RAIPUR: In a significant order with implications for India’s transition to E20 fuel, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Raipur has held that selling a vehicle not compatible with 20% ethanol-blended petrol and misrepresenting a 17-month-old vehicle as new amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practices, directing a leading car manufacturer in India and its local dealer to replace the car or refund its full cost.Dr Premraj Devta, a 41-year-old city-based doctor, purchased a hybrid model car from a company-authorised dealer in Raipur.Including registration fees of Rs 1,86,850 and an insurance premium of Rs 34,644, the total amount paid stood at Rs 20,50,494. The vehicle came with a royal platinum extended warranty valid until 30 May 2029 or up to 1,00,000 km.The car repeatedly stalled after running 21,913 km.According to the complainant, the vehicle displayed an engine malfunction alert on the dashboard on November 11, 2024 and stopped operating. Dr. Devta brought the vehicle to the dealer’s workshop five times, where the service team initially attributed the breakdowns to fuel adulteration.The car manufacturer and the dealership maintained that the breakdowns resulted from external factors and were not covered under warranty. Testing by SGS Lab confirmed the presence of ethanol in the fuel, indicating the fuel was E20.The commission noted that while the central government has mandated a transition to 20% ethanol-blended petrol across India, the manufacturer sold a car whose engine could not support E20 fuel.Documents submitted by the opposite parties confirmed that the vehicle’s engine was incompatible with 20% ethanol-blended petrol.The commission also found that the vehicle delivered to the complainant in June 2024 was manufactured in January 2023, meaning the opposite parties sold a year-and-a-half-old vehicle at the price of a new one.A bench consisting of Commission president Prashant Kundu and member Dr Anand Varghese on July 14 partly allowed the consumer complaint and issued the following directives.The opposite parties must accept the return of the defective vehicle and provide a new car of the same model equipped with an E20-compliant engine within 45 days.If they fail to replace the vehicle within the stipulated 45 days, the opposite parties must refund the entire purchase value, registration fees, and insurance premium totaling Rs 20,50,494.The opposite parties must pay Rs 1 lakh to the complainant as compensation for mental harassment within 45 days.The opposite parties, including the car company and the dealer, must pay Rs 10,000 to the complainant towards litigation expenses within 45 days. Failure to pay the compensation and litigation cost within 45 days will attract an interest rate of 7% per annum from the date of the order until the date of payment.
