Maruti Suzuki India said that it will challenge the Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission’s order directing it to replace a customer’s vehicle over an alleged E20 fuel compatibility issue. Rejecting the findings of the consumer commission, the automaker said the vehicle in question was already designed to operate on E20 petrol.
“The car in this case was an E20 compatible car, fully equipped to handle E20 fuel and so disclosed in the owner’s manual,” the company said in a statement.
Maruti Suzuki also claimed that the commission had not considered all the facts while delivering its order. “There is evidence of contamination in the fuel collected from the customer’s vehicle. Several other relevant facts have also not been reflected in the order,” it said.
Confirming that it will contest the decision, the company added, “Maruti Suzuki will take necessary steps to challenge the impugned order before the appropriate higher forum in accordance with law.” It further said, “Maruti Suzuki remains fully committed to quality, safety and customer satisfaction through robust engineering, processes and systems.”
The consumer commission had earlier ruled in favour of the vehicle owner, who alleged that the engine suffered serious damage after using E20 petrol. Holding both the manufacturer and the dealership responsible for deficiency in service, the commission directed them to provide a brand-new E20-compatible replacement vehicle.
The order states that if the vehicle is not replaced, Maruti Suzuki must refund the customer’s purchase amount of ₹20.50 lakh. It also directed the manufacturer and dealer to jointly pay ₹1 lakh as compensation for mental harassment and ₹10,000 towards litigation expenses. The commission has given the parties 45 days to comply with the order, after which the outstanding amount will attract interest at 7 per cent per annum.
(With Inputs from ANI)
