Here is a brief synopsis of a very recent experience with Maruti Service at what is possibly their largest Authorized Service Center in Pune city: Chowgule Industries Pvt. Ltd., Katraj.
Car was given mainly for Body Shop work at considerable expense(denting and painting, etc).
Car was picked up on 29 February, 2012. Pick-up and drop facility was availed of as the service center is quite far from our premises.
The car was with them for the next 24 days, which is well beyond what it should take for the kind of work it was given for. Delays and various other frustrations and waste of time aside, the following is the final list of damage inflicted and atrocious work carried out on the car:
1) Front bumper cracked and broken. Front number plate damaged. This was discovered in the 1st visit to their workshop after giving them the car.
2) Damage on panel above front right tyre. This was noticed in 2nd or 3rd subsequent visit.
3) Left ORVM very shabbily fixed.
4) Inner door panels shabbily fixed.
5) One headlight and one indicator not functioning.
6) Headlights, indicators and windshield coated with some kind of rough translucent material. Possibly clear coat sprayed there by mistake during the painting process. The same has reacted with the headlamps and caused opacity and patchyness and reduced light output. The same substance on the windshield causes a dangerous film to form on the windshield when water is sprayed on it. Wipers no longer work effectively on it and create a noise never heard before. In short, car in outright dangerous condition was delivered. The same substance seems to be on the bonnet too.
7) More instances of damage all over the car. Even newly painted panels have small pitting/scrape marks.
This is a very brief synopsis of the total damage inflicted on the car while it was in their care.
Even more incredible surprises were in store when the car was taken all the way to them again, on the very next day itself
Sandpaper(polish paper) was rubbed over the plastic surface of the headlight and indicator lens and on the glass windshield to remove the grainy film.
Quick and crude touch up was done with a can of paint and a brush to hide the damage on various panels, including the panels newly painted by them.
(Note that Authorized Service Centers are never supposed to carry out such touch up jobs because touch up jobs can never give acceptable results)
Looking at the various instances of damage, one cannot not conceive that the car may have been used by the workshop or its employees for its/their personal work.
Overall quality of work, to say the least, is atrocious. Even a small time local garage, who charge much, much less, are capable of doing a better job. As for the damage inflicted, there can be no words strong enough to describe the experience.
Have spent an inordinate amount of time dealing with them, along with expenses incurred in traveling to their workshop on multiple occasions to resolve multiple issues. Unavailability of the car for such a long period itself was a major in-convenience and expense. Further loss of time, money and frustration in dealing with their denials, arguments, counter accusations, making repeated phone calls, etc. In short can only be described as the worst nightmare a car owner can have.
What is more appalling is the fact that Maruti Suzuki have authorized such a workshop. During several visits, several things were noticed, like they do not even have a proper tiled work area. Parts are dismantled and work carried out over open ground, right in the dirt. Cars are parked with 1 inch margin between them. Work inside Paint Booths is carried out casually with doors open(note that the area they operate in is exceedingly dusty). There are a lot of other observations and experiences that deserve mention, but will refrain from mentioning, lest this review become exceedingly long.
It seems Maruti Suzuki has completely lost it, when it comes to figuring out what kind of workshops they are authorizing!
Would anybody like to buy a Maruti Suzuki vehicle if this is the type of treatment their vehicle is likely to get at one of their largest authorized workshops? How has this place received authorization from Maruti Suzuki? Suggests that things other than merit are at work when giving authorization?