Royal Enfield buyer got Rs 5.1 lakh compensation after his bike spent 294 days in the workshop

NEW DELHI: In a significant consumer protection ruling, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at Coimbatore has directed motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield and its authorised dealer, Bharat Automotives, to jointly pay Rs 5.1 lakh compensation to a buyer who complained about persistent defects in his Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle, as per a report by Bar and Bench.

What was the dispute about?

The complainant, Uthresh Gobu, an advocate based in Coimbatore, had purchased a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 in May 2022, the model is a premium cafe-racer motorcycle from Royal Enfield's 650cc lineup. According to the complaint, the bike began exhibiting defects soon after the purchase and continued to suffer recurring mechanical and electrical failures affecting multiple components, including the instrument cluster, keyset, suspension system, throttle body, electrical wiring, sensors, exhaust pipes, and silencers.

Notably, the instrument cluster had to be replaced 'six times' due to malfunctioning and fogging, while the keyset was replaced three times. Several other parts were also replaced repeatedly at authorised service centres.

The motorcycle was taken to authorised workshops across several cities including Coimbatore, Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Noida, New Delhi, and Kullu. The vehicle remained in service centres for a cumulative period exceeding 294 days during the ownership period.

The complainant further alleged that the repeated replacement of the instrument cluster led to inconsistent odometer readings, which later affected the resale value of the motorcycle. Additionally, the dealer Bharat Automotives was alleged to have overcharged for the insurance premium at the time of delivery, and the complainant's name was incorrectly recorded during registration, resulting in an erroneous spelling in the Registration Certificate.

Despite repeated fixes, the defects were never permanently rectified, leading the buyer to approach the consumer commission alleging deficiency in service.

What did the consumer commission observe?

A bench comprising President P Dakshanamoorthy and Member G Suguna found that the repeated failures and inability to rectify defects despite multiple repairs over nearly three years constituted clear deficiency in service on the part of both the manufacturer and the dealer.

Consumer courts generally examine whether the product suffered from persistent defects, whether the manufacturer or dealer failed to rectify the issue, whether the buyer experienced financial loss or mental harassment, and whether service standards were inadequate. In this case, the repeated complaints, unresolved issues, and the 294-day cumulative period spent in service centres weighed heavily against the company.

The commission passed its order on May 6.

The commission directed Royal Enfield and Bharat Automotives to jointly pay Rs 5.1 lakh towards mental agony, hardship, and incidental expenses, along with Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs, bringing the total compensation to Rs 5.1 lakh. The commission also directed that if the amount is not paid within two months, it will carry interest at 12 per cent on the same.