Sanjay Kumar Mishra
Raipur (Chhatisgarh) : In a landmark ruling amid the ongoing debate over E20 (20% ethanol-blended) fuel in India, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Raipur, has directed Maruti Suzuki and its dealer to provide a brand-new E20-compatible vehicle of the same model to a customer whose car repeatedly developed faults allegedly due to ethanol-blended petrol.
The Commission ordered that the replacement vehicle be delivered within 45 days. Failing this, the company and dealer will have to refund the full purchase price of ₹20,50,494, along with ₹1 lakh as compensation for mental harassment and ₹10,000 towards litigation costs.
The case was filed by Dr. Premraj Debta, a resident of Raipur, who purchased a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Intelligent Electric Hybrid Zeta Plus SUV in June 2024. Although the vehicle was bought in 2024, it had been manufactured in January 2023.
According to Dr. Debta, the SUV repeatedly stalled while in use. The vehicle was taken to the authorised service centre several times, where he was reportedly informed that the problem was caused by contaminated fuel. Unsatisfied with the explanation, he got the fuel tested at a government laboratory. The test reportedly found a white curd-like deposit identified as ethanol.
When he approached the dealership with the laboratory report, the dealer allegedly refused to accept responsibility, stating that the malfunction had resulted from ethanol-blended petrol and was therefore not covered under warranty.
During the proceedings, the dealership argued that the vehicle’s defects were caused by external factors and did not fall within the scope of the manufacturer’s warranty.
After examining the evidence and hearing both sides, the Consumer Commission observed that the vehicle purchased on June 3, 2024, was equipped with an engine that was not compatible with E20 fuel, despite ethanol-blended petrol being available in the market.
In its order dated July 14, 2026, in Complaint No. DC/387/CC/91/2025, the Commission noted that the complainant had repeatedly changed the fuel, cleaned the fuel tank, and refilled it with fresh petrol, but the vehicle continued to develop the same fault and required repeated visits to the service centre.
The Commission further held that fuel compatibility is a critical aspect of modern vehicles. It ruled that if a manufacturer or dealer fails to clearly inform consumers about a vehicle’s fuel compatibility and technical limitations, and the vehicle subsequently develops faults for that reason, it amounts to a deficiency in service under consumer protection law.
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