A consumer commission in Himachal Pradesh has asked Tata Motors to either replace a defective Tata Harrier SUV or to issue a refund of Rs 21.4 lakh along with interest. The ruling comes after the commission found out that the vehicle involved had inherent manufacturing defects. It suffered multiple steering-related issues and timing belt failures within the first 26,000 km of usage. This made the consumer approach the court for a resolution.
The vehicle involved in this case is a 2022 Harrier XZA+ Dark Edition. Dr Krishan Lal Kapoor, a resident of Palampur, bought it on May 10,2022, from JKR Motors Pvt Ltd, a dealer in Himachal Pradesh. The purchase price was Rs 21,40,775. The SUV was later registered in Kangra district.
The customer alleged that issues started showing up almost immediately after purchase. Within the first 1000 kilometres, it developed knocking sounds and vibrations from the steering assembly. The owner immediately took the vehicle to an authorised Tata dealership. He was told that the car had a defect in the steering system. As a fix, the entire power steering assembly was replaced under warranty, on May 30, 2022.
The replacement, however, did not make life easy for the owner. In the complaint, Kapoor mentions that steering-related issues resurfaced while driving at highway speeds. This put the vehicle’s safety at risk. Repeated inspections and servicing could not fix them.
Making things worse for the owner, this Harrier suffered two separate timing belt failures. The first incident occurred in August 2023 whereas the second happened on March 27, 2024. These escalated the owner’s concerns and dissatisfaction.
A timing belt is a crucial part of the engine. It synchronizes the rotation of the crankshaft and the camshaft. This ensures that the valves open and close at the right time. If the timing belt breaks, the engine immediately loses power, stalls and shuts down completely. Such a failure can cause serious damage to the engine’s internals.
In the first incident, the breakdown happened on the Hamirpur-Sujanpur highway. It left Kapoor and his family stranded. The customer also alleged that the roadside assistance team took nearly six hours to show up and get the vehicle towed. The vehicle remained at the workshop for around 15 days to get the timing belt and associated components replaced.
On March 27, the SUV suffered another breakdown near Palampur. Kapoor claims an identical timing belt failure as the reason for this incident. The vehicle then had 26,711 km on its odometer. The vehicle was later moved to an authorised workshop and was returned on April 9, 2024, after repairs. These incidents made the owner believe that his vehicle had a manufacturing defect. He approached the consumer commission seeking a resolution.
Tata Motors and its dealer contested the complaint. It argued that all reported issues were resolved under warranty and also denied allegations of recurring steering failures. It further maintained that driving conditions and usage patterns could cause timing belt failures. The vehicle, the company said, had covered more than 30,000 kilometres over two years. This, according to its claim, disproved allegations of manufacturing defects.
The commission reviewed all evidence and concluded that repeated failures of critical components indicated an inherent manufacturing defect. It relied heavily on the findings of an independent automobile expert to arrive at a conclusion. The ruling clarified that a customer cannot be compelled to use a 'structurally defective and potentially life-threatening' vehicle.
The court ordered the carmaker to provide a new Harrier to the owner- same or higher trim, or refund the full purchase price of Rs 21.40 lakh, with a 9% annual interest, calculated from the date of filing the complaint. Additionally, Tata has been asked to pay a compensation of 1 lakh rupees for mental agony and harassment and an extra Rs 15000 towards litigation costs.