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2025 Supreme(Online)(SCDRC) 39743

STATE CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION
Devendra Kachhwaha, President, Arun Kumar Agarwal, Judicial Member, Liyakat Ali, member
Maruti Suzuki Limited – Appellant
Versus
Murlidhar Joshi – Respondent
Appeal Number 82/2022



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Anil Sharma
For the Respondents: Harish Joshi, Anish Ahmed

In a dispute over warranty claims for vehicle engine failure, the burden of proof rests on the manufacturer to provide expert technical evidence if they attribute the defect to user negligence or external factors. Mere allegations without technical documentation cannot absolve the manufacturer of warranty obligations.

Headnote:(A) Consumer Protection Act, 1986/2019 - Deficiency in service - Burden of proof - Warranty claims - Non-production of expert evidence by manufacturer regarding alleged mechanical failure due to external factors (water ingress) - Whether manufacturer can evade warranty obligations without substantial technical evidence - Held, in absence of expert report or technical inspection document proving user negligence or external cause, manufacturer cannot claim deficiency of proof from consumer regarding mechanical defects in engine. (Paras 14, 17)

(B) Evidence - Burden of proof - Initial warranty period - Where consumer raises allegation of inherent manufacturing defect in a new vehicle, the burden shifts to the manufacturer to provide expert technical findings if they dispute the claim based on user negligence. (Paras 14, 15)

(C) Appeal - Scope and ambit - Appellate court should not substitute its view simply because an alternative view is possible unless the lower court's finding is perverse or lacks legal foundation. (Paras 17, 18)

Facts of the case:
A consumer purchased a new motor vehicle which allegedly developed a severe mechanical defect, causing the engine to seize during normal operation within the warranty period. The manufacturer and service centers refused warranty coverage, alleging the defect was caused by water entering the engine due to user negligence. The consumer filed a complaint before the district forum, which was accepted. The manufacturer appealed, challenging the liability and arguing that the vehicle had been repaired and tested, with the customer signing a satisfaction note.

Findings of Court:
The court found that the manufacturer failed to provide any technical report or expert testimony to substantiate the claim that the engine damage was caused by water ingress. Signature on a satisfaction note following service does not automatically waive the consumer's right to claim repairs for defects that manifest upon operation.

Issues: Whether the manufacturer is liable for engine failure within the warranty period, and whether the burden of proving user negligence lies on the manufacturer when they dispute a warranty claim.

Ratio Decidendi: The manufacturer has an obligation under warranty terms to address mechanical failures. When a defect occurs within a reasonable timeframe and distance, and the manufacturer attributes the cause to user negligence, the burden strictly rests on the manufacturer to prove such allegations through independent expert reports or technical documentation. A generic denial is insufficient to shift the burden of proof to the consumer.

Result: Appeal dismissed; trial court judgment confirmed.

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