Tata Nexon AMT issues: Dealer estimates Rs 71,000 for repairs

My car is out of warranty by 1 month. No extended warranty, hence everything will be out of my pocket.

Thanks to Vishal Desai for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

Hi Team-BHP,

I am a regular reader of the Team-BHP for many years.

Reason for this communication:

I own a Tata Nexon XZA+ Diesel, since Oct 2019.

Location = Surat

Odometer Reading = 21,950 km

All regular services are done by the Tata dealer workshop.

Problem:

While driving at around 50 km/h at 8:30 pm on Sunday (21 Nov 2021), the car's AMT gearbox suddenly turned to neutral.

Took the car to the side of the road and tried restarting by engaging it in manual mode and reverse gear, but the car wouldn't move at all. I got it towed to the Tata dealership by 10:00 pm.

The next whole day (Monday 22 Nov 2021), the tech guys tried to diagnose (Chargeable) the issue but were unable to find the cause.

On Tuesday, they asked permission to dismount the gearbox (Chargeable + Consumables), I said Ok and I went to the workshop to inspect. They opened the gearbox in front of me and found one roller bearing that had got jammed and broken. (Attaching pictures).

It had grinded the gears and had to be changed, also the shaft needed to be either replaced or required some lathe work.

The estimate given to me was Rs 56,000 for the parts & Rs 15,000 for the labour work. Also, the dealer guy suggested going in for a new gearbox set instead of replacing the many parts individually, so waiting on quotes for the same.

My car is out of warranty by 1 month. No extended warranty, hence everything will be out of my pocket.

My question is regarding the reliability of the product. The car has been driven on the road without any accident (Physical impact on the gearbox), has been serviced by Tata dealer workshop and run 21,950 km in 2 years. Worried about the repetition of the same problem.

Seeking advice from the forum.

Update: Received the following options.

1. Estimate with child parts:

• Parts Amount: Rs 56,650
• Labour Amount: Rs 15,930
• Gear Oil: Rs 1,500
• Sealant: Rs 1,000

Total Amount: Rs 75,060

2. Estimate for Gear Assembly

• Part Amount: Rs 96,000
• Labour Amount: Rs 4,130
• Gear Oil: Rs 1,500
• Sealant: Rs 1,000

Total Amount: Rs 1,02,630

Here's what BHPian vishy76 had to say on the matter:

I think you are definitely eligible for a goodwill warranty. This is an AMT for god's sake. Not a manual. There's no way the driver can grind gears in this. It seems the AMT has somehow managed to mess up a shift and screw the gearbox up.

My theory is that the clutch actuator hasn't disengaged the clutch completely while the shifting actuator tried to shift gears. This has led to grinding and since the AMT unlike an average human driver doesn't know that the gears are being grinded and it should stop doing so, has forced the gear in and damaged the shifting mechanism and a few of the associated bearings in the process. I see absolutely no role of the driver here.

Tata should replace the entire gearbox under warranty apart from checking the AMT actuators to ensure that the same issue never occurs again. The AMT in the Nexon seems to have a patchy reputation. A friend had to have the entire tranny replaced after he complained of excessive jerking and power loss and the ASC couldn't troubleshoot the issue at all. Have heard of a handful of such complaints elsewhere too.

Here's what BHPian DriveOnceMore had to say on the matter:

This is a rare case or rather I have not heard about it till now.

As your warranty has just expired and the nature of the issue looks most likely to be a manufacturing defect, ask the dealer for trying the replacement under 'Goodwill Warranty'.

Sometimes companies approve such out of warranty claims if found suitable

Here's what BHPian amit_purohit20 had to say on the matter:

Ask Tata for a goodwill warranty, mail the higher-ups for the same and explain the early failure.

If you get a good deal I would strongly recommend that you go for a new gearbox. Lathe modifications don't know whether it would be reliable.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.