In a major development that could have repercussions in the ongoing controversy over the rushed switch to E20 petrol, a consumer court has ruled in favour of the car owner. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Raipur directed Maruti Suzuki to replace the complainant's Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid Zeta Plus, manufactured in January 2023, with a new E20-compatible model of the same variant, or refund the full purchase price within 45 days.
Dr Premraj Devta of Raipur approached the court claiming that the use of E20 petrol severely damaged his vehicle's engine. The car's performance declined significantly, the engine began misfiring, and its mileage gradually decreased. He argued that after the complainant got his car filled with E20 petrol, the vehicle began to stall repeatedly, requiring multiple fuel changes, tank cleaning, and frequent visits to the service centre. The owner stated in his complaint that despite repeated repairs at the company's workshop, the problem remained unresolved, ultimately resulting in significant engine repair costs.
During the trial, Maruti Suzuki disputed Dr Devta’s claim, arguing that the engine failure was not caused by E20 fuel, but by lack of routine vehicle maintenance or some other external factor. They said the model in question was fully compatible with E20 fuel.
However, the Consumer Forum did not buy the car company's defence and stated in its order that the car owner repeatedly visited the company's workshop to have the problem resolved, but the same problem reappeared. The failure to fix the problem despite repeated attempts confirms that the root cause of the problem had not been effectively addressed.
In case of the failure from the company’s part to provide a new E20-compatible vehicle within 45 days, it will be required to refund the full price of the vehicle. The Commission clarified that the company must return the vehicle's value of ₹18.29 lakh, the RTO fee of ₹1,86,850, and the insurance premium of ₹34,644, totalling ₹20,50,494 to the complainant.
It also ordered compensation of ₹1 lakh for mental harassment and ₹10,000 as litigation expenses.
The Raipur Consumer Commission made a very important observation regarding the current situation in the country regarding fuel availability. The court stated, "Currently, E20 petrol has become the most readily available fuel at almost all petrol pumps. Consequently, ordinary consumers are left with no other viable option. Where no other alternative is available, drivers cannot be expected to completely avoid using E20 fuel."
