Hyundai Motor India — Quality Complaint

Address:	Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 530032
Website:	www.hyundai.com

SUB: Technical and R&D issue wrt to Verna SX Coolant Assembly -rgds
I would like to register my quality complaint wrt to my Varna SX Car AP31BE 4669. Following are the details regarding the complaint:
1. Vehicle & Client Details:
Myself AV Rajsekhar, owner of Verna SX Diesel car purchased in 2010. My car No is AP31 BE 4669, registered at Visakhapatnam, AP. I work for Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a public sector company located 30 km from city. The car is self driven vehicle and gets its regular servicing done. The car tyres are in good condition and wheel alignment done at regular intervals.
2. Full Description of the incidence: Coolant assembly failure Report
i. Safety Concern (a serious safety issue with potential to cause serious burns),
ii. Repeat failure (Twice within 6 years, 92000 km) and
iii. High Replacement Cost (causing lot of damage to other car parts, changing coolant, oil, carborator etc)
Details of the incidence: Twice within 3 years
Nov 2013: Recollecting the events:
a. In Oct 2013 general servicing done. (~50, 000 km)
b. In Nov’13, within 15 days, water boiling sounds observed from the car bonnet while driving.
c. Informed to the serving centre, took the car immediately for check up.
d. The serve engineer opened the bonnet and then unlocked the carborator cap to check coolant condition.
e. He suffered slight burns on his right hand due to sudden gust of hot (oil + coolant) which came out from the carborator cap.
f. I was informed that cooling assembly ( a small aluminium mould assembly- of the size of a palm size ) has failed and hence the coolant and the oil got mixed.
g. The coolant assemble was replaced along with cleaning of carborator, oil changing, coolant replacement etc. The cost was over Rs 12000/- ( incl. the oil, coolant, cleaning the complete carborator and other charges).
h. I wanted to raise quality complaint. However, I was forced not to raise any quality complaint issue as it looks like one odd component failure. My issue is why did the component failed within just 3 yrs of purchase, with only 55000 km run?? Why it was not detected during the servicing in Oct’13?, Why the burn incidence, which had the potential to cause serious injury, not reported for a Technical / R&D team visit for improvement in product delivery?
Feb’2017: A repeat problem wrt the coolant assembly unfolded again
a. Took my car for regular maintenance on 11.2.17 (92, 000 km)
b. I was informed of coolant assembly failure. Oil and coolant has mixed again and needs to be replaced. I was given an estimation of Rs 18000/ -, for coolant assembly repair / replacement (incl carborator cleaning etc). With the original general servicing of Rs 5000/-, AC repair of Rs 8000/-, the total cost would be around 30, 000/-.
3. Desired Resolution:
I have been in the manufacturing sector since last 25 yrs, working for RINL, a public sector company and I feel failure of the coolant assembly part twice within 6 years is a design issue and needs the attention of the Top Management of Hyundai/ possible inspection by experts from Technical / R&D Team from HMIE, Chennai.
The responsibility of the Top Management intervention is exacerbating when it is a customer safety issue and the unwarranted erosion on the Brand image of Verna/ Lakshmi Hyundai.
Attention of Management is requested for urgent resolution of the Quality Complaint and to be seen as reacting to genuine concerns / problems of loyal customers before it is too late.

AV Rajsekhar
Email: avr.[protected]@vizagsteel.com