Tata Motors review: power steering pump failure 5

I had bought a tata indica dlg turbo in january 2006 im mumbai, india. since then the power steering pump (which controls brakes and steering) has failed 3 times on road. everytime the car has been taken to the company and/or the authorized dealer, they give assurances that it will not happen again.

I think the manufacturer is putting me and my family at huge risk by failing to appreciate the seriousness of the situation. if in the new vehicle the brakes and steering have already failed thrice in less than 14 months shouldn't the manufacturer recall the vehicle rather than wait for me and my family to have a potential fatal road accident on account of power steering pump failure?

reproduced below are the mails exchanged between me and the company.

Kind attn.- [protected]@tatamotors.com

This is the most disgusting and insensitive response from your end.
Despite repeated pleas in my emails to answer my queries in writing you want me to take delivery of a car which has a history of power steering pump failures and pretend as if nothing happened.
This email of yours takes the cake as well as the entire bakery in terms of sheer callousness. I have exhausted all the good will that I had towards the tata name.
Would conclude by again asking a question which has been asked in my previous mails also. would any of you distinguished gentleman and ladies, ever trust your family's and your well being in a car in which the power steering pump (which regulates the functioning of brakes and steering) has failed 3 times on road in span of less than 14 months.

Regards,

Amitabh saxena.

[protected]@tatamotors.com wrote:

kind attn.:- mr. amitabh saxena

this has reference to your mail dated 22.05.07.

we had taken up the matter with our regional office and we understand from them that you had been offered compensation in terms of services. as mr. sadique ansari (csm) and mr. sanjeev tiwari (customer support manager - tata car service center), both are on leave hence now, we have requested mr. banan to contact you and get the car deliver as soon as possible.

kindly bear till such time.

thanking you
for tata motors

customer support
mumbai.

— original message —
from: amitabh saxena [mailto:[protected]@yahoo.co.uk]
sent: tuesday, may 22, 2007 11:48 am
to: support west; sawant (mrs) rupali d [ senior assistant (customer care cell), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ] ; tiwari sanjeev [ asst general manager (customer support), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ]; banan k m [ senior manager (car care cell), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ]
subject: fwd: re: re: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)

dear tata motors personnel,
it's been 13 days since I met your mr. sadique ansari and mr. sanjeev tiwari upon their request at tata motors worli workshop. and 11 days since my mail dated 11/05/2007.
there has been no call from your end nor has anybody bothered to reply to my mail. but I think thats the legacy of tata motors. ignore the customer and his grievances. frankly I have run out of patience and the mild options.

regards,

amitabh saxena

amitabh saxena wrote:

date: fri, 11 may 2007 13:24:15 +0100 (bst)
from: amitabh saxena
subject: fwd: re: re: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)
to: support west , [protected]@tatamotors.com,
sanjeev. [protected]@tatamotors.com

dear mr. sadique ansari,

to maintain continuity in all the correspondence between us, I will first reproduce your reply (which has taken you 9 days) and then my response to the same.

your reply to my mail dated 2/5/07 is reproduced below:
=

date: fri, 11 may 2007 14:42:22 +0530
to: [protected]@yahoo.co.uk
dear mr. amitabh saxena
this has reference to our meeting at our worli workshop on 9th instant. the repair work on your car was already carried out on your car and it was ready for the delivery. as it was discussed to boost your confidence in the product, it was decided to check your car by our experts and the same has already been lined up. also another loaner car was sent to you to take care of your transportation needs.
you being our valued customer, we have decided the following :
· 2 complementary services inclusive of oil and oil filter to your car alongwith engine checkup
· 1-engine waxing
· 1-interior enrichment
· 1-comprehensive electrical checkup

the status of the car and delivery schedule will be confirmed by our worli workshop after necessary inspection by our experts.
regards,
sadique ansari
regional customer care co-ordinator (west)
tata motors ltd (pcbu)
[protected]
=

amitabh saxena's reply,

I am yet to receive any adequate response to all my mails to you starting from 23/4/07. the meeting at tata motors worli workshop on 9/05/2007 had been called upon your specific telephonic request.
please note that after the second power steering pump failure, (which took place on the western express highway on 25/04/2007) and the failure of your dealer m/s wasan motors, kandivali, to address and resolve the problem, upon my specific request, the vehicle was taken to this same tata motors worli workshop. I had received letters from a senior functionary of tata motors apologising for the repeated power steering pump failures. no reasons or explanations were offered then also and I was given a wheel cover and an anti-glare mirror instead, to boost my confidence in the car.
as I have been repeatedly mentioning to you in all my mails and in our meeting of 9/5/07 in which mr. sanjeev tiwari was also present, the issue is that, the power steering pump (which regulates and controls the performance of the brakes and the steering) has already failed 3 times in a span of less than 14 months, putting my family's and my life at risk. not once but thrice... and I am not willing to take that risk anymore now.
I do not need any of the following;
· 2 complementary services inclusive of oil and oil filter to the car alongwith engine checkup
· 1-engine waxing
· 1-interior enrichment
· 1-comprehensive electrical checkup.

also, the use of loaner car was graciously offered by your mr sanjeev tiwari.
you can have it collected back whenever you want to or you can give me a simple phone call and it will be returned to you asap.
to summarise, I am once again requesting you to give me proper written answers and explanations to all the queries mentioned in all my mails starting from 23/04/07, when the power steering pump failed on road for the third time in less then 14 months.

Regards,
Amitabh saxena

P. s.- please also note that this mail and its contents are privileged information and should not be shared with a third party. (my mail dated 23/04/07 was forwarded from your end to a research analyst without my knowledge)

Amitabh saxena wrote:

date: fri, 4 may 2007 05:42:14 +0100 (bst)
from: amitabh saxena
subject: fwd: re: re: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)
to: support west

dear mr. ansari,
please note that the loaner car provided to me by your worli workshop on 23/4/07 has been personally delivered back to your worli workshop at 9.15 a. m. today.
mr. sanjeev tiwari - assistant general manager has also been informed personally about the same.

regards,

amitabh saxena

note: forwarded message attached.
yahoo! answers - got a question? someone out there knows the answer. try it now. date: wed, 2 may 2007 10:34:23 +0100 (bst)
from: amitabh saxena
subject: re: re: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)
to: [protected]@tatamotors.com

dear mr. ansari,
despite the fact that an aggrieved and traumatized customer is repeatedly requesting you to provide written explanations for the repeated failures of the power steering pump (thrice in less than 14 months) and other related issues, you and the support west team choose to ignore all my queries.
the kind of replies that you have given to all my mails, is creating an impression that I am dealing with some fly-by-night-manufacturer and not with a group company of india ’s most respected and trusted corporate house.
instead of taking steps to restore a customer’s faith and confidence, your cavalier attitude as reflected in your mails is making me increasingly nervous and anxious.
just once, put yourself in my place and answer honestly whether you or any of your support west personnel, trust your loved one’s and your own safety in a vehicle where the critical component like power steering pump has already failed thrice in a span of less than 14 months?
I am once again attaching my last letter to you dated 26/4/07 in anticipation that it will be properly answered as requested.

regards,

amitabh saxena

p. s. —
with reference to your email dated 30.04.07, here are my observations:

* you were called by my colleague mr. nayab shaikh on 26.04.07 at around 17:00 hrs. this was done only to confirm the receipt of my email to you dated 26.04.07. no attempt has been made by you or anybody else from the support team to contact me personally from 23.04.07 till date. no oral explanations for the recent and previous two failures of power steering pump were solicited from you by mr. nayab shaikh..

* on 27.04.07, I had gone to your worli workshop, to collect some important documents which were lying in my car. please note that at no point was a meeting requested by you or mr. sanjeev tiwari (asst. gen. manager – customer support). please also note that at no point was any explanation offered or failed part i.e. power steering pump shown to me.

* when the power steering pump failed for the first time on highway on 06.03.06, the part was exchanged on-site. at no point was the defective part shown to me or any explanation offered. when I took the vehicle to m/s. wasan motors on 12.03.06, mr. abhijeet rajendran was nowhere in the picture, so obiviously he could not have offered any explanation or shown me the defective part, as claimed in your mail.

* the second power steering pump failure took place on 25.04.06. again, please note that mr. abhijeet rajendran came into the picture only on 27.04.06, only upon my insistence, when the dealer failed to provide any answers for such repeated failures. all no point did tata motors contact me on its own to offer any explanation. also, mr. abhijeet rajendran did not ever show any defective part to me nor explain the reason for its repeated failure.

[protected]@tatamotors.com wrote:

dear mr. amitabh
this has further reference to your mail. your representative mr. nayab shaikh spoke to me on 26/04/2007 all queries/doubts were explained to him in detail and he was explained about the recent failure. also during your visit to worli workshop on 27/04/2007, you were personally contacted by mr. sanjeev tiwari (asst general manager-customer support) and reason for the breakdown and failed parts were shown to you.
as regards to the earlier failures which had happened almost a year back, mr. abhijeet rajendran (manager-customer support) had personally check the car and clarified to you the reason for failure. the repair work was coordinated with our dealer m/s. wasan motors. also the damages were shown and explained to you that time.
we once again request you to not to have any apprehension about product quality and arrange to take the delivery of the car at the earliest.
regards,
sadique ansari
regional customer care co-ordinator (west)
tata motors ltd (pcbu)
[protected]
from: amitabh saxena [mailto:[protected]@yahoo.co.uk]
sent: monday, april 30, 2007 1:04 pm
to: sawant (mrs) rupali d [ senior assistant (customer care cell), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ] ; support west; p abhijeet r [ senior manager (customer support), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ] ; tiwari sanjeev [ asst general manager (customer support), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ]; banan k m [ senior manager (car care cell), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ]
subject: fwd: re: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)

dear sir,
it may please be noted that 4 days have passed since I my last email to you all, dated 26/4/07 and I am yet to receive any response from your end. nor has anybody bothered to speak to me personally or over the phone.

regards
amitabh saxena

p. s.- the loaner car which was very kindly provided by your worli workshop needs to be pushed by 3-4 people, for its engine to splutter to life.
the above mentioned loaner car has been delivered back to your worli workshop today morning.

amitabh saxena wrote:
date: thu, 26 apr 2007 11:42:01 +0100 (bst)
from: amitabh saxena
subject: re: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)
to: [protected]@tatamotors.com, [protected]@tatamotors.com,
abhijeet r ,
banan ,
chet mankad
dear mr. sadique ansari,

you have chosen to ignore the history of my car (mh-02-ap-7525) completely and are trying to now put the blame for the critical component failure (power steering pump) on me or the mumbai roads. you have not bothered to answer any of my queries listed in the last 2 e-mails to you.
I am once again requesting you please give me written explanation for the following:-

* when the power steering pump failed for the first time in march 2006 what were the reasons behind it?

- was the tie-rod bent then also due to external impact?
- had the crash been damaged then also?
- if yes, then why wasn’t I informed about it?
- why were the photographs not provided then? (like you have done in this instance, when the power steering pump assembly failed for the 3rd time in 15 months, 23/04/07)
- is it normal for a brand new car to have such a critical component failure?
- please provide me with complete copies of the reports relating to the above incident.

* when the power steering pump failed for the second time in april 2006, what were the reasons behind it?

- was the tie-rod bent then also due to external impact?
- had the crash been damaged then also?
- if yes, then why wasn’t I informed about it?
- why were the photographs not provided then? (like you have done in this instance, when the power steering pump assembly failed for the 3rd time in 15 months on 23/04/07)
- is it normal for a brand new car to have such a critical component failure for the second time in such a short span of time?
- please provide me with complete copies of the reports relating to the above incident.

* when the vehicle was inspected and repaired at your workshop in january, february and march 2007, was the tie-rod and the crash also inspected and certified o. k.? if yes, I would like to have a copy of the reports.
* when the vehicle was damaged within your premises by your personnel in april 2007, was the tie-rod checked, inspected and certified o. k. for no bend in it, due to external impact and was the crash also checked, inspected and certified o. k. for no damage to it? please provide me with the copy of the relevant report.
* is the indica designed to be driven over rubber roads only, so that if it is driven on the roads of mumbai all kinds of component failures are likely to take place?
* I am once again requesting you to please provide me with the e-mail ids of the following senior functionaries of tata motors:-

- mr. ravi kant
- mr. rajeev dube

regards,

amitabh saxena

[protected]@tatamotors.com wrote:
dear mr. amitabh saxena

we once regret for the inconvenience caused to you. however we are attaching herewith the photographs which clearly show that the incidence occurred due to an external impact from the bottom and not on account of incidence occurred on 04/04/2007.

you are requested to contact our worli workshop for the delivery of the car.
regards,
sadique ansari
regional customer care co-ordinator (west)
tata motors ltd (pcbu)
[protected]
from: amitabh saxena [mailto:[protected]@yahoo.co.uk]
sent: wednesday, april 25, 2007 2:16 pm
to: support west
subject: re: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)

dear mr. sadique ansari,
at the outset, let me thank you, your organization and your dealer wasan motors for providing me loaner car and towing services on innumerable occasions in the last 1 year or so. however there are larger issues at stake here; issues involving human life, which cannot be given cosmetic brush. I suggest you read my mail yourself and very carefully, before making uninformed statements and remarks. please read the attachment that I sent along with my mail dt. 23/04/07 and reattached with this mail.in case you people have not yet realized, you are playing with human lives here.

I would also like to inform you of the following observations:
1st failure of power steering assembly - vehicle approx 46 days old
· the car delivery was taken on january 06. first time power steering failed on march 06, 2006 no explaination or reasons were offered by your dealer wasan motors.
· instead tata indigo’s part i.e., power steering pump was fitted on my car and upon questioning I was told it didn’t matter and indigo & dlg turbo have the same part. (ref mr. dhuru & mr. kiran shetty – wasan motors). (pls refer to attachments with this mail)

2nd failure of power steering assembly - vehicle approx 67 days old
· on april 27, 2006 my wife and I (with fractured foot) were in the same car on tulsi pipe road (senapati bapat marg) near mahim when the brakes almost failed and steering wheel got jammed.
· consequently we found that that again there was a failure of the power steering pump, assembly. no cause or reason or explanation were offered to us then, except sincere and heart felt regrets and letters from tata motors & wasan motors.

3rd failure of power steering assembly - vehicle approx 445 days old
· on april 23, 2007 while driving on the tulsi pipe road in the morning (around 9am) near dadar, the by now familiar scenario was re-enacted, brakes almost failed, steering almost jammed. but this time I could not escape unscathed. due to the failure of the brakes, which was consequential to the power steering pump failure, I hit a cyclist who also had a pillion rider. luckily for me they were only hit and not hurt as the speed of my car was almost negligible.
· since I was in the vicinity of the company owned workshop at worli, driving at speed of 5kmph with emergency lights on I managed to reach the work shop where the vehicle was handed over to your mr. k. m. banan – manager pcbu, worli.

service record of the car (only done with tata motors or wasan motors service centres)
service 1 – 5,000 kms – wasan motors

service 2 – 10,000 kms – wasan motors

service 3 – 15,000 kms – tata motors – worli
(all the hardcopies available and can be provided on request)

apart from this, from may 2006 till date, I have made innumerable trips to your worli workshop for various niggles like :
- fan belt noise,
- a. c. fan belt noise,
- winder problems with power windows
- wheel alignment & balancing etc.,
- dents and scratches on right hand side,
- replacement of headlight, foglight and front bumper.

please access the service records available at your end.in all of the above instances, no bent tie-rod or damage to the crash was reported.

in your mail you have mentioned that :
· the front tie rod was bent due to external impact.
· the crash was also damaged.
· hence the failure of the power steering pump was not due to manufacturing defect it was consequential due to an external impact.

let me bring to your notice that on april 4, 2007, the vehicle was handed over to your service advisor for 15,000 kms servicing.in the afternoon I was informed by the service advisor that there was an accident involving my car within the workshop premises involving tata motors personnel, indicating sheer negligence.

the front fender was extensively damaged. the car was repaired and handed over to me the next day. no bent tie-rod or impact to the crash was reported by the tata workshop.

now all of a sudden out of the blue I hear from you that my power steering pump failed on 23/4/07 for the 3rd time in 15 months of buying the car because:-
a) tie-rod was bent,
b) crash was damaged

I was also personally informed by your mr. k. m banan - manager - pcbu, worli on 23/4/07 that the impact on the crash was old and not new. I now strongly believe that the tie rod was bent and the crash damaged because of the mishap which took place inside your premises due to sheer negligence on the part of your personnel.

mr. ansari, I had painstakingly documented everything that had transpired with my car since the time I bought it, thinking that honestly and transparency are the bywords, since I am dealing with the “house of tatas”.

however, I am extremely disappointed by this letter of yours, which simply brushes aside my documentary evidence relating to the past power steering pump failures and tries to puts, the blame squarely on external factors.

for your kind information, I also own a maruti wagon r for the past 6 years. this wagon r has also been driven along the same route for the past 6 years. it has suffered few dents and scratches, but never ever any critical component failure.in fact, I am yet to meet a person who’s new car has been a subject of such critical component failure over and over again.

for your and the information of the esteemed gentlemen of m/s. tata motors, I am a family man with a wife and two children and dependent parents, and I cannot drive a car or let my wife, children or parents ride a car in which a critical component like power steering pump can fail and has already failed thrice in a span of 15 months from the delivery of the car.

unlike a cat, who they say has 9 lives, I and my family members have only one life. I have already had 3 narrow escapes and do not wish to push my luck further.

for you and tata motors, me and my family’s safety may mean nothing. however, for me the safety and well being of my family is paramount.

I would like to conclude by saying, that please don’t play with human lives in this manner. this letter of yours, in which you have attempted to wash your hands of the entire matter and shirk responsibility without giving any weightage to the car’s history has left a bitter taste. I will now contemplate legal action in consultation with cgsi and will also be talking to various newspapers and news channels, so that other people are forewarned about your product and after sales service.

regards,

amitabh saxena

ps.
please note that despite innumerable attempts by me and my colleague mr. nayab shaikh, the following tata motors personnel could not be contacted on the phone, although urgent messages were left with their respective offices :-
- mr. vikram sinha – national head – sales & servicing
- mr. girish deshpande – national manager

you are kindly requested to provide me with the email ids of mr. ravi kant and mr. rajeev dubey.

[protected]@tatamotors.com wrote:

dear mr. amitabh saxena

this has reference to your mail. we regret for the inconvenience caused to you. however your car was taken to our worli workshop. mr. abhijeet was in touch with you and yesterday a loaner car was arranged for you to take care of your transportation needs. we would like to inform you that necessary rectification has been carried out and your car is ready for the delivery.

we would also like to inform you the following observations:

* the front tie rod found bent due to external impact
* also the crash found damaged
* hence the failure of the power steering pump was not due to any manufacturing defect instead it was consequential due to an external impact.

you are requested to contact our worli workshop for the delivery of the car and any further assistance if any.

regards,
sadique ansari
regional customer care co-ordinator (west)
tata motors ltd (pcbu)
[protected]
size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
from: amitabh saxena [mailto:[protected]@yahoo.co.uk]
sent: tuesday, april 24, 2007 2:53 pm
to: support west; sawant (mrs) rupali d [ senior assistant (customer care cell), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ] ; p abhijeet r [ senior manager (customer support), mumbai pcbu, mumbai ]
subject: fwd: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)

sir,
please note that almost 24 hours have elapsed since I sent the below mentioned mail to you.

regards
amitabh

amitabh saxena wrote:
date: mon, 23 apr 2007 11:45:01 +0100 (bst)
from: amitabh saxena
subject: fwd: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)
to: [protected]@tatamotors.com

kind attn : mr. ratan tata,
mr. ravi kant

diesel re energised - but customer nearly died

amitabh saxena wrote:
date: mon, 23 apr 2007 10:01:40 +0100 (bst)
from: amitabh saxena
subject: strange and tragic case of indica dlg - turbo mh-02-ap-7525 (continued)
to: support west , [protected]@tatamotors.com,
abhijeet r , abhijeet. [protected]@tatamotors.com
cc: rajiv. [protected]@tatamotors.com, [protected]@starnews.co.in,
shilpa shetty
sir,

I think a quick recap is necessary to have a proper perspective

* indica bought in jan 06 from wasan motors
* power steering pump assembly failure resulting in brake failure and no power assistance to steering wheel, in march 06 on western express highway, narrowly averting major accident. me and my wife were in the indica.
* indica attended to and certified fit by wasan motors with assurances that it will not happen again.
* power steering pump assembly failure in april ’06 on tulsi pipe road, mahim. at the wheel was my wife, who was a expectant mother then, while I had a fractured right foot. again managed to escape unscathed.
* vehicle towed to wasan motors. attended to by wasan personnels and tata motors personnel, mr. abhijeet rajendran.
* by this time, I had developed a fright about driving my indica keeping in mind two close shaves.
* however upon written assurances from tata motor’s, senior personnel and trusting the good name of tatas I agreed to give my indica one last chance.
* april 23, 2007 : power steering pump failed resulting in brakes losing its power and steering wheel becoming inoperative yet again for the 3rd time while I was driving on the tulsi pipe road near dadar alongwith my wife and two of my colleagues. as the brakes had virtually failed I hit a bicyclist who also had a pillion rider. as it was morning peak hour rush, the traffic was bumper to bumper, hence the cyclist was only hit and not hurt.

points to ponder :

* is tata motor waiting for me and my family to have a fatal accident while driving my indica which is barely 15 months old and already a veteran of brake and steering wheel failure on the road.
* as usual tata motors will of course replace the faulty part yet again and give me all kinds of assurances that this will never happen again.
* to which I have few simple questions – would any of you esteemed gentleman from tata motors put yourself in my shoes for a minute and tell me truthfully whether you would ever put your spouse and children in such a vehicle which has by now a well established history of a critical component failure.
* all this time I have been lucky to have escaped injuries or causing one. what steps will tata motors take if next time there is a power steering failure and I fatally hit few innocent pedestrians.
* is it a matter of utmost concern to tatas that their manufactured vehicle is a virtual death trap with serious implications towards the safety and well being of not only the customer and his family but also of other vehicles who happen to be in the vicinity.
* I have decided (like I mentioned to you in my previous mails) to never drive this particular indica again.
* the anxiety and mental trauma that I have gone through each time such a failure has taken place cannot be explained in words. I have lost all faith in this car though not yet in the good name of tatas.

thanking you

yours faithfully

amitabh saxena
[protected]
p. s.

* please read attached mail for complete text of all previous correspondence between self and tata motors.
* hard copies of assurance letters received from tata motors and wasan motors as available and can be produced upon request.
* tata motors (worli workshop) seems to be too preoccupied with a marriage ceremony today and will probably revert to me once the rituals are over.

Amitabh saxena
regional head,
arms advertising pvt. ltd.
8/9, madhu indl. estate,
p. b. marg, opp. century mills,
worli,
mumbai - 400 013
# [protected] / 2658
[protected]