Court Backs Vehicle Owner in First E20 Petrol Case
The Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered Maruti Suzuki to provide the consumer with a new vehicle of the same model with E20-compatible engine within 45 days, failing which, the consumer will have to be refunded a full price of the vehicle
Raipur: In country’s first known consumer court ruling, the Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and its dealer to replace a vehicle for developing recurring engine problems despite being sold after the roll out of ethanol-blending programme.
The commission ordered Maruti Suzuki to provide the consumer with a new vehicle of the same model with E20-compatible engine within 45 days, failing which, the consumer will have to be refunded a full price of the vehicle.
The consumer court has also awarded a compensation of Rs one lakh to the consumer for the mental agony and harassment.
The commission called it deficiency in service and unfair trade practice by refusing to take back the defective vehicle and ordered the respondents (Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and its dealer) to provide a new vehicle of the same model with E 20 petrol-compatible engine.
The order was passed by commission chairman Prashant Kundu and member Dr. Anand Varghese on July 14 in response to a complaint filed by Raipur-based doctor Premraj Debta.
According to the complainant, he purchased a top-end Maruti Grand Vitara Intelligent Electric (Strong Hybrid) Zeta Plus 1.5 CVT from a local authorized dealer on June three, 2024 for Rs 18.29 lakh.
Including insurance and RTO charges, he paid a total of Rs 20,50,494 to the Maruti Suzuki dealer, the order said.
The vehicle was covered under an extended warranty valid until May 2029, or one lakh km run, whichever may come first.
The car broke down after it ran barely 21,913 km.
The dealer’s service centre initially attributed it to adulterated fuel and drained the fuel tank before refilling it.
The vehicle developed recurring problems despite the fuel tank being drained out and refilled again and again.
After hearing all the parties, the commission noted that the vehicle had been manufactured in January 2023, and was sold to the consumer in June 2024.
The commission ordered the respondents to provide the consumer a new vehicle of the same model with E 20-compatible engine.