E20 fuel compliance dispute: Maruti challenges Raipur consumer court order on damaged Grand Vitara replacement | Today’s news
Maruti Suzuki India said on 16 July that it will challenge the order of the Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which ordered the company to replace a customer’s vehicle with a new E20-compatible vehicle, citing fuel contamination.
The car in the case was an E20 compatible car, fully equipped to handle E20 fuel, and there is evidence of contamination of the fuel taken from the customer’s vehicle, Maruti Suzuki India said in a statement, according to a PTI report.
Read also | E20 petrol range: Raipur consumer court asks Maruti Suzuki to replace Grand Vitara
“We have come to know about the order of Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission where Maruti Suzuki has been directed to replace the customer’s vehicle with a new E20 compatible vehicle,” it said.
The car in this case was E20 compatible, fully equipped to handle E20 fuel and as stated in the owner’s manual, he added.
“There is evidence of contamination of the fuel taken from the customer’s vehicle. Several other relevant facts were also not considered in the order,” the company said.
The statement further said, “Maruti Suzuki will take necessary steps to challenge the impugned order before the appropriate higher forum in accordance with law.”
The company remains fully committed to quality, safety and customer satisfaction through robust engineering, processes and systems.
What did the consumer court say?
A consumer court in Chhattisgarh has ruled in favor of a buyer who alleged recurring engine problems associated with ethanol-laced petrol.
Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Additional Bench) directed Maruti Suzuki to replace the complainant Big Vitarawith a new E20 compatible model or refund the purchase price.
The Commission also awarded the complainant, Dr. Premraj Devta of Raipur, ₹1 lakh as compensation for mental harassment and ₹10,000 as legal costs, as per the order he sees Mint and announced for the first time ETV India.
The order, which was passed on July 14, assumes significance amid growing concerns over the Centre’s push to increase the blending of ethanol in petrol. Critics question its impact on engine performance, fuel economy and compatibility with older vehicles.
The order, which was passed on July 14, assumes significance amid growing concerns over the Centre’s push to increase the blending of ethanol in petrol. Critics question its impact on engine performance, fuel economy and compatibility with older vehicles.
The verdict of the Raipur consumer court is one of the first court decisions in a series of ethanol-laced fuels.
Maruti Grand Vitara 2023 model
District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Chairman Prashant Kundu and Member Dr. Anand Verghese stated in their 23-page order that the 2023 model Maruti Grand Vitara The Strong Hybrid Zeta Plus vehicle sold by the complainant was not compatible with E20 petrol.
After refueling with E20 gasoline, the vehicle stalled repeatedly, requiring multiple fuel changes, tank cleaning and frequent visits to the service center, the court noted.
The commission held that Maruti Suzuki and its dealers failed to provide an E20-compliant vehicle, constituting a lack of service and an unfair trade practice.
