Used Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS From Spinny Faces Steering Motor Breakdown, Full Refund Issued
Buying a used car makes a lot of sense today. More people now rely on used car aggregators and online marketplaces to source the right unit (s). Companies like Spinny, Cars24, CarTrade, and Droom have lately been posting healthy growth. Many of these platforms claim to conduct extensive inspections on the cars before procuring them. This adds to people’s trust in these. That said, we often come across some customers complaining about their own purchase experiences from used car aggregators. The latest of such cases has now surfaced on Reddit. A person who bought a used Hyundai i10 Nios from Spinny took to Reddit after the car’s steering (EPS) motor failed on the very next day!
According to the Reddit post, this user (who goes by the username ‘Life_Series3611’) bought a 2021 Hyundai i10 NIOS from Spinny’s Vega City hub in Bengaluru. It, he says, was a ‘Spinny certified’ unit. As mentioned in the company's official website, ‘Spinny Certified’ cars promise certain quality levels. A car has to pass a rigorous 200-point inspection to qualify for this certification. The company also offers additional benefits like warranty and assistance with getting the paperwork done on these models.
This owner says that he had a smooth purchase experience. Furthermore, the car looked clean in pictures, the company’s executives ‘talked smooth’, mentioning the 200+ point inspection process. Things, however, took a violent turn the next day, when this user discovered that the steering of his newly bought Grand i10 NIOS broke down. The electric power steering motor had failed. This made it unsafe to drive.
Panicked, the owner contacted Spinny immediately. In the post, he says that he did not get clear answers from them then, but just back-and-forth replies. As the conversations progressed, the company agreed to issue a refund. He adds a refund won’t cover the emotional stress the incident put on him, or the time that he wasted at the service centers or in doing the follow-ups.
In his closing remarks, the owner adds that he has no intention to hate or defame anyone by writing about the experience. The owner says in the post: “ I’m doing this because many people like me save for years to buy their first car.A company that sells a car with a steering defect and calls it ‘certified’ shouldn’t be allowed to play with people’s safety and emotions.”
He then asks everyone who may be considering buying a car from Spinny to do a full independence inspection at an authorized service center before arriving at a purchase decision. "And if you ask me honestly — don’t buy from them at all. No one deserves this stress after spending lakhs."- he added.
This Reddit post definitely shows the frustration and disappointment of this owner. Considering the gravity of the situation, he has every right to voice these. That said, is Spinny really to be blamed here? Well, an EPS motor can, in fact, fail anytime! In this case, it may have been working fine at the time of the 200-point inspection.
From the post, it looks like the owner took home a car that was working fine! Components like the steering motor often fail suddenly. Thus, in this case, Spinny can’t really be blamed for what happened.
When you buy a used car, it is always recommended to keep a handsome sum handy for initial repairs and fixes on the vehicle. Many pre-owned vehicles present minor issues and glitches in the early days of reaching the new owner.
Spinny deserves praise for how it handled the situation. Issuing a full refund to this disappointed customer has helped in maintaining people’s trust in the platform. Wrong crisis management can make such situations escalate rapidly.
It also needs to be said that this is not the first time that we have seen an unhappy (frustrated) Spinny customer on social media. The company should thus make its 200-point checkup stricter and address complaints more proactively.
As customers, we should do our own inspections of the desired car, through trusted mechanics or experts, before finalising the purchase. And finally, know which parts are vulnerable and which ones are aged, and work towards getting these replaced promptly.
Spinny's official response to this incident reads: "Spinny took timely and responsible steps to address the customer’s concern, ensuring instant resolution and standing by its promise through a full refund, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, trust, and a seamless customer experience."