Maruti Suzuki, GEM Motors asked to pay Rs.2.2 lakh to buyer for delay in car delivery

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad consumer court ordered Maruti Suzuki and GEM motors car showroom in Hyderabad to pay a compensation of Rs 2.2 lakhs, along with supplying the car in a good condition to a man, who approached the court after his damaged car was not repaired on time.

Gannavarapu Satyanarayana (48), who is a resident of Hyderabad, had purchased a car from GEM Motors Kondapur in April 2021. During COVID 19 lockdown in May 2021, he wanted to travel with the car from Hyderabad to Vijayawada to safely reach his hometown with family. However, the brand new car broke down on a highway, causing agony to the entire family.

A service centre at Vijayawada told him that the car's engine was getting overheated and needed repair or replacement.

In June 2021, when Satyanarayana came back to Hyderabad and took the car to GEM Motors, they reportedly raised a ticket for parts from Maruti, and promised to return the car after repair in one month's time.

However, the showroom failed to keep their promise. Moreover, they avoided the complainant's phone calls too. After two months of no response from the showroom or Maruti, Satyanarayana sent a legal notice to them, after which they said that the car would be delivered within a week's time.

The opposite parties, during the case's hearing in 2022, pleaded that the man was well informed of the delay and also that the brand new car broke down only due to customer negligence.

On February 20, 2023, the Consumer Court said that the showroom did cause mental agony to the complainant as a brand new car had engine damage, as said by the service centre in Vijayawada, and also that there was proof of communication between the showroom and complainant before he sent a legal notice.

Hence, the court ordered Maruti Suzuki and GEM Motors to pay Rs 2 lakhs for causing agony, Rs 20,000 court fees and also deliver the car in a road-safe condition to Satyanarayana.