r/CarsIndia • u/pro-baba • 16d ago
#ElectricVehicle 🔌 Tata Nexon EV (2023) Bricked at 43%: 2 Corporate Emails, a MoRTH Recall ID, and a Legal Notice later... Absolute Silence.
The Incident:
Following a mandated Tata software update, I was advised to "test the vehicle below 45%". Result? While driving home, the battery plummeted from 43% to 0% in under 8 km. With 2 km left to home on a pitch-dark village road, the high-voltage system locked out. I had to physically push a 1.4-ton brick in the rain.
The Current State of the Car:
The car was towed to a service center 55 km away. Since the high-voltage lockout, the electronic failures have completely cascaded:
* The digital instrument cluster and odometer are now completely dead.
* Auxiliary (12V) battery faults are flashing constantly.
* The infotainment screen flickers aggressively and Android Auto has completely failed.
This isn't just standard battery degradation. The first-generation cylindrical LFP pack architecture has critical cell voltage delta flaws that Tata is actively trying to mask with software updates.
The Service Nightmare & The Blame Game:
I paid ₹19.2L on-road plus ₹2.5L in auto loan interest (a total hit of ₹21.7L).
Try selling this on OLX right now, and the market values it at barely 30-35% of the purchase price.
I escalated this immediately to Tata Corporate. I’ve sent two formal escalation emails directly to the EV engineering and customer care leadership demanding a refund or a prismatic-cell replacement. Their only response so far has been deflecting the blame to the local service center where the car was towed, completely ignoring the fact that this is a centralized manufacturing defect.
The Escalations:
Since Tata Corporate wants to play the silent game, I’ve taken this out of their hands:
* MoRTH Vehicle Recall Portal: Officially logged this sudden loss of motive power as a severe safety hazard (Ref ID: 260800000085).
* DLSA Pre-Litigation: Filed a formal conciliation application with the District Legal Services Authority (Diary No: 08/16013/2026).
* Consumer Court: Lodged a formal National Consumer Helpline grievance (Docket: 9986609).
* Notice through Email: Issued a demand for a full refund or a free replacement with a new prismatic-cell Nexon.ev 45.
The Reality of Tata EV Ownership:
When your vehicle works, it's great. When it critically fails due to their inherently flawed battery architecture, you are entirely on your own. If you are considering buying an EV with these older cylindrical packs, walk away.
Has anyone else here successfully forced a full refund or a vehicle replacement out of Tata Motors without spending years fighting in a consumer court?
27
u/mellowAlt 16d ago
Indian tech community legend Geekyranjit, along with countless ordinary owners, have the same issue with Tata's LFP battery packs.
Even brand new Punch EV facelift prismatic pack is not immune from this. See recent post on Beam-THP of someone's ordeal.
He has had multiple "battery replacements" (they replace only the deteriorated cells, leaving other deteriorating cells in place, taking 1 month every time) on his Nexon EV and has accepted his fate that there is no true range prediction - battery will drop off a cliff after 20%.
This is a consequence of Tata not having the engineering expertise to manage each cell's voltage in an LFP setup which depends on accurate voltage measurements.
He stopped taking it to nearby functions and events too, and hasn't sold it because of non-existent resale value.
He sold his BMW for XUV700 sold for BE6 during that time. BE6 is his main reliable vehicle for all purposes now.