The Maruti Ciaz was launched in 2014 as a rival to the Honda City and Hyundai Verna.

According to a media report, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is likely to go out of production next month and will be phased out by April 2025. The sedan is being discontinued due to declining sales as customer preference is shifting towards SUVs.

The Maruti Ciaz was launched in 2014 as a rival to the Honda City and Hyundai Verna. Midsize sedan sales have been on a decline since the advent of compact SUVs. In 2015, sedans accounted for 20% of the Indian car market, dropping to 10% in 2024. On the other hand, SUVs make up over 50% of the total sales.

Maruti Suzuki’s market share in the midsize sedan segment has declined significantly from 35-40% to just 11% since the introduction of models like the Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia. The former is now the best-selling midsize sedan, followed by the Slavia and Verna.

Another reason for the drop in the popularity of the Ciaz is the lack of updates. The sedan received its last major update in 2018. As a result, it lacks quite a few features and looks quite dated compared to its rivals.

Reports suggest that Maruti Suzuki is unlikely to launch a replacement for the Ciaz in a market, which is more inclined towards the SUV segment.

Source: Autocar India

The Ciaz, feels familiar because I have driven a Dzire for a long time.

BHPian droider412 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I have been driving a 2019 Dzire (belongs to my father) since the past 4 years. Occasionally, I have also driven a Kwid AMT (that my wife bought to learn driving and use as hers).

Been a long time lurker of the forum at this point and since I learnt to drive, the craze of owning a car of my own has been stuck with me.

After a long while, I (and wife) finally decided that we can invest in a nice car. We were pretty much decided on the XUV 700 (AX7L AWD) to the point of making a booking. However due to some sudden changes (in life), my wife got an opportunity in Hyderabad and since we are pretty young, we decided to go ahead with it.

This changes the decision of buying the car, mainly because:

1. We will eventually come back to our place (maybe after a year or 2) and I don’t want to register a nice car in a new city and then have to re-register it again.
2. It’s a city we have never been to in the past and we will have a lot of new expenses (rented house, daily expenses etc) so investing a hefty amount in a car does not make a lot of sense.

Eventually, we came to the agreement that we will absolutely need a car while we are there. I looked at leasing options but those were way too expensive and did not seem reasonable at all.

So, all in all, we have a budget of 10L (can expand to 12L max) and we need a car that is:

1. Absolutely reliable - don’t want any issues in a city where we literally don’t know anyone
2. Will be used extensively in both highway and city - since we will be in Hyderabad we are already planning multiple road trips to nearby states like Maharastra, Bangalore etc.
3. Should be automatic - have driven a manual since I learnt driving and even though it’s very fun, I feel like I want to settle down for a less fun but more convenient way to drive.
4. Should not be an AMT

The plan is to do one of the 2 once we decide to come back:

1. Sell the car for a good value before leaving
2. Drive it back to our home and keep as second car while buying a brand new car - I am more inclined towards this and thus I want a car that would be reliable.

Oh, and I am a fan of sedans. Absolutely hate those fake SUV’s (this was another reason we were going to book the AWD variant of XUV700. So we are only looking at sedans and hatcbacks (some) and should be an automatic.

Options so far

Honda City CVT

I have had my eyes on the city since a long time so decided to check the used-car options in Hyderabad. There are a few decent options.

1. 2021 ZX CVT with <40k clicks for ~11L
2. 2022 ZX CVT with ~50k clicks for ~13L

I feel like the first option is a great VFM (given the astronomical prices of cars in the used market) and am planning to check out the car in person the first thing we land in Hyderabad.

Ciaz AT

The Ciaz, feels familiar because I have driven a Dzire for a long time. I have only found one "good" option for it:

2021 Alpha AT with 32k clicks for ~9.5L

i20 N

Feels like a good option to consider because this is the only hatchback that comes with a CVT (or DCT).

I am now wondering what would be a good option to go for. The heart wants to get a City (even if that means getting a new one).

I am aware of the Amaze with the CVT transmission but after driving the Dzire, I just don’t want to go for a brand new sub 4m sedan. A hatchback is still worth considering.

The big question

Do I go with one of these used options or should I actually suck it up and buy a brand new cheap car?

I am open to hearing suggestions from everyone. Please let me know your thoughts on the options I have listed and what would be the most logical option to go with (both used or new).

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

If its certain that you'll be going back in a couple of years - I'd buy a cheap all purpose new hatchback (Ignis, Baleno, Altroz, Glanza, i20 etc) - even AMT for that matter, use it as a beater for the 1-2 years, and sell it off when returning to native place. Don't get attached to the car at all. Just get a long term keeper once you settle down afterwards.

Presently you'll be in the run-around mode of relocation related hassles and daily chores. What you need is a reliable car that you can take for any errand without issues. A pre-owned car no matter where you get it from - always has a higher chance of needing garage visits than a new one. Eliminate this variable during this small stint. It will make a big difference.

Hyderabad after-all is a metro city. Has its perils of traffic and parking issues even if not as pronounced as BLR/BOM. A compact hatchback will be convenient.
In case your stay extends for a long term in Hyderabad - you can keep the hatchback as a beater and add a larger car for touring.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I also have a Hyundai Verna IVT which is an amazing car but lags in terms of the air-conditioning, especially at the rear, when compared to the Ciaz.

BHPian NK CA recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a Maruti Ciaz MT and a Hyundai Verna IVT (purchased last year in place of my Ertiga).

The Ciaz is the daily runner and I am chauffeur-driven on all days except Sundays. It is supremely comfortable, especially from a back seat perspective.

I have now booked a Ciaz Alpha AT to replace my existing Ciaz MT as it fulfils a few creature comforts again (mentioned below) from a back seat perspective and that too at an attractive price point.

While the Verna is in every way an amazing car as compared to the Ciaz, it lags in terms of air conditioning, especially at the rear. And in general, to achieve an equivalent ambient temperature, the air conditioner in the Verna has to be set two degrees lower than in the Ciaz.

Further, the CarPlay in the Ciaz would enable usage of the infotainment system from the rear seat, a feature missing in other sedans. And last, the rear and side window curtains also add to the comfort.

I would agree with all points mentioned by SGTREPEAT in his post, especially in terms of reliability and Maruti service levels.

I would like to add that Gasoline Ethanol blended up to E20 can be used as fuel for this vehicle (applicable to other MSIL vehicles like Grand Vitara etc.) unlike vehicles which are only E20 compatible which adds to the peace of mind especially when travelling outside cities.

In short, it serves the purpose well as a chauffeur-driven car.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It's not terribly underequipped but it does pale in comparison to other C2 segment sedans like the Hyundai Verna, VW Virtus and Skoda Slavia.

BHPian SgtRepeat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a 2019 Ciaz Alpha AT that I've driven for 40,000 km now. The usage has been 90% within the city and 10% outstation trips. It's an extremely reliable sedan that is low on maintenance.

Here are the main parameters that people should base their decision upon:

Performance

105 bhp and 138 Nm of torque is very adequate for the city but falls short on the highways mainly due to the four-speed torque converter. You can still cruise comfortably at 100-120 kmph. I believe the AT goes from 0-100 in about 11.5 seconds.

Mileage

I get 11-13 kmpl in the city and 14-18 kmpl on the highways depending on the driving style.

Maintenance

The annual service costs about ₹5-6k in authorized Arena service centers and about ₹2k more in Nexa service centers. Spare parts are easily available.

Convenience

Pick and drop service is offered complimentary in most authorised service centers, and you get good discounts all year round. Insurance claims are a breeze if you go through Maruti's insurance broking. Maruti's annual insurance costs about ₹20-25k depending on the add-ons you take.

Features

It has an auto dimming IRVM, decent music system, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, rear windshield sunshade, auto LED projector headlights, and rear AC vents. It's not terribly underequipped, but it does pale in comparison to other C2 segment sedans like the Verna & the VW twins.

Safety

It's surprisingly well built for a Suzuki and has a 4-star ASEAN NCAP rating. You will see some flex in the sheet metal, but it feels adequate. I've always placed more faith in features that let you avoid accidents and the Ciaz is decently equipped there with ABS, EBD, ESP, Hill-hold, and TCS.

Comfort

The Ciaz is extremely spacious and can easily accommodate five adults. It does lack a bit in under-thigh support and rear headroom, but makes it up with oodles of leg room. It's a very convenient car to drive, especially in the city due to the torque converter. The air conditioning is also adequate and the boot easily swallows a week's worth of luggage for a family of five, making it a good holiday car. The ground clearance at 170 mm is adequate but does scrape over some speed breakers when fully loaded. Ride quality feels pliant thanks to the 195 / 55 R16 tyres.

NVH

The cabin is very silent due to the extremely refined 1.5L petrol engine, but road noise does creep in at speeds higher than 80 kmph.

Reliability

This, I'd say is the most important aspect of a car. The Ciaz is a reliable workhorse and takes in its stride whatever you throw at it. It has never broken down or developed a technical or engine fault. Ensure you do the annual maintenance religiously and you're good to go. The engine is a gem and can easily do 1-2 lakh km if maintained properly.

The Ciaz is a bit long in the tooth as it's literally the same car from 2018, but checks all the right boxes if you want an economical, reliable, and comfortable C2 segment sedan. I'd definitely suggest getting the Alpha over the Zeta if you're planning to keep the car for 5-6 years.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

No complaints in car running as I had maintained my car well. Wanted to upgrade the car within the Suzuki stable but realized that Suzuki has nothing to offer as an upgrade.

BHPian Golden Chariot recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I was on the verge of completing 5 years with my Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Alpha MT, which served our needs as a family well. It had run about 60K Km and was due for a service. NO major complaints with Ciaz except that some plastic parts within the car had started peeling off. No complaints in car running as I had maintained my car well. Wanted to upgrade the car within the Suzuki stable but realized that Suzuki has nothing to offer as an upgrade. My option was only Invicto. Not only was it way above my budget, but it didn't meet my needs for a sleek feature loaded 5-seater car.

I was looking for a car with latest features especially around safety. So, started considering other brands in the market. My need was driving inside City 95 % of the time with 5 % in highways, interstate.

I initially shortlisted the VW Virtus and Skoda Slavia. But reading about horror stories of previous owners on the DQ 200 transmission failures in India and high cost of replacement, I started scouting for an alternative.

I considered the Verna, but the car is designed differently, not to my taste to be specific. Didn't like how it looks from the front.

Not a big fan of the ongoing SUV craze. I like the sedans more. Found my Ciaz to handle the road very well. I find Sedans are very stable on highways and offer good road handling.

Then I came across Honda City in an internet advertisement. I read about the car and felt it could meet my needs. I went to the nearest Honda dealership with an intention to test drive an automatic and manual both.

We went on a test ride with the automatic first. I just fell in love with the car. Some parts of the road were bad, but the car handled it really well. The CVT was smooth in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I then took the car on the highway and was once again impressed with its road handling.

Once we reached the dealership about 45 mins had passed, so skipped taking the trial of the manual as I had decided I would go for CVT.

Took the pricing from the dealership and went home. I booked the Obsidian blue colour as it looked great on the car.

The only bummer in the buying experience was that Honda announced a 1-2% price effective 01st April and as I was going for a lease, I had to re-start the process as the car cost had increased by about 36K, due to lesser discount being offered in April vs March. Unfortunately, had to accept it and move ahead. I checked the car price with other dealers also and they confirmed that the price had increased and they were also quoting a higher price. More or less, worked together with the dealer to complete the sale process.

Finally got the delivery of the car. The car is an absolute pleasure to drive, especially in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Took it for interstate spin and was impressed with the way the car handled the highway. I got the car fitted with Bridgestone tyres, which was also a pleasant surprise as they are good tyres.

Completed the first service at 1000Km and have been quite satisfied with my purchase.

Some differences from my 2019 Ciaz MT:

1. Plastic quality inside Honda City is premium. in Ciaz the chrome had started peeling off after 4 years.
2. The interiors are plush and look expensive in City.
3. Ride quality is better in City. Though Ciaz had a higher ground clearance of 170mm, the alpha trim had low profile tyres 195 55 R16(tyre pressure 29 psi recommended by Suzuki), resulting into the car scraping the underside on bad roads. The City with lower ground clearance of 165mm, with tyres 185 55 R16 (tyre pressure 35 psi recommended by Honda), does not scrape the underside on same bad roads.
4. The ADAS braking is abrupt and hard especially inside the city, especially when the ADAS suspects you are heading for a collision. Happens when you are turning inside the city roads as car treats any oncoming traffic as obstruction without realizing that the car driver is still turning the steering to complete the turn.
5. The TPMS requires a reset every time you fill air in tyres.
6. The Honda connect app works smoothly.
7. Honda City is giving me a mileage of 12/ Litre of petrol inside the City with a mix of bumper-to-bumper traffic and some free runs. The Ciaz was doing about 13/ litre in the city.
8. It's my first car with a sunroof, though it’s quite hot & sunny presently to be able to use it.

I use Eco mode inside the city. The sports mode is quite peppy and the slight lag that you experience on the CVT vanishes in sports mode. But the trade-off would be on the mileage. Otherwise, a nice car and am enjoying the ride.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I earned 359 points after getting my Maruti Ciaz serviced. I was told that they would be added to my existing points within 48 hours.

BHPian jigar1791@gmail recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Background

My MSIL App shows a total accrued reward points count of 344

I had given my Ciaz for its annual service on Dec 25th, 2023. Upon service completion and acceptance of vehicle and closure of Job Card in MSIL's DMS, I received a message saying 359 points have been added to my reward bucket.

If we refer to the 1st image, the updated points count is shown as 225, whereas the SMS I received mentioned 359 - I haven't redeemed any points in my last service - not sure where is the mismatch and whom to believe (359 in SMS or 225 added to the current points)?

However, upon checking the App, the 359 reward points haven't been added to the final total as seen in the attached app screenshot.

The SA had assured me that these reward points would get added to the total within 48 hours, but that hasn't happened (I was sure he was just to end the conversation with that 48-hour refresh cycle). However, since it was the ASC's closing time, I didn't prod further and took an exit.

To get an update on this, I tried searching for MSIL's support channel, but couldn't find one in the App. How can I ensure the reward points are updated to my previous total, taking the final count to (344+359) 703?

Any action items for me to get the same updated?

Thanks.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It has been quite a peaceful ownership so far, no issues, no fuss, just fill it, shut it, forget it experience

BHPian advaitlele recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

60,000 km update:

Now close to 61,000 KMs.

It has been 7 years and 10 months approximately to finish the 60k mark. It has been quite a peaceful ownership so far, no issues, no fuss, just fill it, shut it, forget it experience; be it city or highway driving.

So far, apart from 7 annual services (and three within first year as mandated by the service manual), there has not been any time the car has been to workshop for anything else.

I have spent on below items as part of spares / accessories over last 7+ years:

• Changed battery at the end of 4th year
• Four tires at the end of 5th year
• Key fob batteries - twice for both key fobs
• Floor mats for cabin and boot and steering cover (twice)
• Ceramic coating at the end of 5 years and coating service at six years
• Dashcam (three cameras - 2 Blaupunkt and one more from Amazon) and two 32 GB sd cards

Total I drove in 2020 (3049) and 2021 (4403) - two years combined - was 7452 KMs.

I have spent Rs.337,679 overall with 3994 ltrs of petrol, average cost of Rs. 84.52 per liter. I filled my first tankfull for Rs 2800 at 64.25 ltr that got me 43.57 ltr of petrol on 14th Feb i.e. the day of delivery. Last tankfull (after finishing 60k KMs) was on 18th Nov at 60,011 KMs - Rs 3800 at 105.91 that got me 35.87 ltr Petrol.

I have spent total of Rs. 276,161 for total Insurance, servicing, replacement (tires, battery, keyfob batteries etc.), accessories (mats, dashcam etc.) and ceramic coating over the years.

Total cost of ownership for fuel + insurance + service + accessories = 613,840 over 7 years, 10 months and 60k + KMs.

That comes to most important question for car ownership (and esp Marutis) i.e. Kitna Deti Hai --

• Avg 15.022 KMPL
• TCO per km - 10.22 Rs (613,840 / 60,011)

This has been a total peace of mind ownership and I am quite happy with the decision I made to buy Ciaz on 31st Jan 2016.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Curious and a little alarmed, I inspected the whole car minutely. Interestingly, there is no other sign of rust anywhere else.

BHPian SS-Traveller recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Our Ciaz has been leading a sheltered life, with not much driving and nothing to report. In 4 years and 9 months, it has only done 31,6xx km. I personally clean the car when required, and when I do it, I also inspect the bodywork and engine bay at the same time.

Back in October 2023, I detected rust on the front right-hand door sill (running board) and under surface of the door. This was unusual, in that there has never been any accidental paint or metal damage, nor any repainting done to that area. And in all my experience of owning cars, I have not seen rusting occur in that area in many, many years, at least, not since the 1990s. (And no, the car has never been to any seaside or salt-laden area, nor been immersed in floodwaters).

Curious and a little alarmed, I inspected the whole car minutely. Interestingly, there is no other sign of rust anywhere else - the other doors and running board areas, underbody, gutters, bonnet- and boot lid rain channels, insides of the front and rear fenders (which often accumulate dust, mud and leaves, and show rust). Nothing - all clean.

So I took the car to Maruti Service Master (JJ Impex) Okhla, New Delhi at the end of October, to show them the problem. Their Bodyshop person had a close look at the damage, took some pictures (in fact, those are the same pictures I am sharing on the forum). And I was told that they would take it up with MSIL for warranty cover / manufacturing defect.

Some days later, after I sent an email as follow-up to my visit of 27 October, I received a call to bring the car over once again. This time, an alleged paint specialist from Axalta had a look, and took another set of photographs. One week later, I received a reply email from MSM Customer Care, saying that according to the paint expert's report, the rusting issue is not a manufacturing defect. Apparently, the rusting has occurred because the problem of rusting of metal has arisen due to moisture/water accumulation and hard water. Very insightful, I might say! The email also mentioned that Your car work will be done on payment basis.

I decided to escalate this issue upwards, and wrote...

Maruti is not taking into account that the location of the rust is unusual; no other car shows rusting and perforation in a single location like this (also please note that no other door or body panel is rusted in this car); and there is no reason for water or hard water to accumulate in that area. The car is not located in a coastal area with high salt, and nor has it drowned in flood water. Therefore, this is not a normal wear-and-tear issue. The onus is on Maruti to determine whether it is a manufacturing defect or painting fault, but it is certainly not due to customer's fault or normal usage.

Once again, I received a reply, this time from someone in MSIL (not MSM). It said that upon inspection, it is observed that the alleged rusting/corrosion on right front door and running board issue is due external cause or factor. There is no defect/abnormality attributed to manufacture which was observed in this regard. Again, very insightful!

Of course, the customer management rulebook says a customer must always be blamed for anything that goes wrong. So MSIL told me, For better upkeep of the vehicle and rust prevention, may please refer “Appearance Care” section in Owner’s Manual & Service Booklet. Moreover, the required repairs are outside the purview of extended warranty in terms of clause 3(i), and hence the said repairs need to be carried out on payment basis. Yeah, right, I really need lessons on car maintenance from a booklet.

Most people would have stopped following up at this stage. Not me - I'm a little pig-headed, I suppose. I still had a lot of faith by Maruti to do the right thing. So I escalated the issue to the top as a last resort.

I am finally starting to lose faith and confidence in MSIL products after having used Maruti vehicles since 1986, and I am writing to you as a last recourse, regarding the matter of unusual rusting of my Maruti Ciaz Alpha... Of the 6 Maruti vehicles I have used extensively over the last 37+ years, not one has ever had a corrosion problem, whether similar or in a different area, except this Ciaz, one of Maruti's most premium vehicles at the time of purchase.

In my verbal & written interactions with Maruti's service department over the last 3 weeks and more, I have been repeatedly blamed of faulty maintenance for the rusting issue, as elucidated in the attached photographs. Maruti have washed their hands of their responsibility, as is evident from the email trail below. While I understand that paint damage may well cause corrosion, there has been no such damage in the area in question. There is no rust in any other area of the body of the vehicle - not even on similar areas on other doors/panels. Nor have I seen any other vehicle of similar age showing rust in that area, amongst the multitude of cars I've inspected out of curiosity. This vehicle has been carefully used & driven by me alone, has done just 31,000+ km, and has never been exposed to seaside / salty atmosphere.

Mr. ... has pointed out that Clause 3(i) of the extended warranty does not cover paintwork, bodywork and mouldings, water entry into the vehicle, corrosion of body parts, glass, Mirrors (inner & outer), lock cylinder & key & interior trims. It therefore appears that Maruti is not committed to provide paintwork or bodywork of sufficiently durable quality, and the onus of blame is always passed on to the owner / user. OTOH, it is remarkable that Toyota, whom Maruti is closely associated with, checks for rust & paint deterioration in their 12+-year-old cars, as is evident here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5650371 (Toyota Etios 1.5L Petrol : An owner's point of view. EDIT: 10+ years and 100,000+ kms up!).

I therefore leave it to your esteemed decision about whether the said corrosion is user-induced or is a paint & metallurgical defect at manufacturing stage. I am not seeking a minor discount on paid repair which has been offered to please me (as communicated to me over phone); however, if you consider this to be a paint / metallurgical defect, the rectification of this corrosion damage should be done as MSIL's responsibility.

Looking forward to your decision and reply.

Sent this email on a Sunday afternoon, to receive a call on Monday morning. They'd like to send another paint expert to my home to inspect the car, and its parking spot. Fair enough, and they're most welcome! No one came. End of the day, I received another call asking me to bring the car once again to MSM Okhla (some 15 km from my home) the next day. So off I went in the afternoon on the Tuesday.

This time, it was a paint expert from Nerolac, who arrived an hour behind schedule. He then proceeded to inspect the damage, as well as measure the paint thickness all over the bodywork with a DFT (Dry Film Thickness) meter.

And strangely enough, the paint thickness on the affected part of the running board was thicker than in other places, especially similar areas around the other doors. Of course, there was no repaint or panel damage there, apart from the rust.

They also took the car up on a lift to inspect the underbody, where there was no rust either.

In the meanwhile, I was told verbally right there that the right-hand front door would need replacement, and some special epoxy material would be used by the workshop to fix the rusting!

And then all was quiet for over a week, till I wrote another email:

At the time of inspection, I understand that there was a large discrepancy in the dry film thickness of paint in the area where the corrosion is occurring, despite there being no accidental damage or repainting done there. This may point to a defect at the time of manufacturing. I presume MSIL may not want to share the technical details with me, but I seek a rectification of the same.

How soon can I expect a resolution from your end, if at all?

A phone call the next day told me to wait just one more day. And 3 days later, MSIL finally refused to own responsibility and fix the rust. I received an email today from a senior person, which essentially said the same things I have been told earlier - but what is revealing is this:

...upon inspection patches of foreign compound/ Hard water accumulation found on rusting location and alleged rusting/corrosion on front RH door rusting is due to acid entrapment between door seal and side sill, resulting in paint damage in same pattern. Cause of rusting is foreign chemical / Hard water accumulation between weather strip and side sill areas. There is no defect/abnormality attributed to manufacture which was observed in this regard.

And there we are once again, blame the customer for the corrosion...

we understand that the vehicle has been plied for 4 years and 9 months since purchase. For better upkeep of the vehicle and rust prevention, may please refer “Appearance Care” section in Owner’s Manual & Service Booklet.

Moreover, the required repairs are outside the purview of extended warranty in terms of clause 3(i), and hence the said repairs need to be carried out on payment basis.

However, please be assured that the best possible support of will be provided by the workshop.

So patches of 'foreign compound' miraculously appeared and increased the paint thickess, hard water accumulated right there and nowhere else (I wish MSIL did a water hardness test for my water supply!), there was 'acid entrapment' there (which acid?), and of course, I don't know how to maintain my car!

So I shall be taking the car to my favoured FNG bodyshop (and not to MSM which wants to change the whole door) to fix the rust and prevent any recurrence. My faith and trust in Maruti products and quality of customer service has just tripped over and fallen flat on its face. I have had enough past experiences with rust in HM Ambassadors and Premier Presidents and Padminis decades ago, and I had thought that those days are over with the turn of the century - but I am obviously wrong!

What piques my curiosity is, what is the likelihood of such rusting happening in a car today, that is <5 years old? How many Team-BHP members can report rusting in a similar area which has never been damaged or repainted? And if this is not a manufacturing defect, what is it?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It is also a good idea to replace the water pump also. I could hear a faint noise while turning the pump, signalling bearing failure soon.

BHPian biju1971 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have completed about 1,10,000 km on my Ciaz ZDI 2016 model. The performance has been flawless. There is adequate comfort with the soft suspension and decent power/torque to stay ahead/keep up with the traffic. I have been doing the service regularly at Nexa with no major replacements.Battery lasted 3.5 years and that is due to the SHVS system.I have replaced the rear shock absorbers at 90,000km. My only grouse is with the sheet metal thickness and the poor paint quality. Rust spots at various places and paint coming off due to road gravel is a sore point.This is one reason i may not buy a Maruti again.

I completed the timing chain replacement at 1,10,000 km. There was a debate on what should be the interval to replace the timing chain, since the manual does not mention the interval.I believe 110000-120000 should be a comfortable zone for a sedate driver. On opening the engine, the auto tensioner was at the end of its travel and would not be able to take any more slack. The timing chain connects the crankshaft and camshaft(which controls the opening of the inlet and exhaust valves). A slack chain would alter the valve timing and affect the pick up, power and fuel efficiency(as combustion is not optimum),. It would still be sometime away from chain snapping as they are robustly built. If the chain snaps, the camshaft and crankshaft connection snaps, the valves could be in open position and the pistons travelling with momentum could hit the valves, causing catastrophic damage.The most important thing in the replacement is the relative position of crankshaft and camshaft, any altering in relative position during replacement would affect the engine for a long time to come.It is important to lock the crankshaft and camshaft before taking out the chain. It is also a good idea to replace the water pump also. I could hear a faint noise while turning the pump, signalling bearing failure soon along with seal damage and coolant loss. They also replace the sprockets, chain guide and the tensioners.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

As of now, I've done some silicon and paint touchups to slow down the corrosion from spreading.

Anto Pandian recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am facing a severe rusting issue on my 2017 Maruti Ciaz Petrol. All 4 door panels of my car have rusted within 6 years from the date of purchase. As of now, I've done some silicon and paint touchups to slow down the corrosion from spreading. Also attaching the response given by the company after multiple email follow-ups.

Response from the dealership:

Based on your feedback & request, the vehicle was thoroughly inspected by our Technical team of M/S Aadhi cars on 22-04-2023 in your presence at your residence. Technical team observation was the rusting is due to an external source/climate source and not due to any manufacturing defect. Hence the complaint will be rectified on a paid basis.

Requesting your valuable approval.

Here's what BHPian mints21 had to say on the matter:

This is not new. My own Maruti Ciaz which was purchased in May 2016 is having similar problem in Delhi NCR. Spoke to many advisors at Nexa and they say it's a common problem with many cars from Maruti stable and the only way out is change of doors which costs approximately Rs.15000/- per door. I have decided to sell the car and move on from Maruti once and for all.

The so called NEXA is only premium when it comes to selling a car. Once you are at a service station of so called NEXA you see nothing which is premium.

Case in point is Rohan Motors, Sector-1, Noida. According to Maruti this is the so called platinum dealership.

May be there awarding criteria is only and only sales and no service.

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

Hats off to those intelligent inspectors from M/s Aadhi Cars for such a very significant finding. We never really knew that rusting is due to only "some unknown and anonymous external source/ climate source (or ET source?)" and not at all due to any manufacturing defect.

Hence, Marutis now get added to the rust bucket list. The list includes manufacturers like Mahindra too. And a coastal town would be the best testing ground for the metal succumbing to vagaries of nature faster than drier towns.

We had thought that the "rust era" epitaph was written long ago, post the disappearance of Padminis and Ambassadors with their siblings. But no, we are wrong. The rust era survives and is rocking.

The car metal needs to be treated well to last for at least a decade without any issues. But the OE's are more concerned about production, despatches, profits and company balance sheets.

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

To my eyes this is a classic case of improper washing & care for the vehicle. I think we`ll see some more rust in areas like the corner the doors, the edge of the wheel well, possibly the weld seam on the roof, bottom of the windshield and many more places if we go looking.

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

This is definitely due to the poor workmanship of Maruti, compounded by the high TDS of ground water used for daily wash.

I have seen similar problem in 3 balenos in my street of 18 houses. Sharing some pics of the door before the repairs. All other cars had similar issues.

This is just an evidence of the cost cutting happening in all stages of car manufacturing. Our 1987 model M800 old body never had any such issues. The only rusting we witnessed in that car was due to damp carpets which was addressed at home with removing the carpets, the woolen stuffing underneath, allowing the car to dry out, cleaning and applying a layer of rubber seal. that held up for the next 10 years till we sold that car in 2003.

Unfortunately, does not suffice anymore. I replaced one door and repainted another on my baleno of 2016 vintage, before selling it off earlier this year as the rust was reappearing in new places on the doors.

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