Tata Nano was drawing attention from local and international media for wrong reason. Since it’s launch in March 2009, six Tata Nano cars were went into flames. Tata Motors had  reassured that Nano design is absolutely safe and is not a safety hazard. But even after the assurance from manufacturer two Nano fire incidents were reported. Today Tata Motors issued a press release stating that, company is offering an optional safety upgrade for Tata Nano.

As on today, there are 70,000 Tata Nano are on our roads. The upgraded Tata  Nano will be getting an additional protective cover for catalytic convertor and fuse in electric circuit to avoid short circuit. The fuse could be an additional one, as it must be present in current Tata Nano too. Company is not sure about number of Nano cars require safety feature upgradation. In addition to these two improvements, Tata Nano’s engine control computer program too will get an update.

“We are quite convinced that Nano is safe, based on our investigations. However, we feel that probably there may be some extraneous circumstances where people may want additional protection,”  M.D(India Operations)Tata Motors P M Telang informed media. “Just to clarify that this is not a recall…It is just to make the Nano more robust.” he added.

Tata Nano owners will be notified about this developments in one month time.

Nano is not just another vehicle for Tata Motors. It is a dream product for them in all senses, they are already planning big future for Nano. It includes an electric variant, alternate fuel variants, a diesel Tata Nano etc. The year 2012 may see Tata Nano making international debut including many European markets.  Tata must be making Nano more acceptable to international buyers interms of safety features too.

The recent bad publicity has impacted Tata Nano sales here.Tata Motors is now ready with sufficient production facilities but  market response is not in the level as they expected. In selected  states Tata Nano is now available without any waiting period. Also Tata Motors dealers are now offering  Nano in exchange of two wheelers too.

For more details scroll through Tata Motor’s official press release

Tata Motors reconfirms robustness of Tata Nano design

Mumbai, November 10, 2010: Basis some media reports on the Nano recall, we would like to clarify that Tata Motors is not recalling Nanos. We would like to state again, as we had done in May 2010, that the Tata Nano is a safe car with a robust design, state-of-the-art components and built with an uncompromising attention to quality in all aspects. This has been re-established through a second analysis, conducted during the months of September and October 2010. Customers can rest assured that there are no generic defects in the Tata Nano.

Besides, our customer satisfaction studies with current Tata Nano owners indicate that about 85% are satisfied or very satisfied with the car, because of it being ‘small yet spacious’, its performance, maneuverability, durability, low operating cost and safety. Some owners have taken their Nanos on country-wide trips or to altitudes like Khardungla, the world’s highest motorable road. This adequately corroborates the Tata Nano’s reliability and safety, as was seen during the validation of the car with about 300 prototypes which covered more than 2 million km of safe operation before launch.

The investigation, by a team of internal and international experts, has once again concluded that the reasons for the incidents in few Tata Nano cars are specific to the cars which had such incidents. We have noticed instances of additional foreign electrical equipment having been installed or foreign material left on the exhaust system. It is also our belief that as we penetrate deeper, the Tata Nano will be bought increasingly by users in the hinterlands not fully familiar to cars.

Taking all this into account, we have decided to make the car even more robust. We will do this by providing additional protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.

Beginning the 3rd week of November, each owner will be informed about these measures. Option lies with our customers on whether they would like to avail for these measures. This will be provided at no cost to customers.

These actions do not constitute a recall.

As at the end of October 2010, Tata Motors has delivered over 70,000 Tata Nano cars. The company has already declared open sales in Kerala (since August 2010), and (since October 2010) in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. We are receiving good response from these states. Open sales will gradually be extended state by state.

Let us see, whether the safety upgraded Nanos will make an image makeover.

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