[Resolved]  HONDA city zx vtec — Quality without Durability Factors

Address:

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Complaint regarding Honda City

Date:13/02/2013

To,
The Managing Director.
HONDA SIEC Cars India Ltd.
Plot No. A-1, Sector 40-41,
Surajpur – Kansa Road,
Greater Noida Industrial Development Area,
Dist. Gautam Budh Nagar,
Uttar Pradesh.

Sub: Quality without durability factors.
Chasis No. – GD853B6N303443
Eng No. – 10003477
Reg No. – AP13K0567

Dear Sir,

Iam writing this grievance on behalf of my father Mr K.S.Varma. We own a Honda City ZX VTech model 2006. Our initiation for the car has been through a local mechanic who said that you will have peace of mind if you go for the Honda City. From the purchase we liked the car very much subject to the most common negatives being the suspension which always makes a ‘thud’ sound whenever it goes through potholes and the low ground clearance which always screeches some speed breakers.

Inspite of all this we are hard fans of the car because of the bullet proof engine. We always told our friends and relatives that if you want a car with petrol engine, it should always be Honda car. We have done the car with only 60k over a period of 7 long years. The usage pattern is mainly in the city that too when we need to take short distances. Our city has always given us a mileage of 13 kmpl all the years.

However over the recent years this trust is getting faded due to some of the major problems that we have faced as below, (Kindly correlate with your service records as all our services are in authorised service centers)

1) Clutch: The clutch became hard very the initially during around 30k. This is claimed by service engineer as purely usage based and had to be changed. To make a point both my father and mysel[censored]se the car and both o[censored]s are driving various vehicles since last 20 years. We also have a Toyota Innova Diesel (2011 model done 45k) and Maruti Swift Petrol (2007 model done 60k). Both these vehicles never faced a clutch problem till now. The service engineers then said that the clutch working till 30k is a great achievement. We had no option but to go for a clutch replacement, and curse our luck. But we never lost hope on the car trusting on the Honda brand.

2) Locking System: From 50k we are facing a problem with the lock at the boot. The key cannot be inserted into the provision. We can only open the boot with the lever below the drivers seat. The Service engineers response on the same is that this is a wear and tear part and operating till now is a great achievement. The suggestion was to carry on with the same problem until most of the locks of the doors or ignition reaches with the same problem so that we could change the entire set at a cost of around Rs 15k.
3) Central/Remote Locking System: From 50k we are also facing a problem in the functioning of the central/remote locking. Ours is a factory fitted remote locking system. Now when we lock the car from the remote only the back doors gets locked. When we use the key from the drivers door to lock, only the drivers door and back doors get locked leaving the front side door to remain in unlocked position. So whenever the car has to be parked these have to checked which is irritating. The Service engineers response is the same that this is a wear and tear part and giving a life till now is a great achievement. The suggestion was to carry on with the same problem until the change of the locks as in point 2 so that the central locking system can also be changed with a cost of around Rs 15k.

4) Rust in the doors: Inside of the doors you will find rust cropping in at the corners. This can also be seen in the boot door. The Service engineers response is that since the car is 7 years old you cannot expect more than these problems. There is nothing that we could do now but could only give the touch-ups of some paint here and there to avoid further damage.

5) Suspension: Worst of the problem that we thought would never happen is that from 55k it is said that the suspension is weak and we need to replace the same within a short time. The Service engineers response is that getting the life of suspension till this 7 years and 60k is a great achievement and this is a wear and tear part not to expect much life. So now we are due for another major expense of Rs 30-40k.

With so many problems getting cropped up at just 60k we now lost hope of what is that the Honda is advertising as “Quality Shows”. If a car means only engine and mileage I give Honda City car 100% marks. But a car means the shell to engine to suspension to interiors to everything. Quality has to be imbibed every where not just the engine.

We never faced any major problems with our other prized possessions of Toyota Innova and Maruti Swift Petrol. If Maruti can ensure no major repairs of the car till 60k can’t Honda ensure that there are no major repairs of the car till 60k and further. If it is told that Honda City is older by 1 year from Maruti Swift that I had, and that will lead to a further questioning of what is the premium that Honda collects compared to a Maruti.

I always believed that Japanese cars are more durable than the American or European counterparts. But in my case the other Japanese cars of Toyota and Maruti are performing well and Honda is letting me down.

The Service Engineers themselves tell that Honda cars are sensitive and are perfectly calibrated. If this an answer to all the problems above where do you find the durability factor coming into place. Quality without the durability is useless.

With Brio released as a affordable car by Honda, what will be quality levels of Brio if the state of Honda City is like this. On a worst part if the suspension life is only till 60k what is that you will have to boast of your car except for the engine.

To put an end to all the complaints and to regain the lost confidence on the City car and Honda brand I request you to please excuse us from the heavy bill that is expected shortly from the problems of 1) Boot Lock 2)Remote Locking and mainly the 3)Suspension.

Hoping for a prompt response and action from your side.

Regards,

K.Kalyan Kumar.
CC: Honda Motors-Japan

K.Kalyan Kumar
C/o K.S.Varma
Plot No. 613/3,
Aditya Enclave,
Road No. 33,
Jubilee Hills,
Hyderabad – 500033
Ph: [protected]
[protected]
Mail: [protected]@gmail.com