The district consumer dispute redressal forum has directed General Motors and Dynamic Motors to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 to a complainant for causing mental and physical harassment to him by delivering a vehicle which had defects.

The complainants, Preetinder Singh and Mandeep Kaur, purchased a Chevrolet Optra Magnum TCDI LS car, manufactured by General Motors from their city-based dealer Dynamic Motors on October 29, 2007.

According to the complaint, on January 1, 2008, when the car had just run 4,674 kilOmeTers, the complainant felt gear stick was making very erratic and disturbing noise and the back rest of the driver seat had become free all of a sudden. Further, bubbles had started appearing on the paint of the rear boot of the car within 10 months. The complainant alleged that when the car was taken to the service station, it was admitted that the paint job of the rear boot was defective.

On October 7, 2008, when the car was not even a year old, the alternator of the car developed a peculiar problem as the hazard/malfunction light suddenly got turned on. The problem was supposedly fixed and the car was delivered but after taking the delivery, the problem reoccurred and this time the car refused to start.

The car was towed to the service station at the expense of the complainant and again the same alternator parts were changed in spite of request to change the entire assembly. The complaint further added that in October 2008 the rear left tyre started making a peculiar noise but the service executives refused to intervene. The forum after taking into account both the sides’ statements, directed the compensation be awarded jointly by GM and Dynamic Motors.

... contd.