car. A few of the above-mentioned scratches are the result of such adventures, such as knocking down a two-wheeler rider (luckily nothing happened and both parties went their way after brief enquiries about any injuries and damages).
Now that the covid has changed my preferred mode of long-distance travel, the smaller boot has come back to bite me .

Once life returns to normalcy, I may replace the car seat upholstery with something softer that doesn't add to the sweating that I already do. Invest in some powerful fog lamps as well.

[Vijin]

The inner panel of the hood of the Xuv300, like that of any other automobile, has design holes in it, however unlike some petrol rivals, this one has abundant insulating materials inside. While this helps to keep NVH levels in check, it is also a favourite hangout spot for mice. Fortunately, these folks were considerate enough not to cause any mechanical damage, although they probably took some bites from the insulation pad and left poop all over the place for a few days. When I finally grabbed one, I taped a few under-hood holes and sprayed engine bay liberally with RAT- Axe spray. For the time being, his buddies appear to have lost interest.

In other updates, last month, I completed my third free service (2 years or 20000 km) at Eram Mahindra Trichur. (Even though, thanks to Covid, my xuv300 is much behind in terms of kilometres driven—only 8600 at that moment). Aside from the regular oil/filter change, I also had an extra engine coating (Maxicare) applied, bringing the total cost to Rs. 4101.

However, when I passed 10,000 kilometres last week, a Service reminder appeared on the MID screen. I went back to the service centre to reset it.
Later, I discovered that we can reset this at home by holding down the "Set" button while simultaneously starting the ignition. It will be done.

I also intended to replace one of the wiper blades because it was squeaking a little, but they were out of stock, will try my luck later.

[krishnakumar]

Oh man! How did I miss this thread! For some reason, despite multiple searches this didn't show up. Thanks Vijin for this ownership thread!

I have also booked the same color W8(O) but Diesel MT. As per dealer update, the car has been allotted and we are awaiting for it to come to the stockyard.

Btw, I'm also from Trivandrum or as we call it, Thironthoram! Nice to e-meet a BHPian with the same car.

[Vijin]

Originally Posted by krishnakumar

Thanks Vijin for this ownership thread!
I have also booked the same color W8(O) but Diesel MT.

KK, You are welcome and congrats on the booking;
I hope you get a lot of good miles out of it.
I'm looking forward to seeing your ownership of the MT variant in this forum.
For meet-ups, we now have a sizable Thironthoram force.

[Vijin]

For several weeks now, I've been noticing a pressure leak in my rear left tyre, which drops about 2 psi per week. I suspected a valve problem or a bent rim because a puncture would have resulted in a much faster drop.
Today, I took it to my local Tyre shop as the alignment, balancing, and tyre rotation (12K km) were due.
I was taken aback when the guys there pulled out an inch-long nail from the RL tyre. To think that I drove the car from Trichur to Hyderabad (1100km) with the nail last month seems like a serious blunder on my part. It's now fixed.

My spare wheel has a steel rim (though it is the same size), so I shifted this tyre to it and rotated others. Wheel balancing and alignment were completed. I've included the report below. I tried looking up wheel alignment specifications, but I'm not sure if there is an OEM specification (the owner's manual doesn't mention it) or if it is just the alignment machine recommended specification that is used in all shops. If anyone has any information about a lookup data sheet, please share it.


According to the report, the front wheels had toe-out, which was changed to toe-in (positive angle) and kept within the specification limit. They advised me to drive around for a few weeks and then return for a follow-up checkup.

[Vijin]

I had gotten a call from the dealership about a recommended knuckle replacement for both of my front tyres. I had no specific concerns about handling or noise, and I couldn't find any official recall announcements or service actions against my VIN. I did, however, go to ASC today and check with SA.

Based on a few customer feedbacks, it appears that they are recalling cars from specific batches. According to boodmo, the original Mahindra XUV 300 knuckle part numbers are 0401DAA03500N and 0401DAA03510N.

The new knuckles installed today had part numbers 4121035000 and 4122035000, and the box stated that they cost Rs. 2261/- each and were packed in January 2022.

The old one:


The new one in box:


A quick Google search for this new part number revealed that these are genuine Ssyangyong Tivoli knuckles that are available in various countries under the same part number (but not in any online portals in India). I'm guessing Mahindra is ditching the made-for-India knuckles in favour of something more conventional.

The SA and mechanics, on the other hand, were not interested in entertaining me or my questions.



Finally, I took her to my local tyre shop to have the wheel alignment checked ( though both SA and mechanic at ASC insisted I dont need to).




I'll report back if I notice any differences in handling.

[Vijin]

It's a little unfortunate to report that we were involved in a minor accident a couple of weeks ago.

This happened on my way from Hyderabad to Trivandrum. I drove from Hyderabad to Bangalore alone, spent the night there, then went to Trichur to visit my in-laws, picked up my wife and kid, and continued south to visit my parents in Trivandrum.

26/03:
About 90 kilometres north of our final destination, my wife offered to drive the rest of the way. She is a novice and has done some highway trip drive sharing in the past, though not much on Kerala highways.

If you are unaware, the majority of Kerala's highways are only two lanes with a mix of continuous and broken white lines separating traffic in both directions. We were approaching 40kmph on a gradual right turn with a continuous white line prohibiting any overtaking. A white Toyota Etios was parked on the left shoulder of the road, but it was facing the opposite direction of traffic. My wife had slowed and came to a complete stop when she saw this car waiting in the opposite direction because she was unsure what the Etios guy was going to do next.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a truck carrying LPG cylinders decided to overtake us and re-enter the lane as quickly as possible. He was almost there, except for the crash bar on the back end, which caught our front right side.

We were stunned for a split second as we heard the thud and a screech and felt a sudden jerk. We usually travel with our seats belted and our child in his car seat, resulting in nil impact inside

I saw the truck driver realise what had happened and come to a halt a few metres ahead of me. I also noticed that my wife was in shock, but that my child was sound asleep and safe. When I regained my composure, I noticed that traffic was piling up behind me. I asked my wife to drive ahead and park on the shoulder just ahead of the Etios, who was noticing all the commotion. I assured her that everything would be fine and that I would take care of all that.

When I got out of the car, I noticed damage to the right front cladding, tyre, alloy wheel, wheel arch garnish, and front bumper. The front bumper was broken in and was hanging a little, the DRL, fog light, and front parking sensor on right side became non-functional . The side wall of the front right tyre was torn, the allow wheel was scratched, and the wheel arch was ripped open.





The rear crash bar


I then opened the bonnet and was relieved to see that there had been no impact on the inside, and that the majority of the impact was cosmetic.

Guilt set in for the Etios guy, who rushed out of the car, gathered the crowd, and started yelling at the truck driver. Meanwhile, I quickly dialled a known SA from MASS at Eram Mahindra, Trichur, and sent him a few clicks to get a rough estimate. He assured me that with my insurance, I might have to spend around Rs.2K, but the final bill could be well over Rs 30K.

Due to the commotion, my son had awoken and began crying, and the crowd was on the verge of calling the police. I just wanted to avoid any complications and unnecessary time waste. The Etios driver and his friend demanded that the truck driver pay a substantial amounts of money or we all go to the police, while the truck driver offered 1.5K.
To calm everyone down, I quickly agreed to take the money and demanded that he assist me with the hanging bumper situation so that I could drive until the next ASS. He quickly tied things up with metal wires, and I discovered we could proceed.

I quickly thanked everyone, dispersed the crowd, and continued my journey at a slow pace, assuring my better half that I would have done the same thing in that situation and nothing would have been different.

Sunday, March 27th
MASS was working on Sunday due to a trade union strike scheduled for the 28th and 29th of March. I went to Trivandrum SS Mahindra, and they gave me an estimate of Rs. 43k and asked that I return the vehicle on Wednesday. Furthermore, they mentioned that the alloy wheels might need to be replaced and that they are experiencing some delays in receiving parts these days. I proceeded to pay an advance amount and requested that an order be placed immediately.

Wednesday, 30/03:
I drove back to MASS, parked the car, and went to the nearest United India insurance office to file a claim. (I have both of my cars and a two-wheeler insured with United India because I have a relative who works there. The only flipside is that none of the ASS have cashless transactions with these guys).

31/03:
An insurance approver arrived, gave the green light, and a work order was given. I asked around and was told that there had been quite a few delays due to accidental repairs in this service centre and that some follow-up might be required to speed things up.

01/04:
After a few follow-ups with the claims team and store management at SS Mahindra, I realised that these guys are severely understaffed, and my case may be delayed as a result. My work order was reflected in the Mahindra portal after a few follow-ups. My delivery date, on the other hand, is set for 11/04.

08/04:
It appears that they are still waiting for parts such as alloy wheels and tyre arch garnish. They claim to have completed all other tasks.

Scarcity of electronic parts is understandable, but scarcity of metal and plastic parts baffles me. I've had similar repairs done on my previous Maruti and Hyundai vehicles, but I've never seen such a long wait, Mahindra!

I'll wait a few more days, hoping to put this episode behind me; fingers crossed!

[nitin_knw]

Originally Posted by Vijin

I had gotten a call from the dealership about a recommended knuckle replacement for both of my front tyres. I had no specific concerns about handling or noise, and I couldn't find any official recall announcements or service actions against my VIN. I did, however, go to ASC today and check with SA.

Thanks for the Information on knuckle replacement, I am not sure if mine Batch of vehicles 'August 2021' is eligible for replacement? haven't received any call yet. Do you know if that can be found on Mahindra website?

[Vijin]

Originally Posted by nitin_knw

I am not sure if mine Batch of vehicles 'August 2021' is eligible for replacement? haven't received any call yet. Do you know if that can be found on Mahindra website?

Hello, Nitin. You can check the following link against your VIN for mass recall/parts replacement:
https://auto.mahindra.com/service-action

However, based on what SA told me, mine was part of a precautionary replacement done in a small batch, and hence wasn't reflecting in above portal. So, if you haven't received a call from your dealer, you probably don't have any.

Originally Posted by Vijin

I'll wait a few more days, hoping to put this episode behind me; fingers crossed!

Further updates:
10/04: Called SS Mahindra because this was the delivery date that had been promised. However, SA informed me that DRL would not arrive until the following day. I proceeded to escalate the situation using the Mahindra Withyouhamesha app. My order was placed on 27/03, almost 15 days ago.

11/04: Called the SA again in the afternoon; his manager took the call and informed me that the vehicle was ready and that I could come in. When I arrived at the centre around 4 p.m., no one knew where the file pertaining to my vehicle was. They made some excuses and told me that a resurvey by an insurance agent was necessary. When I mentioned that I had only come because I had received confirmation to come and collect, the perplexed SA asked me to wait in the customer lounge while they sorted out the paperwork.

Meanwhile, I called the insurance surveyor and inquired about the resurvey part. He stated that it is not required, and he had already updated that to the one of SA here. He also made a few follow-up phone calls. After nearly an hour of waiting and still no response from the ASC team, I went in again and expressed my displeasure with the lack of respect for my time. After some time, they generated the bill and handed me the vehicle. I also discovered one of the TPMS sensors was missing, and SA promptly followed up and returned it.

Finally, on my way back home, I got a call with a request to sign a customer satisfaction form, I asked them to WhatsApp me (Probably to close the loop on the escalation done by me). Though the repair appears to be done for my satisfaction, the delay and less than professional customer service left me unimpressed.

[Knighted06]

Originally Posted by Vijin

Though the repair appears to be done for my satisfaction, the delay and less than professional customer service left me unimpressed.

OMG!! You sir are a legend!!! I cannot believe that you managed to maintain such composure especially when you have your family inside the car. I'm a non confrontational guy myself, but I don't think I would be able to come out of the shock so fast and think so quickly. I'm so glad that all of you escaped unharmed and your steed is back to its former glory.

[Vijin]

Originally Posted by Knighted06

I'm so glad that all of you escaped unharmed and your steed is back to its former glory.

Thank you very much for taking the time to express that.

I'd like to take credit, but it was the experiences of other esteemed members of this community that taught me what to expect in such situations. Furthermore, I do not believe I am capable of winning arguments on the street.


Here's a shot of our hero taking a shower after a 300-kilometer drive today.

[samtc13]

Mod note: Post edited to fix Quote tags, please do a Preview before Submitting posts. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Vijin

I had gotten a call from the dealership about a recommended knuckle replacement for both of my front tyres. I had no specific concerns about handling or noise, and I couldn't find any official recall announcements or service actions against my VIN. I did, however, go to ASC today and check with SA.

During the previous service of my parent's XUV300, the SA (Meridian Moto, Kerala) had informed that the vehicle is eligible for knuckle replacement. However, he told that as the vehicle was purchased from a different dealer (TVS Mahindra- which has shut shop now) he will have to check and update. As we didn't receive a proper response from SA after repeated follow-ups, we called the M&M customer care. The call (in conference) was then connected with GM for Meridian Moto who assured that they will process the replacement.

However, after this call, we still haven't received any update from the dealer (Meridian Moto). Although we are trying to follow up with the GM (Meridian Moto), he has turned non-responsive. Post this, we have also mailed M&M customer care and awaiting their response.

Would appreciate any suggestions to escalate this further.

[Vijin]

Originally Posted by samtc13

we still haven't received any update from the dealer (Meridian Moto).
Would appreciate any suggestions to escalate this further.

Hey samtc13,
That's quite frustrating. I've found that the 'With You Hamesha' app is really useful for escalations.
I'm not sure if you've used it, but there's a 'chat' button and an option to chat with a "Human" if you haven't (other being bot). Please express your concerns there, as well as the dealership where you'd like to have this done. Our concerns are usually taken seriously by them, and they send the word on to the dealer.
Please keep us updated on how things go.

[Vijin]

Mahindra Xuv300 BS4 Diesel 4th service update (Paid one)

What overfill is considered acceptable?
According to the owner's manual, the engine oil refilling capacity for the BS4 Diesel XUV300 is 6L, and that is how much they pour. But when we check the oil dipstick, the level is almost one centimeter above the maximum. The possible additional stress on seals and gaskets worries me (may be I am overreacting). Hence this time when I went to the service center (Automotive Mahindra, Attapur, Hyd), I asked the Service Engineer (SE) to only fill it up to the max marking and not any higher. The SE told me that, unlike other dealerships, they only fill little above 5L and that is the required value.

The car was delivered later (drop off service). The engine oil level was, however, much above the maximum level when I examined the next morning. I sent a picture to the service technician, but I never heard back. After a few days, I sent Mahindra Customer Care an email asking what the "recommended" amount of Engine oil to be replaced was and sharing what I had noticed. Customer support only added a few contacts from the same service center and made no recommendations. I had to wait about two weeks to follow up and speak with someone.

Even after I pointed them that the reading came from a cold engine on level ground, one technical manager kept arguing that I was mistaken and didn't know how to check the oil level. I told him that even if it was true, he could test it on any xuv300 bs4 diesel that came to his garage in any condition he wanted. I was a little miffed by his response, "Those cars are customer cars and I can't inspect." I questioned him on the claim that they never check the dipstick level of any vehicles brought in for engine oil change. He then consented to make another technical person a call.

Afterwards, a different service agent showed up at the apartment, looked at the car, and confirmed that the oil level was higher—but only by about 200 ml—and said there was no need to be concerned. In any case, I asked him to drain the extra. He returned with another technician after a couple of days to drain that little extra. To my astonishment, none of them knew how to jack up the car, so I had to assist. Finally, the excess oil was drained.

Service Center attempting to squeeze out
The SE made me sit in front of him for nearly 45 minutes after I gave the vehicle for servicing. SE kept scrolling through the profile of my car, as if they were looking for some fault and using it to impose guilt and compel me to spill more to cover it up (again maybe I was overreacting)

Here are some of the highlights:

- After approximately 10 minutes, SE stated I had a little accident a few months ago and mended it at Trivandrum Service Centre. I acknowledged.

- SE showed me his monitor and stated I had missed the first free service. I mutely remarked, "That's not right, and I had done my first servicing in the same facility within a month of purchase," as I glanced at some data and a screen. SE argued that the information was not in the system, so I did not receive the first service. I showed the service date and invoice on the Mahindra WithYouHamesh App on my phone. SE was taken aback and checked my phone twice or three times. "Good," he continued, "keep these details handy." "Ok, will do," I replied.

- Then, SE claimed that I just added an additional year to the company's standard 2-year warranty. Two more years of extension were open, and he smirked that he would take care of it. I kindly explained to him that I already had the maximum five-year warranty, and that unless anything further was offered, I didn't need his assistance. I reopened the WithYouHamesh App while SE continued to scroll. He quickly acknowledges that I am correct.

- SE pressed me to get underbody coating after that, but I politely declined. When he pressed me for reason, I politely told him that I had previously completed a 3M coating and that there are few rounds of complimentary top-ups available.

- I then requested him to upgrade the SW in the entertainment unit, and he verbally agreed. I ask him to perhaps write it on the job sheet, and he responds that it is fine and he will take care of it.


The car was returned to me later that day without any attention given to the requests related to entertainment system or the engine oil .
I took advantage of the subsequent service appointment to drain the oil and asked him to bring a pendrive and update the software.


As pointed out in our official reviews: Mahindra's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble