Clunk clunk Updated: 3rd service. Review on Tata Indica Vista Quadrajet

Bought a qudrajet on 4th dec from wasan motors - marine lines, the car has a very fresh feel in the looks dept. already done 600 kms gave an avg. of 15 in mumbai city traffic with AC on.On the second day the cabin light kept coming on and off by itself ( wonder why, never repeated again thereafter ). There is a clunk/clunk noise from the underbelly every time the car goes over uneven surface or even while taking a turn. The paint finish has an issue.

Seating is very comfortable, most peppy diesel driven by me. The car manual says that it has an immobiliser but the dealer guy was after selling me one saying the car does not have one originally. ( will check not much trust in the dealer )

The Lumbar support gizmo in seat that is so talked about is nothing but like a vestigeal organ in human body ( nobody knows what it does and why it is there ), dealer guy says not to drive above 80 km/hr for first 1000 kms ( strange - I thought that used to be in Mobikes in my younger days ) may be I will be able to shed more light then.

After driving Vista I have started loving my Accent more for the finesse it exudes even after years...I know both are different !!??

I have completed 1000kms and got the first free service done, the clunk clunk noise I was told was rectified as there was a nut slippage in the ball joint which was changed. However, nothing has changed the noise is still there and I believe it has increased. I did almost 500 kms drive from Mumbai to shirdi and back and the drive was good with no newer problems surfacing. But now I find wisdom in people saying that never take a brand new launch product from Tatas instead wait for a year for them to realise and rectify the problems in the vehicle and then buy. VERY TRUE.. My clunk clunk noise is still there after first servicing and after being told that it had been rectified. **You can get more details in my review on Wasan Motors.

*I still maintain that the car is good if not for the noise from the underbelly and vibration noises from the dashboard.

*12th january 2009

Sorry, I have been given more oppurtunity to inform readers about this Tata product and its definitely nothing that I feel happy doing. After getting disillusioned with the way Wasan Motors operated, I logged on to tata motors site and registered my complaint. surprisingly, I got a call from Wasan motors to get my Vista to their service centre. I got a SMS stating that I had a appointment at Wasan at 9 am the following day. I reached at 9 am sharp only to find no one there to attend to me. The service supervisor came late and directly went into a meeting and was not accessible to me directly, finally at around 10.20 or so I was attended to stating that there was no need to leave behind the car as it would hardly require anytime and would be done if I waited a little, pleased I waited...and waited....and waited. They could not ascertain what was wrong with the car and just tried tightening anything they thought would do the trick.. Finally the the way noise was coming changed but the noise was still there, now apart from intermediate appearance of clunk clunk there was **sound from axle on sharp turn( The last time I remember hearing this sound was from my first Maruti 1000 when it was 7 years old ).

There was a manufacturing defect in the Front light and the same was agreed to be replaced and was done so, but the light change made me wait there till 1 pm. The mechanics wanted to take out the old light without opening the bumper and the light was not yielding to their unprfoessional working ultimately they relented and loosened the bumper from one side and got the light out and fixed a new one I grabed my car and vanished....

CLUNK CLUNK Contd.

I have done 10, 000 kms and got third servicing done, The legacy of extra underbelly noises continues to live. The car was doing ok before this mandatory service, however after having it now serviced from tata service centre at worli car has started giving problems that were never there.

a. The central locking is not functioning properly ie. one of the doors does not lock despite pressing the remote ( remember this problem was never there before servicing).

b. The bonnet is found open by itself at regular intervals.

MOST IMPORTANT WARNING - For the first time in my life and having used four more cars I have witnessed something that I never knew could happen!! **My vista's rear window divider black metal strip has rusted within 6 months in a new car!!?? can you believe it, so much for the reputation of TATA STEEL ( God knows where all it must be rusting that is not visible today). Given the circumstances I will advise people to rethink buying this car, as I have paid for teflon coating as well as anti rust treatment treatment. there is a saying in hindi " NAAM BADE AUR DARSHAN CHHOTE".

My car was handed to me in the evening rush hour and I had no chance of checking things, hence in anticipation of good work done I gave good feedback in their form, but its a waste.