Letter to The Star Editor, cc Proton iCare

by mirzabdullah on Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:55 pm
Dear Editor,

I was one of the first few 100 lucky (not so lucky after all) owners of Proton Inspira 1.8 Auto. The false advertising about the bullish quality and way moving forward from Proton lured me to buy one in October 2010. Being advertised that the first 2000 units will be made in Japan, I took it thinking that it just might be different this time.

November 2010

Not until the 1st payment was due on Nov 27th, I started experiencing the below:

- Hissing sound coming in from the driver window at the speed of 80 KMpH
- Squeaky sound from the front driver wheel
- The rear right hand side pillar inside the car came off

I went to the Proton Platinum Service center in Mutiara Damansara in Oct at the time when the first 1000km service was due.

I must say that the way they serve and listen to customers was remarkable. I was very impressed.

Moving forward, I went on a test drive with the technician and he confirmed the issues. Therefore, Proton did the below for the issues faced:

- Hissing sound coming in from the driver window at the speed of 80 KMpH – ordered a Run channel to be replaced – Waiting time 2 weeks for a brand new car.
- Squeaky sound from the front driver wheel – serviced the brake
- The rear right hand side pillar inside the car came off – hand fixed it.

After I drove off the car, the next day I found the below similar and new issues.

- Squeaky sound from all the shock absorbers – new issue
- Squeaky sound from the front driver wheel was still there even after servicing the brake
- The rear right hand side pillar inside the car came off again after fixing it.

I was then advised by Proton Mutiara Damansara branch to come in for a service once the ordered run channel arrives to avoid inconvenience so that all issues can be fixed again.

December, 2010.

One week later, I followed up with the Proton Mutiara Damansara branch and they said that the run channel hasn’t arrived. Furiously, I called the Proton iCare, where I got to know that the part ordering and arrival doesn’t take more than 2-3 days, so I left the case with Proton iCare who somehow got the part delivered the next day. I got a call from Mutiara Damansara Proton service center and I went there and they performed the following.

- Squeaky sound from all the shock absorbers – tightened / serviced the shock absorbers
- Squeaky sound from the front driver wheel – They were unable to replicate the issue as it was intermittent, the technician who sat with me the previous time was transferred and I got on a ride all over again with explanation. They ordered the new disc brake.
- The rear right hand side pillar inside the car came off – They ordered the part

At this point of time I was even un happy, had to wait for the part to have it replaced.

Another 2 weeks into driving, I experienced a new issue, which turned out to be pretty major.

- There is pinging / picking noise upon acceleration.

I called again the proton mutiara damansara branch and set up the appointment, went on a ride with the technician who confirmed the issue and asked me to leave the car, they will check and I can collect back the same day.

Went back the same day and to my horror, I was informed that the Proton Mutiara Damansara branch can’t fix the issue as they are not trained on inspira! They have to escalate this to the inspira technical team to have this fixed, and they will let me know once the appointment with the inspira technical team is fixed.

Unhappy with the product, I called Proton iCare again and laid my concerns, they said that they will talk to the Mutiara Damansara Branch and will get back to me. Later I received a call from Mutiara Damansara Brach and they said that the technician will be coming over to their service center the following day. It was very inconvenient for me, so I asked the lady by the name of Baini to pass me the number of the technician so that I can call him and go and see him instead.

Therefore, I got the contact of En. Azwan, Inspira technical team lead 019 668 5752.

January 2011

I called him, set up the appointment met him at the service center at Proton Shah Alam, Kesas Hiway. He brought along another Inspira Technician by the name of Indra and Customer care manager by the name of Siang.

No doubt they all were nice people and were good to handle me.

I was able to replicate all the above issues accept the squeaky sound from the shock absorbers. En Azwan even took the photo of the rear right hand side pillar that was coming off.

I was asked to leave the car with them for the day to have it fixed. And they performed the below tasks.

- Squeaky sound from all the shock absorbers – nothing done as I wasn’t able to replicate it.
- Squeaky sound from the front driver wheel – the changed the disc brake and the disc
- The rear right hand side pillar inside the car came off – They replaced the part.
- Pinging / Picking noise upon acceleration – They said that its due to the fuel that I am using and was asked to upgrade from Ron 95 to Ron 97.

Ron 95 is a very good quality fuel, it was upgraded by the govt from Ron 91 last time and not a good excuse from Proton. However, I changed it any way.

I filled and drove around with Ron 97 for 2 weeks and filled 2 tanks with Ron 97. The Pinging issue remained. In fact the below issues resurfaced again.

- Squeaky sound from all the shock absorbers
- Squeaky sound from the front driver wheel
- Pinging / Picking noise upon acceleration

Upon calling En. Azwan again, I was informed that they have escalated the case to MMC Japan and they have to wait for an answer from them.

The car is a Proton car, why they have to refer to MMC, if they want to do that does it make Proton incompetent to solve issues with the car. Is it really a way forward?

3rd Week of January 2011.

I got a call from Proton and was asked to come in as the Japanese were flying in for Inspira issues. Upon reaching there, I met Siang and Indra for replication of the above issues again.

There he told me that the pinging noise is becoming an issue for Proton as this is a problem in 6 out of 10 cars that they are servicing. So Japanese have to provide a resolution as the contract doesn’t allow Proton to tweak the engine.

So Proton is blaming it on MMC as it is their engine and they should fix it, and let the customers suffer.

I was again asked to leave the car with them for them to get the disc brake and disc measurement from MMC and replace the shock absorbers completely together with get a resolution from the Japanese the same day as they are flying in on Proton cost so they have to make a decision.

So much for the improve in quality.

I was given a loan car, another inspira 1.8.

After driving the loan car, I was shock to find that it has the same set of issues that I had with the my car!

February 2011

I called Proton iCare and their system wasn’t even updated, under their system my car was at Mutiara Damansara branch. So I had to tell the whole 3 months story all over again. I spoke to the lady for 25 minutes, kept asking her to transfer me to a manager but I was kept giving excuses that the manager is busy, not available not around etc. I asked her to then transfer me to Siang the iCare senior manager, and I was informed that he was transferred to Perak Branch and a new manager by the name of Karthik has taken his place.

She said that she will get the technician to call me to explain what was going on with the car. Well I knew what was going on as I was in touch with En. Azwan.

Well, I had to let her go due to frustration and received a call from the technician, who informed me same thing that they are still testing the car and I should get the car this week (week of the 13th Feb).

Does it mean that what Indra told me that Japanese are going to make a decision there and then in the 3rd week of Jan 2011 was all false? Through all this saga, Proton iCare never followed up with me nor called me to check if everything was fine. No sign of care was shown.

When I ask them to transfer me to their managers they just give me excuses. Does it mean that the Proton management don’t know about their issues or are they just incompetent like their quality or not brave enough to face the customers?

Today, I called En. Azwan who informed me that they are testing my car against other cars. So funny to hear such a comment as it makes me wonder, what people were doing in the factory when building the car.

They have my car for 3 weeks and yet they are unable to solve the issues.

I was informed by En. Azwan at 11.46 am that I will get a call from iCare Manager Karthik, but so far I haven’t received any call.

Is Proton really taking its customers seriously? I have this car for 4 months, and all I received was dissatisfaction and frustration. Can’t even enjoy a new car. Is Proton really moving forward?

What am I looking for now?

- A senior manager from Proton to call me and give me an exact date when I will receive my car
- I need a surety and a guarantee that car is fixed and I don’t have to spend time and money to take the car back to them for the same issues
- I need to know how Proton will compensate me for the loss of time, efforts, money and energy in dealing with them for the past 3 month and after them selling me a lemon