Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed auto manufacturer, Ford India Pvt Ltd, to pay Rs 29 lakh to a Chhattisgarh resident for a series of defects in the luxury car he bought from the company 7 years ago.
Justice Gautam Chourdiya, the commission’s presiding member, asked the company and the dealer to handover a new vehicle of the same model of the latest manufacturing date to the complainant, pay compensation of INR 29,13,064 against the purchase price of the vehicle with interest at rate of 6%, pay INR 25000 for mental and physical agony along with INR 10000 as cost of litigation.
The complainant had bought a new vehicle from G K Ford Raipur and Simon Ford Mungeli dealership with manufacturing warranty for two years or run up to 100000 kms in November 2016. One year later, the car showed signs of starting trouble and broke down multiple times.
On February 2017, the complainant averred that the vehicle broke down between Kondagaon and Bastar and it was the fourth incident within three months after the purchase of the vehicle. The complainant requested the Raipur dealer to send someone to attend to the vehicle and take it for repair, but there was no response.. Later, a representative of the complainant visited the showroom in Raipur and requested to respond to the complaint made in the email by the complainant, highlighting the manufacturing defects as it had broken down a number of times in a short span of time.
Since the problem occurred repeatedly, the complainant requested the company and the Raipur dealer that if the defect has been identified, they should recall the vehicle for replacement of defective parts, but no response was ever received.
For their part, the dealership rejected allegations and resisted the complaint on the ground that the complainant is not a consumer of the company. The company stated that there was no privity of contract between the company and the complainant.
The commission appointed a chief engineer as technical expert to inspect the vehicle and give report about the fault/defect. On December 30, 2022, the chief engineer submitted his report in which he mentioned that the defects in the vehicle are irrepairable. Taking note of both versions, the consumer court concluded that vehicle had manufacturing defect.
