Karen lets off some steam where her Tata Indica's concerned
- By Reader Review - Karen Wagenaar
- Published 08/3/2007
- Readers Reviews
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Rating:
I'm so glad i found you! I thought I was the only person having problems with my car, or atleast so the workshop made me feel.
I bought my first brand new car last year - May 2006, my TATA INDICA LSi. The whole reason for this was, due to the fact that I'm a female I can not afford to break down and my old car just simply would not do any longer. What a big mistake!
To list the problems I have had since buying this car:
I have broken down, my car had to be towed away. It was my alternator... Can you believe that!!
My back shocks have been replaced at 8000km or so. They told me things like this happen. It was a bad part.
I cannot count how many times they have skimmed my brakes and still today it is not right.
I started hearing a vibration; it turns out something cracked and they welded it... Never heard of a new car being welded back together.
I started hearing a ticking sound coming from my engine, they told me its my tappets and it will have to be set. I had to pay for this. When I went to collect my car, after paying for the settings that were done, I started my car and to my amazement I heard the same ticking sound. I went back inside and called the workshop manager. He listened and told me it the tappets! I took the car back for the second time, collected it again and as sure as bob the sound was still there...
At this point I could see that me being a female and all I was really not going to get anywhere with them; I therefore asked my dad to go and see them. Within an hour they collected my car. I never heard a word from them until a week later when they called to tell me I could come in and collect my car. Upon my return I saw on the job card they found my big end bearing had been excessively worn and they had to replace my tension belt.
As you can imagine I am quite shocked i never knew this could happen to a brand new car. I asked them how it was possible and what caused it? You can imagine what I was told - bad part!
If you thought that was the end of it you are wrong. There now seems to be another noise, to me it sounds like its the engine again. I phoned them and my car is now due to be booked back in. The workshop manager told me to him it sounds like my gearbox might need to be lubricated. Why? Why on earth would they have to be taking out my gearbox when it has only done 20 000km?
As you can see I have not yet had the pleasure of enjoying my NEW car. I don't even drive it to work anymore, I'm too scared I might break down.
If there is anyone out there who has had the same problems as me please contact me as I would want to approach Tata and demand an explanation. If Tata can not produce good quality vehicles then they should not have the right to sell them, and leave poor suckers like us paying for a car that is constantly in the workshop.
I bought my first brand new car last year - May 2006, my TATA INDICA LSi. The whole reason for this was, due to the fact that I'm a female I can not afford to break down and my old car just simply would not do any longer. What a big mistake!
To list the problems I have had since buying this car:
I have broken down, my car had to be towed away. It was my alternator... Can you believe that!!
My back shocks have been replaced at 8000km or so. They told me things like this happen. It was a bad part.
I cannot count how many times they have skimmed my brakes and still today it is not right.
I started hearing a vibration; it turns out something cracked and they welded it... Never heard of a new car being welded back together.
I started hearing a ticking sound coming from my engine, they told me its my tappets and it will have to be set. I had to pay for this. When I went to collect my car, after paying for the settings that were done, I started my car and to my amazement I heard the same ticking sound. I went back inside and called the workshop manager. He listened and told me it the tappets! I took the car back for the second time, collected it again and as sure as bob the sound was still there...
At this point I could see that me being a female and all I was really not going to get anywhere with them; I therefore asked my dad to go and see them. Within an hour they collected my car. I never heard a word from them until a week later when they called to tell me I could come in and collect my car. Upon my return I saw on the job card they found my big end bearing had been excessively worn and they had to replace my tension belt.
As you can imagine I am quite shocked i never knew this could happen to a brand new car. I asked them how it was possible and what caused it? You can imagine what I was told - bad part!
If you thought that was the end of it you are wrong. There now seems to be another noise, to me it sounds like its the engine again. I phoned them and my car is now due to be booked back in. The workshop manager told me to him it sounds like my gearbox might need to be lubricated. Why? Why on earth would they have to be taking out my gearbox when it has only done 20 000km?
As you can see I have not yet had the pleasure of enjoying my NEW car. I don't even drive it to work anymore, I'm too scared I might break down.
If there is anyone out there who has had the same problems as me please contact me as I would want to approach Tata and demand an explanation. If Tata can not produce good quality vehicles then they should not have the right to sell them, and leave poor suckers like us paying for a car that is constantly in the workshop.
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Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by RAASHREE NARIAN)
Rating:
Hi Karen, I was studying at DUT in Dbn when i needed a car to travel to Tech in the evenings, and bought the same Tata Indica LSI, i cant believe the problems i had and am still having. I had the footbrake some sort of clip come loose and had no footbrake and the car stalled immediately and had to be towed away, the gears keep jamming and as many times as i took it to Tata they say its normal nothing wrong with it. There is some sort of button under the drivers seat that caused the car not to start at all, we thought it was the battery but was not, so Tata sent the tow truck only to press some lever and button. I've had the key not working on the boot, but thats sorted out now. I replaced tyres at 26000km as they were worn out and boy what a problem there is to get the size tyres (165/65 13 inch) as most tyre garages dont stock the size and has to be ordered and are more expensive than ordinary tyres that they do stock. I have sent the front grill to be sorted out, as the paint keeps coming out from the day i bought it, now been told by the service dept that i should contact Tata dealers as its a warranty problem. So this defintely a problematic car, which i plan on getting rid off soon. Oh and the last problem is that my Tata is 2 years old and the value has dropped below half the price, dealers dont want to accept trade ins and i was offered R30 000 for a car i paid R82 000. There should be some sort of association or something that should actually test these cars before importing them as this is definitely a car that is not safe to drive especially if u are a women. Good luck in sorting out your car Karen, i cannot keep this car any longer and decided to rather except the price a dealer wants to pay to take this car.
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