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A consumer court in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore has ordered motorcycle maker Royal Enfield and its authorised dealer Bharat Automotives to jointly pay Rs 5.1 lakh compensation to a buyer who said his Continental GT 650 kept breaking down despite repeated repairs. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission said the motorcycle suffered recurring defects for nearly three years and remained at service centres for a combined 294 days.
The case was filed by Coimbatore-based advocate Uthresh Gobu, who bought the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 in May 2022. According to the complaint, the premium café-racer motorcycle developed a series of mechanical and electrical issues soon after delivery and continued to face problems despite multiple replacements and servicing.
The instrument cluster reportedly had to be replaced “six times” because of malfunctioning and fogging issues. The keyset was also replaced three times. Other parts too were changed repeatedly at authorised workshops.
The motorcycle was serviced at different authorised centres in cities such as Coimbatore, Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Noida, New Delhi, and Kullu.
Apart from the mechanical complaints, the petition also accused Bharat Automotives of charging excess insurance premium during delivery. The buyer further claimed that his name was entered incorrectly during vehicle registration, leading to a spelling error in the Registration Certificate.
Despite several repair attempts, the issues were allegedly never resolved permanently. This eventually pushed the buyer to approach the consumer commission, accusing both the manufacturer and dealer of deficiency in service.
The commission noted that the motorcycle had spent an unusually long period at service centres and that the recurring complaints continued over almost three years.
Consumer courts usually examine whether a product repeatedly failed, whether repair attempts were successful, and whether the customer suffered financial loss, inconvenience, or mental distress because of poor service. In this case, the long list of unresolved issues and the 294-day repair period weighed against the company.
The commission directed Royal Enfield and Bharat Automotives to jointly pay Rs 5.1 lakh towards mental agony, hardship, and related expenses. It also awarded Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs.
The commission further said that if the amount is not paid within two months, the compensation would attract 12 per cent interest.
The case was filed by Coimbatore-based advocate Uthresh Gobu, who bought the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 in May 2022. According to the complaint, the premium café-racer motorcycle developed a series of mechanical and electrical issues soon after delivery and continued to face problems despite multiple replacements and servicing.
Instrument cluster was replaced six times
The complaint stated that several major parts of the motorcycle repeatedly failed during ownership. The affected components allegedly included the instrument cluster, keyset, suspension setup, throttle body, sensors, electrical wiring, silencers, and exhaust pipes.The instrument cluster reportedly had to be replaced “six times” because of malfunctioning and fogging issues. The keyset was also replaced three times. Other parts too were changed repeatedly at authorised workshops.
The motorcycle was serviced at different authorised centres in cities such as Coimbatore, Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Noida, New Delhi, and Kullu.
Buyer says resale value was affecte
The complainant also argued that repeated replacement of the instrument cluster caused inconsistencies in the odometer readings. According to him, this later affected the resale value of the motorcycle.Apart from the mechanical complaints, the petition also accused Bharat Automotives of charging excess insurance premium during delivery. The buyer further claimed that his name was entered incorrectly during vehicle registration, leading to a spelling error in the Registration Certificate.
Despite several repair attempts, the issues were allegedly never resolved permanently. This eventually pushed the buyer to approach the consumer commission, accusing both the manufacturer and dealer of deficiency in service.
What the commission said
The bench, comprising President P Dakshanamoorthy and Member G Suguna, observed that the repeated defects and failure to permanently rectify them showed clear deficiency in service by both the manufacturer and dealer.The commission noted that the motorcycle had spent an unusually long period at service centres and that the recurring complaints continued over almost three years.
Consumer courts usually examine whether a product repeatedly failed, whether repair attempts were successful, and whether the customer suffered financial loss, inconvenience, or mental distress because of poor service. In this case, the long list of unresolved issues and the 294-day repair period weighed against the company.
Compensation and interest to Royal Enfield Buyer
The order was passed on May 6.The commission directed Royal Enfield and Bharat Automotives to jointly pay Rs 5.1 lakh towards mental agony, hardship, and related expenses. It also awarded Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs.
The commission further said that if the amount is not paid within two months, the compensation would attract 12 per cent interest.
