MARUTI FINED FOR DIFFECTVE CAR

Maruti Udyog Ltd, the nation's largest car maker, has been directed by a consumer forum here to pay Rs 3.85 lakh as compensation to a customer for selling her a defective Wagon R. The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum observed that the car bought by the complainant in 2006 for Rs 3.88 lakh was suffering from "some manufacturing defect" and could not be repaired despite the efforts made by Maruti. The forum, presided over by C K Chaturvedi, relying upon the documents and other material placed before it said, "It is established that the car could not be repaired despite efforts made by opposite party (Maruti) and defects appeared again and again, leading to total loss of satisfaction to the purchaser. "We are of the view that the car has some manufacturing defect in its gear system or in its engine operation. In view of the facts that now it is seven years since the car was purchased, it will not be possible to replace the car and we direct Maruti to pay a compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh to complainant for the defective car. We allow Rs 35,000 as litigation expenses," the forum said. The order came on the plea of complainant, Veena Amlani, who had alleged that the Wagon R car she bought in October 2006 started giving trouble, including problems in shifting gears, soon after purchase and despite taking it for repairs, the issue was not rectified. While Maruti did not dispute that the car was brought in for repairs more than 10 times in the first one-and-a-half year of its purchase, it contended that vehicles made by it undergo all quality control checks as well as pre-delivery inspection. The company also contended that the complaint was false.