Negligence, Not Defect: Karnataka Consumer Commission Trashes Honda Amaze Engine-Seizure Claim

In a sharp reminder that a mere mishap does not morph into a manufacturing defect, the Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Principal Bench, Bengaluru) on 5 January 2025 allowed two intra-consumer appeals filed by Honda Cars India Ltd. and its authorised dealer Peninsula Honda (Prop. Patel Cars Pvt. Ltd.). By a common order in F.A. Nos. A/825/2021 & A/857/2021, Justice T.G. Shivashankare Gowda (President) and Ms. Divyashree M (Lady Member) set aside a district forum decree that had saddled the manufacturer and dealer with ₹2.65 lakh repair cost, interest and compensation for an engine seizure that occurred after the car's radiator cap came off on a coastal highway. The Commission held that the complainant's own admission of negligence, coupled with the complete absence of scheduled maintenance and expert evidence, sounded the death-knell for the defect and deficiency narrative.