CHENNAI: A consumer redressal forum in the city has directed Japanese multinational car maker Nissan Motors and its authorised service centre in the city to pay `50,000 as compensation to a city resident for a defective alloy wheel in a car supplied by the company.
M Monika Darshini, a Kilpauk resident, filed the petition seeking compensation as the authorised service centre demanded her to pay nearly `9,000 to rectify the defect alleging that the dent in the alloy wheel was caused only because of collision.
However, on perusal of the service records of the car, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum - Chennai South held that the dent was caused only due to manufacturing defect and hence the collection of the amount to rectify the defect amounts to deficiency of service.
Darshini had brought the Nissan Sunny XVD model car in August 2012. Her husband Giri Prasad, an advocate, soon noticed that the front left wheel often turned flat due to reduced air pressure in the tyre. Jain Jubilant Cars, an authorised service centre of Nissan Motors, detected a dent in the alloy wheel. However, Giri Prasad alleged the car was delivered to him on December 6, 2012 without rectifying the defect. After he wrote to the Customer Relationship Manager of Nissan Motors, the service centre agreed to rectify the defect. However, they started demanding Prasad nearly `9,000 alleging the dent was caused by collision.
He filed the petition seeking compensation of `5 lakh for mental agony caused to him and reimbursement of the `8,986 paid by him for rectifying the defect.
However, considering that the compensation of `5,00,000 is too high, the forum directed Nissan Motors and Jain Jubilant Cars to jointly pay `50,000 as compensation and also return `8,986 along with 10 per cent interest calculated from December 2012.