Advertisement vs reality: Car fails to live up to mileage promise, owner gets Rs 1 lakh relief

Sharma also alleged that he had seen an advertisement in a newspaper in October 2004, wherein Maruti Suzuki had stated that its car has a mileage of up to 18 km.

While the NCDRC acknowledged some factors which could cause variations in mileage, the consumer court sided with the consumer as the variation in this case was too large – about 41 per cent.

“Normally a prospective purchaser of a car enquires into the fuel efficiency feature of the car as an important aspect and makes comparative study of different brands/cars in the same segment with respect to their respective fuel efficiency…while some variation from the notified fuel efficiency is understandable, when such variation is large, the purchaser of such cars feels aggrieved/ cheated,” noted NCDRC in the order dated January 17.

The national commission was hearing a revision petition filed by Maruti against the orders passed by the district and state consumer commissions respectively.

Maruti argued that the complainant purchased his car five months before he saw the advertisement, and that it was, therefore, an irrelevant factor in his decision to buy the car. It was further argued that Sharma’s assertion of low mileage primarily rested on verbal assurances from the dealer, not the advertisement.

The car manufacturer claimed that mileage was “inherently variable” and influenced by various factors.

Earlier, Sharma had approached the district and state consumer commission respectively and both sided with the complainant, which compelled Maruti to move the NCDRC.

According to a Cars24 report, till date mileage remains the top criteria for the Indian car buyer while purchasing a vehicle.

Research shows that aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) can lower the gas mileage by up to 30 per cent on highways. Along with this, cold weather and frequent short trips could also reduce your mileage as the engine takes longer time to warm up.

Operating the air conditioner on max could also reduce your mileage when compared to not using it. Moreover, driving on hilly mountains or unpaved roads can also reduce mileage.