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15 days old Maruti Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid engine failure: Now what?

20th March 2023, 16:45 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

I'm coming from a 2018 Toyota Innova & even after spending Rs 21 lakh on a brand-new car, I had to go through such an experience.

BHPian parth_enzo recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This post is on behalf of my uncle who picked up a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Intelligent Electric Hybrid Zeta+ (Strong Hybrid) 1.5 CVT in the Grandeur Grey colour on 08th February 2023 from Kataria Automobiles Pvt. Ltd, Nexa Kataria, Vapi. The purpose behind buying this vehicle was to save on travelling costs owing to my frequent travels for my business. The car was butter smooth and I was very happy about the fuel efficiency it delivered since I switched from a 2018 Toyota Innova 2.8 G which guzzled up a lot of fuel.

It was on 23nd of February, while I was driving around 01:00 am at midnight that I could hear some strange noise from the engine bay. I immediately pulled over to the side and checked for any unusual thing happening at the engine bay. There was a mild noise being observed which was coming out straight from the engine.

Next morning, I immediately took my car to Kataria Automobiles Service Center, Vapi to get my car inspected. They acknowledged that there was some sort of noise coming from the engine and they prepared a job card and took the car for inspection. The next day I again visited the Service Center and to my shock and surprise, the noise was no longer mild, but I was very loud like a tractor. It was a clear indication that there is something seriously wrong with the engine.

We had talks with the management and they gave me a test drive Ignis manual as a courtesy car. At the time of preparation of the Job Card, the odometer reading was 3817kms. The Service advisors did not have any idea what to do since they were completely unaware of the Hybrid technology stashed with this particular vehicle and it was very difficult for them to diagnose the issue. They alleged that MSIL engineers were on call and they tried to remotely inspect the car but even they were unable to diagnose the issue.

1st March

I again visited the service center as there was no official intimation as to what issue my car was facing and how did they plan to resolve it. It had been almost 7 days without my brand-new car, and the amount of stress I was going through was immense. I could not undertake my business travels because the courtesy car they provided was very small, and unsafe and I was scared to travel with it on highways. Apart from that, I was facing huge business losses and upon that, I was also supposed to pay the EMIs of a brand-new car that was sitting at the service centre.

When I visited the service centre on 01/03/23, to my shock and surprise, the service centre had removed the oil pan of my car without my permission and there were visible damages. It also seems that they tried to disassemble the engine and remove parts without my permission. I wanted to take a video of the sound coming from the engine, but the Regional Manager was reluctant on allowing that moreover when we asked them to seal the oil pan again, fill in the oil and start the car, they refused to do so.

VIDEO OF THE OIL PAN

They had a video recording of the sound coming from the engine, but they denied sharing it with us. I could find the exact same issue in a Toyota Hyryder which got viral, this is exactly the same noise coming out from my vehicle.

The Service Center is now offering me to change the complete engine assembly.

I have mailed them that I want to either get my car replaced with a fresh one or refund the amount I paid to them along with my bank interest. I am disheartened and sad that even after spending 21 lakhs on a new car, I had to go through such an experience.

My concerns are

Will replacing the engine assembly be successful since it's a strong hybrid car, and the entire replacement will be done at the service centre which is generally very careless while doing such jobs?
Will it affect my resale value as I don't keep cars for more than four years?
Loss of originality of the car

No mental peace while going on long trips

I kindly request bhpians and senior members to advise me on this issue. My car is sitting at the service center, I am facing business losses and I have a loan to repay for this car. It is quite pathetic that a fifteen days old car has to go through this. I am evaluating my options to go legal on MSIL. Also, Maruti Suzuki if you're reading this which eventually you will, I am coming for you!

UPDATE: 4th March, 2023

They have not replied to my e-mail and they have no instruction from MSIL. They said they will let me know on 4th March, 2023. Am I being scammed? What exactly is MSIL up to?