[geekay_c137]

Why I Sold It?

Issue 1: DPF Issues
* My usage is a mix of city and highway rides in Chennai—2 days city usage for office commute and 1 day mandatory highway commute as a getaway in ECR Chennai (100 km up and down).Additionally, a trip to my hometown every two/three months (750km up and down)
* I used to get DPF issues every 8.5K km on an average, despite manual regeneration by driving in 3rd gear at 80 km/h every month(which is suggested by SA once).
* More than the issue in the car, the service center took 3–4 days to clean the DPF/regenerate and I had to be without a car.
KMs Faced DPF Issue:
* 8,500 (Met team-bhp member Prasannadhana while he visited Kavery Tata,Trichy for his Altroz’s service, don’t know if he remembers)
* 18,000
* 28,000 (fuel injectors change)
* 32,000
* 43,000
* 51,500
Issue 2: Gearbox Oil Leak
* Around 10K km, oil was leaking from the gearbox without any external damage.
* The service center confirmed it was a quality issue and changed the shaft oil seal under warranty.
* The issue repeated once and was fixed around 32K km.
Issue 3: DPF Oil Dilution & Fuel Injector Replacement
* Around 28K km, I got a DPF issue in the middle of a trip.
* This time, the DPF issue reached its next stage: oil dilution.
* It went to the stage where they ended up changing all fuel injectors under warranty.
Issue 4: Clutch Plate Replacement
* Around 32K km, the clutch plate was replaced.
* I fought against their wear-and-tear claim, as until 35K km, my usage was mostly highways before I moved back to Chennai after COVID.
* I got it replaced under warranty after sharing my experience on social media and raising a complaint with customer care.
Issue 5: Rust Spots
* Rust spots started appearing under the hood and boot—places not exposed and shouldn’t rust.
* I raised a complaint with Tata Motors, and the service center agreed to fix it with a paint job.
* They took 10 days, only for me to find out they painted over the rust without removing it.
* After making a scene at the service center, they properly removed the rust and repainted it in one day.
* It wasn’t a perfect paint job, but at least the rust was gone.
Issue 6: Complete Clutch Failure
* Around 54K km, while driving back from a function with friends near Porur, Chennai, the clutch felt completely free, and gears could not be engaged.
* I managed to park the car safely but had to book roadside assistance from a third party after failed attempts with Tata Motors and Oriental Insurance. (Cost: ₹3K as I was within 40 km from the service center.)
* This time, the entire clutch system failed.
* I challenged their wear-and-tear story, took the issue to Twitter, and raised a complaint with Tata Motors, highlighting all my past issues.
* The extended warranty covered only the slave and master cylinders, but not the clutch plate and other components.
* The service center also identified a potential issue in the steering rack and agreed to replace it under warranty.
* However, they asked me to pay ₹24K for the clutch system and labor.
* After multiple discussions through a ticket I raised with the regional service manager, they asked me to pay just ₹6K.

This was when I had enough. I lost my patience with Tata Motors and decided to let go of my beast!

What Kept Me Hooked all along?

Final Choice After Test Drives
* Altroz XZ Diesel was my final choice after test driving so many cars during Dec 2020/Jan 2021.
* Polo was my 1st choice, but since the rear passenger space was very limited, I had to strike it from my list.
* Realized I’m not that college kid anymore who dreamt of owning a Polo.
* Altroz ticked all my boxes.

Why I loved It?

* Wonderful engine for a sturdy car. I used to cruise at 120 km/h with ease and with so much confidence.
* The diesel torque. I got addicted to the diesel pull and the effortless driving in all conditions. This is a revv happy engine, and I love that engine sound.
* Space. The car is spacious in all aspects. I still couldn’t find a comfortable driver seat better than the one in Altroz. Rear passengers have huge legroom, good under-thigh support, and space, space, space everywhere!
* Features. It had everything needed in 2021:

• JBL speakers
• Cruise control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Alloy wheels
• Cooled glovebox
• Lots of storage space everywhere
• (Sunroof was not a thing during that time, and even now, I would prefer not to have one considering safety.)

* Safety. I met with a minor accident at a signal. A Creta braked suddenly due to a scooter, leading me to rear end it, and an old i10 then rear ended me.

• I got down to notice, Creta had a dent, i10’s left side collapsed, and my Altroz had mild scratches with just a bent number plate in the front.
• Altroz always gave me a safe feeling in every aspect.

* Fuel Efficiency.

• City: 15 km/l | Highway: 24 km/l
• After the fuel injector change due to the DPF issue, city mileage dropped to 12 km/l, but highway mileage remained 20–22 km/l.

* JBL Speakers. Though I mentioned this under features, this deserves to be highlighted separately.

• Music is always part of our travels, and nothing met the Altroz’s standard when it comes to sound quality.
• Though the rear speakers stopped working just before I sold the car.

Final Thoughts

The Altroz Diesel was an incredible car, but recurring issues and poor service experience made me move on.
Would I consider Tata again? In future, only if they improve their quality and after sales service.

I exchanged my car at 55K kms for 6L with exchange bonus of 30K during Dec 2024 to get my next car. I will bring a dedicated write up for my new one: Why i chose it?

[Shanksta]

Originally Posted by geekay_c137

Why I Sold It?

Issue 1: DPF Issues

Welcome to Team-BHP! I think I know you from somewhere.

Have some hands on experience with the above car and the Altroz is a great car let down by the manufacturer. I have driven both the petrol (1.2 NA) and diesel and I must say the engine options are nothing short of being poles apart.

The diesel is great and punchy, not to mention the phenomenal handling. Ride was a bit stiff at city speeds and great on the highway. NVH could have been better. Space was never a constraint and IMHO I feel after the Tiago and the Tigor, Altroz is the most well rounded product to come from Tata.

Funny incident with the above car:
Back in 2022 BHPian geekay_c137 and I were installing a dual channel dashcam and to route the wires to the rear I wanted to strip the weathershield on the rear door, I remember clearly being as gentle as possible and the weathershield tearing into 2 like it was made of foam. The look of disappointment on both our faces was noteworthy. That was the quality, and just a few months before that I had stripped the weathershield in my 13 year Cedia to check for A pillar repairs and it was solid.

[Col Mehta]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and sorry that you had multiple issues with your car.

Could you please elaborate more on the oil dilution issue? What caused it? How often did you change your engine oil? And a little bit more on your driving pattern within city (speed/RPMs/traffic conditions etc).

[geekay_c137]

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

Thank you for sharing your experiences and sorry that you had multiple issues with your car.

Could you please elaborate more on the oil dilution issue? What caused it? How often did you change your engine oil? And a little bit more on your driving pattern within city (speed/RPMs/traffic conditions etc).

When the DPF warning appeared for the second time, i was travelling. I followed the manual to do the active regeneration by driving the car at high speed in 3rd gear. The DPF warning light disappeared and after a while, the check Engine light appeared. What i came to know from the SM and by doing some research, if the regeneration process is not fully complete or interrupted frequently(in my case, i was in a trip), the engine would still keep trying to regenerate with extra fuel. Some of the unburnt fuel escapes the piston rings and mix with engine oil. So, the 1st procedure they did after reaching service centre was to check the oil level which was higher, indicating oil dilution. I don’t know the exact quantity, but, it was more than 5 litres(5 L is the ideal).
Coming to the fuel injectors, the oil dilution makes the oil less lubricant and increase pump/injectors wear out, and clog with contaminants which again build more soots clogging the dpf (it’s a cycle).

I follow the regular service intervals, in fact, i will do the service 1000kms before the recommended KM for service. Engine oil is changed as per recommended interval.

My driving style in traffic with Altroz:

Normal traffic- I used maintain 30-50 km/h keeping the rpm around 1500-2000
Bumper to bumper traffic- Honestly, I leave the car in 1st gear and it pulls me automatically just with a clutch release. However, since you ask, it’s mostly below 20 km/h with around rpm around 1000-1500 in 1st or 2nd gear.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by geekay_c137

Why I Sold It?

* 8,500 (Met team-bhp member Prasannadhana while he visited Kavery Tata,Trichy for his Altroz’s service, don’t know if he remembers)

Hi,

Ofcourse, I do remember the meeting. I was there for my altroz diesel's first service.

It's very unfortunate to read about the ordeals you have faced with your diesel altroz. I totally agree with all the positives that you have shared. It's a great car!

I am lucky enough to not have even a single DPF issue or diesel mixing with oil issue or premature clutch wear. My steed has completed 77,000 km and is still munching miles as it did on day one, despite me driving it with a really heavy right foot, maxing it out atleast once a week consistently.



I have a 2025 Dzire as a secondary ride now, and every time I get back to altroz diesel, I get reminded what an incredible package it is. It is solid inside out, feels great to be in, fast and handles like a big car at upper triple digit speeds, and super efficient.i do dislike the NVH and the stiff suspension over bad roads.

I am waiting for you to reveal what your next car is. Congratulations!

[alphahere]

Thanks for sharing your experience. This is very useful. I am a person waiting and watching on the side. Tata Motors has quite a range of desirable cars currently but I am not yet ready to take another gamble with them. Yes, another

I had relatively the same experience as this one way back in 2010 when I had an Indica Vista diesel with the 1.3 engine. It was an anniversary edition and the vehicle was loaded with stuff for the period. I (un)fortunately had to let go of the car in under 4 years because as the car grew older, it felt less and less like a car. Trims were falling off or discoloring for no reason, refinement issues, the seat leather was in tatters, the car had been to multiple warranty repairs including a new turbocharger and light assemblies. Towards the end it was showing signs of rusting on the boot panel and God knows where else. The only positive thing that I can hold for the vehicle was that it had not quit anywhere. And warranty claims were quite hassle free for me at a service center on ECR. I had it for 70k kms and used to drive frequently between Kochi and Chennai and all drives on the highway and the city had been successfully completed without breakdowns.

I felt quite upset with the fit n finish of the car and there was absolutely no feel good factor about it. I couldn't help feeling that I could have spent my money better elsewhere. I had not even completed my loan instalments of 4 years before one day I suddenly decided to get rid of the car and move elsewhere in 2013. And am I glad I did! The 'new' car that replaced the Vista is still in my possession today and also working almost as good as the day I got it new. I hope Tata motors is able to reach that level of perfection some day. Till then, EV or ICE, I will just wait and watch on Tata.

[Theyota]

OP, thank you for your review. The issues noted by you show poor design, sub-standard product release process, sub-standard parts usage and sub-standard manufacturing processes and process control. Clearly what can be interpreted is that there is deep rooted problem in the company culture. They simply lack a culture where customer and therefore the quality of their product and service should be center of focus. Such problems start from the board level. I have for long wanted to see them get better and successful. But they are far away from becoming a globally competitive automotive company.

[Burgman_tales]

I have an Altroz DCA and thankfully no problems so far. I took a conscious decision to buy this knowing Tata problems because my running is very low. It has completed 1.5 years and the odo is only 7k km till now

[bravo82in]

During my nine years of owning a Tata Aria, it visited the workshop 65 times (official data from the TMSC App). For two of those years, it remained at the workshop awaiting repairs. Minor visits (around 30, where job card with not opened) are not even accounted for. This translates to almost one visit per month( and 2-3 days at the workshop).

Within the first year of ownership, I realized I had bought a lemon but never had the courage to absorb the loss and sell it off. Despite its frequent workshop visits, the car was mechanically sound and, thankfully, never failed me on the road.

When I finally sold my Aria, I purchased a Toyota Innova Crysta without a second thought. I didn’t consider any other vehicle or even take a test drive before buying it. After this experience, I will never dare to buy a Tata again.

You have taken the right decision to part away with your vehicle at the right time.

[wheeledwanderer]

Lesson: Never bet your savings or disposable income on Tata cars because we need "peace of mind" and not "piece of mind"