Irrational behavior and outrages prices at Suzuki Authorized Service

Irrational behavior and outrages prices at Suzuki Authorized Service.

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Air conditioning dial (instrument) lighting on the front dash of my Suzuki Ertiga was burned out, so I went to authorized service in Jakarta, Indonesia to replace it. A skilled worker disassembled half of the entire dash to get to this part and that took him almost 40 minuets. Diagnosis was that a small bulb has burned out, which I suspected in the first place. So it was not the fuse, not the connector or anything else – just the tinny bulb was burned out.

I asked to replace it but the service has not got a new one. I started to wonder: why did they go all this way to tell me that if they have not got the replacement. But here is your answer. This bulb (part number: 74532B58M00N) costs: 550 000 IDR, which is equivalent to $41 in addition I shall pay price for labor or replacement. However the entire module (part number 74400B77M20N) costs 900 000 IDR ($67) and that includes all bulbs (more than two), mechanism, dials, etc. of course to replace the entire module is less trouble some than just the bulb which is inside. Therefore I got me an estimate with labor to replace the whole module and with labor it became: 1 100 000 IDR. ($81). FYI delivery time for single bulb or new module is 1 month. Of course I have paid down payment about 50% of the price to order it ASAP. I am already counting days of waiting.

In addition after service I have discovered misalignment of the dashboard plastic covers.
I have asked to correct it and they did but while doing so I realize that the authorized service has not got those plastic pins that hold it tight. What kind of sense it makes for authorize service to take down dashboard down without having a single spare pin to put it back? Why they have not got those plastic and quite handy pin? I guess it comes to price of it which is probably above 1 million IDR ($100) per one pin.

Why does it take a month to order a bulb or module for Suzuki Ertiga while those car models are manufactured in Indonesia? I guess it takes a month because it is a unique and very non-standard order by inexperienced customer.

Actually the car is still under warranty so I did asked for replacement as I thought I was covered by warranty. Surprisingly the claim was denied as the bulbs are considered to be wearable items like any other bulb. Of course I strongly disagree with such statement and
I believe it is not what is written into the warranty wording or perhaps just a simple misinterpretation. This particular bulb is a part of the dashboard instrument therefore it is not used for sole purpose of lighting but to keep the information readable from the instrument. If a user cannot read on-dash instrument it is the failure of the said instrument despite if the bulb was burned out in the first place.

After two wasted hours at the Suzuki authorized service where I was watching how skilled labor is breaking down my car’s dashboard I paid 72 600 IDR ($5) to replacement of AC cabin filter which was replaced too. However to replace it anyone needs 3 minutes as it is position under glove compartment. Again I realized how stupid of me it was to order such a thing.

Last week my wife serviced the car but no one asked to replace the AC cabin filter, no one even suggest it. How thick is the haze in the Jakarta city can be noticed by your own eyes, but not by the eyes of sales people who have filters to sale, right? Of course the dashboard missing illumination on the AC temperature dial was omitted by servicemen too.