Ford Ecosport 1.5D Titanium - Owner's Log of the Beauty or the Beast?

[naveen04in]

Changing the tyre - Personal Experience (rear tyre):

The only time when I felt that the high GC was a pain. The jack needs to be fully jacked to completely lift the tyre. Wish they had provided some different kind of jack. Takes a lot of time and sweat. Removing the spare wheel was pretty easy but the special nut needs to be pressed for it to be used. The special nut consists of a plastic button and the metal nut. Press the metal nut inside the plastic case for it to be used. If you try to use it in the standard position, it wont lock. Slotting the tyre to place needs some effort thanks to the heavy tyres. Surprisingly, the alloy alone isnt all that heavy.

 

[draneeshpm]

The first one to report how to change the spare I guess !

 

[VipinLJ]

Update:

Now I know why people say MRF tyres are bad. Went over a slab and the side wall cracked. It was just a small touch and it cracked. This is not the first time. Have taken this route N number of times and my Swift showed no problems.

To guys taking delivery of the ecosport, Please change to some other brand. MRF is PATHETIC!

Hey Naveen

Sad to hear that the MRF's sidewall cracked. But I came to know from my friend who used to work for MRF that their tyres aren't all that great which is probably why I'm not surprised. It seems they have all the latest machinery and stuff to make world class tyres but the quality is nowhere there and he said he personally wouldn't use or recommend MRF tyres.
What tyres have you got on now? And don't tyres come with some kind of warranty? I thought they had some warranty till upto 500 or 1000 kms or so?

Regards,
Vipin

 

[naveen04in]

Hey Naveen

Sad to hear that the MRF's sidewall cracked. But I came to know from my friend who used to work for MRF that their tyres aren't all that great which is probably why I'm not surprised. It seems they have all the latest machinery and stuff to make world class tyres but the quality is nowhere there and he said he personally wouldn't use or recommend MRF tyres.
What tyres have you got on now? And don't tyres come with some kind of warranty? I thought they had some warranty till upto 500 or 1000 kms or so?

Regards,
Vipin

Vipin, I still have the MRF and the spare/damaged tyre is with the MRF head office for inspection. I should be getting some news regarding it soon. Mostly they will reject it as the damage is to the side wall and they dont give warranty for side wall damage. In case they dont replace it, I shall get a new tyre and sadly adjust with it for the time being and change to other brand when this set is worn. Lack of fund flow is stopping me from upgrading to a better brand

 

[type-r]

congrats Naveen for the Ecosport. I still distinctly remember your swift to be one of the coolest swifts i ever saw. Any plans to make this the hottest Ecosport?

 

[naveen04in]

congrats Naveen for the Ecosport. I still distinctly remember your swift to be one of the coolest swifts i ever saw. Any plans to make this the hottest Ecosport?

Thanks for the comments. Not soon as of now. Maybe, after a while I shall change the headlights. Too early to decide.

 

[Gurrala74]

Drove @Naveen's ES today, thank you Naveen for the gesture

Driving ES is always enjoying experience with its driving position and light steering and clutch.

As I Felt earlier too the rear seat is only for two and ride is bit hard on bad roads

 

[AppU]

Drove @Naveen's ES today, thank you Naveen for the gesture

Driving ES is always enjoying experience with its driving position and light steering and clutch.

As I Felt earlier too the rear seat is only for two and ride is bit hard on bad roads

So you started checking our members ride one by one

Ertiga at B'lore, ES in Kerala, whose is next?

 

[Gurrala74]

So you started checking our members ride one by one

Ertiga at B'lore, ES in Kerala, whose is next?

Hahahahaa, A white Vista at Yelagiri

 

[manni]

Hello sir,
Congos for your beauty. I ll get my car delivery in next month ,just paid amount today for Titanium Diesel [White] but i need your advice regarding any upgrades , accessories or anything else.
Thanx in advance

 

[naveen04in]

Hello sir,
Congos for your beauty. I ll get my car delivery in next month ,just paid amount today for Titanium Diesel [White] but i need your advice regarding any upgrades , accessories or anything else.
Thanx in advance

Thanks a lot. Do let me know if you have any questions.
18 days passed and clocked around 800kms. Mileage around 14kmpl as per the MID.

PS - Please call me Naveen, not SIR

 

[robie]

Congrats Naveen on your beauty.

Just need to confirm why they provide only 3 nuts, including the lock nut, for the spare wheel. I got my 1.5D Ambiente in August, which has the same issue.

I'll get my hands on my ES only after 15th Oct., so need to know what other issues remain.

 

[naveen04in]

Congrats Naveen on your beauty.

Just need to confirm why they provide only 3 nuts, including the lock nut, for the spare wheel. I got my 1.5D Ambiente in August, which has the same issue.

I'll get my hands on my ES only after 15th Oct., so need to know what other issues remain.

Yes, they have only 3 nuts. The vehicle is a beauty and a pleasure to drive. The only issues I face as of now:
1) MRF - One tyre got busted and no warranty from mrf and ford. In case you have MRF, I would suggest you to replace it asap.
2) A pillar blind spot - It can cover an entire bike at certain angle.
3) Warning chime/buzzer is very quiet (low fuel warning and others)

Other than that everything looks fine.

 

[naveen04in]

1000 kms Update:



1k update

Reached the first milestone today.

Current speedo reading - 1045km
Usage - 100% city
AC - 100%
Mileage as per the MID - 14kmpl

Tyre Update:
One tyre gets damaged while going over a sharp pothole in exactly 10 days and the speedo read 420kms. Calls up the dealer and they plainly rejects the option to replace the tyre free of cost. Calls Ford helpline and registers a compliant and they stated that the dealer should replace the tyre since it's a brand new tyre. Dealer advised me to check with their service station. After waiting for half n hour and meeting couple of people, they finally arrange for a person to check my tyre. Gives a form and asks me to fill the form and visit the MRF office. This is when I lost my temper. Being a new tyre and leaving it all to customer to run around this isnt acceptable. Made a scene there and decided to go to the MRF office. Reach the MRF showroom at 5 and hands it over to the person in the counter. This person who seriously got some attitude problem angrily replies that this isnt the time to inspect the tyre. Finally another person came and agrees that he will inspect it. On seeing the tyre he immediately rejects it since it was a side wall crack. He tells me that it's because I scrapped the side against some sharp object. As I had no evidence to prove that it got damaged running over a pothole, I decided to meet the higher authorities. Me and Ford mailed to MRF asking for an explanation. After couple of days, I receive a call from MRF technical manager asking me to submit the tyre to the nearest MRF showroom from where they will take it for inspection. I mention to him that tyre was already inspected and they rejected it. But he said that this time a senior manager will check the tyre. Decided to try this one last time and head to the MRF showroom at Vytilla on mon evening. Hands over the tyre and the showroom in charge said he would call in 2 days. No calls even after 4 days and I finally decided to call him to know the status. He said he would call me the next day and update me on the status. Still no calls from him and I decided to call him on the 5th day. In spite of calling him N number of times, he decided not to pick my call. Decided to vist the showroom in the evening which is under renovation. Saw only workers there and they say that no one is here and they will reach after 5pm. Waited for 20 min and receive a mail from MRF head office stating that the tyre has been rejected. Furious at this, I reply asking them to return my damaged tyre asap. The technical manager calls me up and conveys the message. I ask him to return my tyre asap and convey the attitude of the MRF showroom people. Somehow, he managed to deliver the tyre to the showroom in half n hour.

Few key things I noticed:
1) MRF should atleast provide a warranty for 500kms (atleast).
2) Attitude problem - Almost all the employees got serious attitude problem. They should learn to treat their customers well. Experience at the MRF main office was bad. He treated me as if I had gone there to ask for some donation.
3) Once the car is delivered, the customer is at his mercy. Even though Ford did their part, MRF blindly rejected the claim.
4) No more MRF from now on. Will change the spare to another brand and stick with MRF for the time being on other tyres. Will immediately switch to different brand as soon as this set wears out.

 

[Gurrala74]

@Naveen

That was a sad story of tyre going kaput within no time. After reading all the story I find two solutions for it.

1. write to MRF and Ford higher ups about this story
2. Contact a local english news daily and tell them to write a article about this(It worked for me when I did it for Suzuki dealer in Hyderabad, they came running to me)