Santro Engine blown out problem is it possible?

Question

Yesterday it came as shock to me. I brought my Santro XL in Jan'06. I did my first servicing on time. As i was out of station, i missed the 2nd servicing and it got overdue by 4 and half months. Meanwhile, my parents changed the engine-oil from trusted place. There is no much running, and so far the running is 5000 kms only. Now yesterday i gave my vehicle for servicing, and when i went there to get the delivery, these people told me that the Engine is completely damaged and i have to do the replacement. What the heck? How is it possible?? There is no much running, oil is changed and its just 4 and half months overdue? Will that cause a complete breakdown of a strongest thing like Engine??
I don't believe this. I am talking to some other peoples and applied for warranty as well. But it seems, warranty is out of question as i haven't done the servicing on time and used some other oil. I think this is just a reason they have got.. my belief, they haven't done their first servicing proper

Answer 1

I must agree with you. That is not very long time, but I also wonder if your engine ran low on oil? The brand your parents had put into the engine should not have made that much of a difference. I don't think it had anything to do with the oil your parents had put in the engine. 5000KMS is not many by any ones standards, and the engine should have lasted a lot longer than this. Four and a half months is a long time to go without doing the service IF you drive the vehicle a lot. It seems to me they are trying to force you to come to them to have the service work done, and this is wrong in any country. I'm not sure of your laws there, but if you have proof your parents had the service work done, then they should honor the warranty. I don't care what kind of oil was put in the engine, it should have lasted much longer than it did. You might want to consider taking legal action against them, and this may be the only way you will be able to force them in to honoring the warranty.
Glad I could Help. Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

Take a truck to the service centre without any advance notice.Have a good advocate accompany you.If possible a qualified automobile engineer also.
Get your car out of the service centre at once.
Take it to a trustworthy garage and leave it there taking the necessary precautions for long period of storage.

Now, get the lawyer to file a petition for you in the local District Consumer Redressal forum against the service station and Hyundai.
There is no way the engine can blow. If you had missed the first service maybe. But definitely not the second service and after covering only 5000km totally.
Get prepared to by looking up the right qualified person to be nominated by the Forum as an expert witness in the case.
It will be a long drawn battle, but if you want justice there is no other way to do it.
I know this for a fact since 5 years ago I was unfortunate to buy a Maruti and with the defects and poor service I had no other option but to approach the Forum.
The car has not done even 2000km. I have not used it since and got a verdict from the Forum this year,asking Maruti to give me a replacement or my money back with damages and costs.
The battle continues since Maruti and the dealer have filed appeals in the State Commission of the Redressal Forum against this verdict.

Answer 3

It is a pretty bad situation but not unheard of. When a company produces a large number of cars it is statistically impossible for them to ensure that the engine or indeed any other component of the car will not fail well within the expected life span of the component. Unfortunately you got the bad one. Keep fighting them on this because you may be able to get it done under warranty. It could be any part of the engine that caused it to fail. They sound like just about any dealership in that they are trying to make money at your expense. They will look for any reason possible to try and get you as opposed to them to pay. Also did you drive the car to the service? If you drove it there with no problems and now the engine is busted then there is a really good chance that somebody there is responsible for your car getting damaged. When a motor goes it is a very severe event and not one that even the most unknowledgeble person would miss. Well good luck hope it all turns out in your favor.

Answer 4

This is almost unheard of. I've known people who have not serviced their Maruti's for more than a year (not new ones), not even changed oil, but never faced any sort of engine problem, even with regular running.

I'm curious to know why your parents changed the engine oil, from a trusted place or not. You normally never change it unless you've done over 4500km after a change. Was the oil leaking?

I'm also curious to know what your vehicle felt like when you drove it to the service station. I'm presuming an engine 'damage' is internal and not external (like from an accident). When an engine overhauling is required, the symptoms are plain to see. You should experience one or all of these
1. Overheating
2. Lack of response when you press the pedal - the vehicle moves in fits and starts when you move from standstill
3. engine noise should increase
4. the oil colour should be close to black, which means combustion is not OK, and wear of the cylinder sleeve and piston rings is collected in the oil.

I suggest you make the exact specifics of your usage and the service station's feedback, known to both Hyundai, as well as to a public forum (like consumer reviews). Even service station people would not like to replace an engine because it involves a huge amount of paperwork as your engine # has to be changed in your Registration book.

My first impression (like most others I guess) is that NOTHING can have happened to your engine in 1 year even if the oil was replaced.

Answer 5

Hey dude !
Remain a bit patient and do a bit of hard work.
Firstly, without any delay get the car out of service station. And also u haven't mentioned that u either drove the vehicle for servicing or get it towed? If u have driven, then how come ur engine blow by just driving to the service station? Check for any oil leaks.
Then take the car to some other dealer's workshop by tearing the second service coupon from booklet and just give them your car for servicing and observe what do they say!!!
Hope all will be fine as at 5000Km with first service done on time their seems no point of engine blowing up. As if the engine oil was too low then car would have given jerks and have halted several times. Also engine malfunctioning light in instrument panel would have remained on while u were driving.
So take the pain to check at ur parking lot for any oil leaks and take the car to some other dealer and wait for their verdict. Remember to tear the second service coupon and dont tell them that u have got the oil changed at some unauthorized service center. Just ignore there query about services done.!!!

And if nothing works then just hire a good automobile engineer (try to fetch Hyundai engineer itself from links etc) and get your car thoroughly checked, make your case and file it in Consumer's Forum. You will definitely get the justice done.

Talk strictly with dealer who has done your service and do check the engine number written on your RC and on your car before taking car out of the service center as it seems some unlawful act might have been done. So be careful and if feel satisfied with my solutions then go ahead. But dont waste any time to get the dealer on track!!!

Answer 6

The same case happened in Haryana also. What that man did afterwards is file a court case. He won the case due to the manufacturing defect and was ordered by the court to get him a new car and an interest on the cost of the vehicle.

take these guidelines:
http://www.vakilno1.com/bareacts/consumerprotectionact/consumerprotectionact.htm