Grand Vitara is E20-compatible, clarifies Maruti Suzuki after consumer court order

Leading carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday said that its Grand Vitara is an E20-compatible vehicle and the company would appeal against the order passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Raipur, directing the automaker to replace a customer’s vehicle.

The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered Maruti Suzuki to replace a Grand Vitara Hybrid sold to a customer from Chhattisgarh with a new E20-compatible model after the consumer alleged that the vehicle developed technical problems due to E20 petrol being used as a fuel.

The Commission gave the car major a 45-day deadline to replace the vehicle or otherwise to pay the full refund of Rs 20.5 lakh including the expense for registration and insurance to the customer.

However, Maruti Suzuki argued that the vehicle involved in the case, was already E20-compatible and was fully capable of operating on E20 fuel, as disclosed in the owner’s manual. The car was reported to be sold to the customer in June 2024 but was manufactured in January 2023.

Maruti Suzuki has stated that there was evidence of contamination in the fuel collected from the customer’s vehicle and that several other relevant facts had not been reflected in the Commission’s order.

“We have learnt of an order by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Raipur wherein Maruti Suzuki has been directed to replace the customer’s vehicle with a new E20 compatible vehicle,” the company said in a statement.

“The car in this case was an E20 compatible car, fully equipped to handle E20 fuel and so disclosed in the owner’s manual. There is evidence of contamination in the fuel collected from the customer’s vehicle. Several other relevant facts have also not been reflected in the order,” the statement added.

The car manufacturer said it would appeal against the district consumer commission's ruling in the case.

“Maruti Suzuki will take necessary steps to challenge the impugned order before the appropriate higher forum in accordance with law,” the company said.

The case has assumed significance amid the ongoing discussions around ethanol-blended fuels and vehicle compatibility. Auto companies have maintained that vehicles certified as E20-compatible are designed to safely operate on fuel containing up to 20 per cent ethanol, provided the fuel supplied conforms to prescribed quality standards.