Maruti Suzuki to challenge Raipur consumer panel order on E20-compatible car replacement

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 16 (ANI): Maruti Suzuki on Thursday said it will challenge the order of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Raipur, which directed the company to replace a customer’s vehicle with a new E20-compatible model, asserting that the car involved in the case was already compatible with E20 fuel.

In a statement issued after the Commission’s order, the automaker said, “The car in this case was an E20 compatible car, fully equipped to handle E20 fuel and so disclosed in the owner’s manual.”

Maruti Suzuki further contested the findings of the Commission, saying, “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.”

The company said it would pursue legal remedies against the ruling.

“Maruti Suzuki will take necessary steps to challenge the impugned order before the appropriate higher forum in accordance with law,” the company said.

Reiterating its commitment to customers, the company added, “Maruti Suzuki remains fully committed to quality, safety and customer satisfaction through robust engineering, processes and systems.”

Earlier in the day, the Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed the manufacturer to replace the complainant’s vehicle with a brand-new one after it suffered severe engine damage allegedly due to the use of E20 fuel.

The Commission held the vehicle manufacturer and the dealer liable for deficiency in service, observing that the vehicle’s engine was not compatible with E20 petrol. It said that if a replacement vehicle is not provided, the manufacturer must refund the full purchase price of Rs 20.50 lakh.

The Commission also directed the opposite parties to jointly pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses. The order is to be complied with within 45 days, failing which interest at the rate of 7 per cent per annum would apply on the delayed amount.

The order comes amid wider debate over the rollout of E20 petrol in India. While the Centre has maintained that the transition to 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol followed extensive consultations with automobile manufacturers, testing agencies and other stakeholders, concerns have been raised by some consumers and political leaders over vehicle compatibility and the lack of fuel choice at retail outlets. (ANI)

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