Gurgaon District Commission Orders Bridgestone India To Replace Tyres, Pay Compensation

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Gurgaon (Haryana) bench comprising Sanjeev Jindal (President), Jyoti Siwach (Member) and Khushwinder Kaur (Member) held Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd is liable for manufacturing sub-par quality tyres which wore out prematurely, thereby, leading to significant damage and posing a safety risk to the car owner. The tyre manufacturer was directed to replace the types and compensate the car owner for mental harassment and litigation costs.

Brief Facts: 

Mr Kailash Kumar Sawalka (“Complainant”) purchased an i20 Car on August 11, 2017, from Orion Automobiles Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon (“Seller”), for a total cost of Rs. 5,94,513/-. The car had covered a total mileage of 32,880 kilometres. However, the complainant claimed that the tires installed on the car were of very low quality and had worn out prematurely, which was not typical for a car with such low mileage. This low-quality tire issue led to significant damage and posed a safety risk. In an attempt to address this issue, the complainant sent his vehicle for inspection to the seller, who then forwarded it to M/S Mahadev (“Dealer”), a dealer in Gurgaon, for inspection. However, the dealer refused to replace the tires after inspecting them. The complainant informed the opposing party, Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd. (“Tire Manufacturer”), about this inspection report but received no positive response. Feeling aggrieved, the Complainant filed a consumer complaint in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Gurugram, Haryana (“District Commission”). 

The tyre manufacturer did not appear before the District Commission. Thus, it was proceeded against ex-parte.

Observations by the Commission:

Given the absence of any opposing party's arguments or evidence to challenge the complainant's claims, the District Commission found no grounds to doubt the authenticity of the complainant's allegations regarding the subpar quality of the tires and the premature wear and damage he experienced. Furthermore, the District Commission thoroughly examined the documents provided by the complainant, specifically the Retail Invoice, which confirmed the amount paid for the vehicle and other pertinent details.

As a result, the District Commission concluded that the complainant's case was well-founded and deserving of relief. Consequently, the District Commission issued a directive instructing the tyre manufacturer to replace the tires on the complainant's vehicle with new ones. Additionally, the Commission ordered the tyre manufacturer to compensate the complainant with Rs. 5,000/- for the mental harassment, agony, and pain he endured, as well as reimburse Rs. 3,300/- in litigation expenses.

Case Title: Kailash Kumar Sawalka vs Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd

Case No.: CC/381/2022

Advocate for the Complainant: B.K. Pandey

Advocate for the Opposite Party: None (ex-parte)

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