[Resolved]  TATA indica xeta GLS — Car Caught Fire at Dealership - Han Motors - No response, repair or replacement

THIS COMPLAINT IS AGAINST HAN MOTORS AND AN EQUALLY INSENSITIVE MANUFACTURER I.E. TATA MOTORS.

After having accepted the subject product for the third free servicing on 16th February, 2009, the dealer/service centre Han Motors, confirmed that there are no defects in the vehicle and that the same would be returned after servicing the following day.

Around 4 pm on 16th February, the Advisor assigned to my car Abdul Khadir called me on my mobile phone and informed me that the car had caught fire "while it was kept on in the workshop, for conducting routine checks ". The dealer was unable to ascertain the cause of the fire or whether there has been a defect in the vehicle.

Pictures taken by me of the car available.

I was told that they would be contacting Tata Motors, the manufacturer, for ascertaining the problem with a few days. The next week, I had called up service department of Tata Motors to request them to look into the matter. They assured me that the necessary inspection would be conducted and that necessary repair shall be done. By the time Tata Motors (service engineer Rahul Kumar) gave me the above assurance it was almost three weeks.

On or around the 9th of March the dealer Han Motors' manager asked me to provide them with my original insurance policy (and registration certificate) for lodging a claim with my insurer, ICICI Lombard. I provided them all of that next day, on 10th March as well as, with their assistance, lodged a claim with the insurance company, just to cooperate with them, knowing fully well that my insurance need not be invoked for an alleged incident which happened in my absence and when the car was not in my possession or control.

Even after all this I have not received a progress report on the cause of the alleged fire, the repair of my car or the state that it is in till date.

Until this time, I have extended my best cooperation to the dealer and the manufacturer with the honest hope that it would lead to a speedy resolution of the matter, but the result has been quite contrary to that hope.

I am now forced to take legal action and this complaint here is hopefully a lesson that prospective customers of these organisations would learn from. Please do not get swayed by the "Tata is an Indian pioneer in industry" sentiment as in reality they woefully lack the sensitivity to handle such things and I daresay their products are also pretty questionable. At least with passenger cars, one should consider other options is what I was advised time and again by many ex-customers. However, among other things, I admit being carried away by needless nationalistic sentiment due to which I committed the folly of doing business with Tata and their delinquent agencies.

Please evaluate other options in case you contemplate contracting for products that this group deals with directly or through its agents.