Kerala woman compensated Rs 3.1 lakh for car's 'poor mileage'

A consumer commission in Kerala ordered a car dealer and manufacturer to pay a compensation of Rs 3.10 lakh to a car owner as the car did not deliver the promised fuel efficiency.

Ford India and its dealer Kairali Ford were directed by the Thrissur Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to pay the compensation to the petitioner, Thrissur native Soudhamini P P.

She said in the complaint that even as the dealer and manufacturer assured a mileage of 32 kilometres per litre for the Ford Classic diesel car she purchased in 2014, she was getting a mileage of only 16 kilometres. The price of the car was Rs 8.9 lakh.

As the dealer and manufacturer maintained that the promised mileage was under test conditions, the commission appointed an expert to verify it. The expert did road tests and found that that mileage was only Rs 19.6 kilometre per litre. The commission rejected the manufacturer's contention that a third party agency did the testing.

While Rs 1.5 lakh was awarded as compensation for financial loss, Rs 1.5 lakh was awarded for the agony and hardship faced by the complainant and Rs 10,000 as litigation cost, all with nine per cent interest from the date of filing.

Advocate A D Benny, who appeared for the petitioner, told DH that an order to pay compensation for a vehicle not giving the promised mileage was rare. The order may help prevent vehicle manufacturers from making such bogus claims, he added.

Although the consumer commission had allowed the petition in July, the formal orders came out last week.