[Resolved]  Honda Cars — "Japanese Quality " - hogwash- No such thing!

The readers need to know how even a Japanese Manufacturer fails in delivering Quality when world over they boast of being the leaders in Quality (Total Quality Management, KAIZEN, etc etc). My Honda City Gxi model Aug 2005 has been driven only in Delhi for 25, 000 kms and in Chennai 5, 000 kms. In Delhi the roads are good, with no potholes and so sudden jerks are negligible and in Chennai the road speed hardly goes over 5 kmph and so sudden jerks are also absent in this city. I have been driving cars since last 24 years and this is my 6th car. I am also an engineer and a lubrication specialist. I say this to put forth my argument that I know about running and maintaining cars and have a long experience about life expectancies of various parts of a car from havng driven various models of cars which are supposedly "inferior" to Honda, which they claim to be of superb Quality and backed by Japanese Technology!

Just after purchase I found a sound in the suspension- left side, whenever the car's front wheels dropped into a trench/ cut/ pothole. I showed it to the dealer/ service centre Ring Road Honda, Gurgaon several times. I was told that this was a manufacturing defect but no harm will come to my car. They said that they have rectified this in the "new City" in Sep 05. Imagine! That means the cars of earlier models than this all have this problem!

Now after 30, 000 kms I find the Electronic Power Steering too developing defects and have to be replaced, under Warranty, luckily. The cost is Rs 43, 000/- otherwise. So much for Honda Quality!!

And also I have to replace my brake discs and pads for both front wheels. The latter is not even under Warranty as they say to me. But what troubles me that even in a Santro with my same driving style (and braking style) the brake disc life I got was 90, 000 kms and in a Honda, much costlier car it is only 30, 000 kms!!! In all my other cars too I have never replaced a brake disc at 3, 000 kms!!

I wish to bring this information to the notice of all readers and fellow Citizens that they should not go by name as in India car manufacturers are taking us customers for a ride and the Quality of parts and Products are really not as expected or as advertised by their high flying advertisements even if they are Japanese. I have a gut feeling that when anybody comes to India the start cheating us and do not follow the standards they would normally follow in US or Europe because there they would othewise be kicked out! It is our fault that our consumer movement is not strong and the laws too are weak.

Caveat Emptor!