Consumer Court To Jeep: Replace Defective Wrangler Or Refund Customer Rs. 75 Lakh
The Delhi Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has ordered Jeep’s parent company FIAT India automobiles to either replace a defective Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, or issue a refund of Rs 75 lakh (the Rubicon’s purchase value plus costs incurred by customer), after the distressed owner fought an intense legal battle. The owner had raised complaints of persistent mechanical and structural issues with the vehicle, and the dealership allegedly failed to resolve the same. The matter is currently sub judice and the order has been challenged in court. The case is ongoing and the story is still developing.
The vehicle in this case is a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon- the American carmaker’s flagship off-roader. The owner purchased it in 2021 from an authorised dealer. Back then he had to pay around Rs 70 lakh in total. The 2021 Wrangler Rubicon had an ex-showroom price of Rs 57.9 lakh. Like most people buying the Rubicon, this owner too opted for additional accessories and kit which made the price shoot to around Rs 70 lakh.
According to the owner, the SUV started developing a multitude of issues soon after took delivery of it. These included leaking roof, AC malfunction, issues with reverse camera and auto start-stop, engine and throttle issues and more. The owner also alleged that the SUV returned noticeable vibrations even at moderate speeds. The Rubicon has a solid reputation globally and we don’t expect such niggles from it, especially considering the price we pay for one.
Upset, the owner took it to authorised service centres each time one of these issues surfaced. He reportedly tried Jeep’s service centres in Dehradun, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Ahmedabad. None of these facilities or their technicians could get the issue resolved. They continued to re-appear.
The complainant continued to seek a permanent solution for these issues and used to visit service centres regularly. He even wrote emails to Jeep. Meanwhile, the SUV had several of its parts replaced. None of these could, however, solve the issues. The SUV deteriorated over time. The roof became misaligned. The main frame was said to be compromised.
The complainant was later told by the service centre over the phone, that key components like the engine, silencer and exhaust manifold would need replacement. The owner was very upset with this development and argued that the SUV would not be repaired to the standard expected of a vehicle in its category.
Distressed, the Rubicon owner approached the consumer court. A bench comprising President Sangita Dhingra Sehgal and Member Pinki examined the case in detail. The Commission observed that the manufacturer failed to file its written response within the permitted timeframe. As a result, the complainant’s submissions remained largely unrebutted.
Based on the available evidence, the Commission found no reason to disbelieve the customer’s allegations against the manufacturer. It, however, noted that it was not the service centre that made or sold the car in question. All repairs were carried out under warranty. It couldn’t thus be held responsible for the defects. The complaint against the service centre was dismissed on the grounds of misjoinder of parties under Order 1 Rule 9 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
The manufacturer, on the other hand, was held accountable for the owner’d losses and grievances. The court ruled that Jeep (and its parent company) should replace the defective vehicle with a brand-new Rubicon. Otherwise, it should refund Rs 69,49,522, which the customer had paid for the vehicle and its accessories in 2021.
Additionally, Rs 4 lakh should be paid to the customer towards repair, maintenance, spare parts, and service expenses incurred so far. The complainant had submitted relevant bills for these, before the court. An additional Rs 50,000 should be paid to the consumer to cover commuting expenses during the time when the SUV was at the workshop. Finally, another 1 lakh rupees should be paid as a compensation for mental agony and harassment caused by the incident.
The Jeep Rubicon is an iconic off-roader SUV. The vehicle involved in this case is the fourth-generation JL series Wrangler. 2021 was an important year for this model in India. Jeep then started local assembly of the Wrangler here.
It was available in two trims- Unlimited and Rubicon, the latter being the more capable one. Local assembly brought down the Rubicon’s ex-showroom price to Rs 57.9 lakh. The vehicle in this case is likely to be one from the initial batches of the locally assembled Wranglers. We lack clarity on this front.
Powering the 2021 Wrangler was a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that generates 268hp and 400Nm, and mated to an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. In addition to standard off-road hardware, the Rubicon had the ‘Rock-Trac’ full-time 4WD system with 4:1 crawl ratio, electronically operated sway bar, electronically locking front and rear differentials, and a performance suspension.