In a significant ruling, the Malappuram Consumer Commission has directed Maruti Suzuki to refund the entire ₹4.3 lakh purchase value of a vehicle to its owner after accident injuries resulted from the car’s airbag failing to deploy appropriately. It highlights the absolute product integrity and consumer safety burden on automakers like Maruti amidst recurring allegations around lax quality frameworks.
The June 2021 accident led to severe injuries as onboard airbag mechanisms mysteriously malfunctioned. Post Motor Vehicle Department probes confirming a manufacturing anomaly, the Commission directed full reimbursement plus ₹20,000 litigation overhead within 30 days under 9% interest penalty threat for delays.
History of Safety Lapses Hampers Brand Trust
Maruti continues grappling with the persistent stigma around design or assembly flaws spanning critical airbag components as instances of large-scale vehicle recalls keep emerging intermittently. Over 75,000 units were redressed in 2016 with ballooning costs over mere software tweaks.
More recently, alarms were raised regarding moisture affecting child parts in airbag controller units and ECU calibration errors potentially hampering timely or effective airbag deployment. Such chronic vulnerabilities around flagship brands shake consumer confidence and trust in operational consistency over years despite evident process gaps.
