Delhi Consumer Court orders Maruti dealer to pay Rs 2 lakhs to customer for selling defective car

A Maruti Suzuki dealer in Delhi was ordered by the consumer court to compensate a car owner whose brand-new vehicle’s speedometer malfunctioned within 24 hours of purchase, with a sum of Rs 2 lakh.

The complainant, Arun Kumar, was shocked to discover that the speedometer was not providing accurate readings after paying over Rs 4.5 lakh for a Wagon R from a showroom in Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar, in May 2012.

The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission noted that staff negligence was likely the cause of the car’s defects, which occurred within the first week of purchase when determining the compensation.

The commission acknowledged that it is true that a consumer will be unhappy if they purchase a brand-new car and it breaks down a few years later. In this instance, there is no doubt that the respondent, Kumar, experienced mental agony by going to the workshop with the new car.

When Kumar called the showroom, the employees assured him that the problem with his speedometer would be fixed in three hours. He was purportedly told, though, that his car had a minor collision on the way to the repair shop to correct the issue, which left a ding on the bumper. The staff at the showroom informed Kumar that they needed an additional day to resolve every issue. On May 8, his car was eventually returned.

The following day, in the daylight, Kumar examined his car and saw that the left side of the Wagon R had been painted over, the rim area was broken, and the seat cover had paint smudges on it. Kumar was allegedly informed by the company that his car was brought to the Amar Colony police station, where it was kept for the whole day.

Before the consumer court, Kumar argued that the vehicle was purposefully delivered at night by the opposing party (the showroom), preventing the complainant from seeing the damage.

The complainant had asked the business to replace his car and to promise that the business would cover any losses he sustained as a result of the alleged accident.

In 2018, a district consumer court sided with Kumar and ordered the car dealer to replace his vehicle. The car owner then filed a complaint with the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which ordered Rs 2 lakh in compensation for the pain and suffering he had endured.

The Commission lowered the award to Rs 2 lakh, pointing out that no expert testimony or supporting documentation was submitted to establish the manufacturing flaw in this instance.