I purchased my Chevrolet LS last year in June 2009. It was a decision that I took after taking a test drive and after reading many reviews on Mouthshut. I had test driven Wagon R and Palio earlier. What I liked the most in this car was the silence inside the cabin and the drive quality and the price was less than Wagon R and Palio. I got a good discount + 3 year service package free of cost.We were owning a Maruti Alto and a Maruti 800 earlier and I was very much satisfied with both the cars. I loved them for what they were capable of doing. Never expected 800’s AC to chill the car in the summers and never expected Alto to give me the same thrill of driving as the 800 did. Alto was and is still more noisy than 800.
Coming back to my decision to buy Spark. After the test drive I felt that this was a very capable car - as per its fuel economy (17kmpl) and interior space (for a small car). So I went ahead and booked it. Everything was perfect till the day I got the delivery of my new vehicle. The staff was courteous and papers were in order, the number plate was at its place and I was given a temporary registration certificate with an assurance that I’d get the smart card in a month’s time. I got in 45 days. No complaints. Hota hai.
When I drove the car from the showroom to my house I noticed that there was a clunk sound from under the bonnet. I had driven my 800 for last 10 years and I thought I knew what it was. It was two metal parts touching each other, as if there was a rubber bush missing somewhere. Only thing was I didn’t know where the problem was. I brought it to the notice of the salesperson and I was told "Don’t worry Sir, drive for 1000 kms and on the first service - the reassurance check - this will be taken care of". After completing 1000 kms I went for the first service and told them about the noise. Was it taken care of? No!! The service people said "Sir, we didn’t find any noise. Please drive the car. There is no problem with the vehicle. If you face any problem we are there." I came back.
Second service (they call this one as the first service) happened but no change. So this time I went for a running repair (free of cost ’cause the car was in warranty for 3 years and it had only been a few months!). I again mentioned the problem and this time they sent one of their service supervisors. I took him for a test drive on the route that I usually follow to go to my office. I deliberately took the car over exactly the same imperfections on the road where the car made that clunk sound. And it did! I had proven my point. But the person next to me, Mr. Shiv, downplayed the whole thing and said that it was nothing much and asked me to leave the car with them. Was the problem rectified? The answer is No!! Instead, a new problem came up, that of wobbling.
Dissatisfied, I told them that now I had two problems instead of one: clunk sound and wobbling. Initially they again refused but when I insisted they replaced the rear shock absorbers with non-gas shocks saying that it comes as an alternative and some cars have reported problems with gas shocks. But regarding the clunk sound they still did nothing.
Third service (second service as per them): I again reported the clunk sound again. I don’t know what they did but my car started wobbling horribly at slow speeds and on turns and round abouts.
During the same period I had lot of work pressure and going again and again to the dealer was getting on my nerves. I still took some time out and went to see them. They asked one of their service personnel to go with me for a test drive. I explained him the whole thing but guess what, he even refused to acknowledge that there was any problem. He said "Sir aapko wehem ho raha hai". I was furious but I didn’t want to shout at him. It was then that I understood GM’s tactic - sell the car and forget it. This is was what their 3 year warranty means.
I was absolutely disgusted by all that had happened, I started thinking that I had made a mistake buying a GM Chevrolet product.
Went to my old Maruti dealer who I am very friendly with. He immediately said that it was a problem with either the power steering or the tie rod assembly and asked me to get it checked through GM only as the car was under warranty.
Fourth service + running repair at another GM service dealer: Same experience. They just don’t acknowledge! By now, instead of crying I was laughing. It is still very frustrating but now I know that it was COLOSSAL mistake to have gone for a GM product.
The car itself is a good product, provided it is fault free from the beginning. BUT, if there is slightest amount of fault, they are either INCAPABLE of detecting it or they don’t want to acknowledge that there is any fault. I wrote mails to GM and their dealer. They are all very nice and courteous but they don’t solve the problem. So, I am in a fix. I can’t sell the car ’cause I have installments to pay and if I pay the entire amount, get the car transferred in my name and sell it, I will incur a huge loss as GM cars don’t have a good resale value. I am just stuck.
Many a times I think to myself : Should have gone for Alto (it would have been a second one for our family but so what!). It has less space and is not as refined but o boy what a reliable car it is. In six years, since we bought our Alto there has been no wobbling or clunk sounds. The AC is good and there is Maruti’s excellent service network with availability of parts and reasonable charges. Besides, Maruti’s technicians are well trained. They can diagnose the problem in seconds.
Having explained the problems I am facing with my car and having praised Maruti I’d still say that I have not given up. I still have one and half years of warranty with Chevrolet. I will again go to them and ask them to rectify the problem. I am hopeful that some day, someone will hear.