20 Years After Car Purchase, Maruti Suzuki Fined for Misleading Mileage Claims
NDTV
NCDRC has ordered Maruti Suzuki India Ltd to compensate Rs 1 lakh for promoting deceptive statements regarding the fuel efficiency of its Zen car.
Maruti Suzuki India Limited, a leading carmaker in India, has been ordered by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to pay Rs 1 lakh to a customer for providing misleading information about the fuel efficiency of his car.
In a recent ruling last week, the NCDRC bench, led by Dr Inder Jit Singh as the presiding member, stated, "Normally, a prospective purchaser of a car enquires into the fuel efficiency feature of the car as an important aspect and makes a comparative study of different brands/cars in the same segment with respect to their respective fuel efficiency...We have carefully gone through the advertisement dated 20 October 2004 in this regard, and are of the considered view that it is a misleading advertisement. Issuance of such advertisement amounts to unfair trade practice on the part of manufacturer and dealer."
Rajiv Sharma, the aggrieved customer, purchased a Maruti Zen in 2004, enticed by advertisements promising a fuel economy of 16-18 kilometers per liter. However, after purchase, Mr. Sharma found the car's actual mileage to be considerably lower, averaging only 10.2 kilometers per liter.
