Mumbai Consumer Commission Orders HPCL-Operated Service Centre To Compensate Car Owner Over Engine Damage

Mumbai, August 5, 2026: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mumbai Suburban, has held an HPCL-operated automobile service centre guilty of deficiency in service after it overfilled the engine oil in a customer's Maruti Suzuki Dzire, resulting in severe engine damage. The commission directed the service centre to compensate the car owner for the repair expenses along with other applicable reliefs.

The commission, in its 12-page order, directed the Auto Care Centre to pay Rs 1,09,000 towards the repair expenses incurred by the complainant. The commission further directed the service centre to pay the amount with interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum from 2014. It also directed the service centre to pay Rs 30,000 as compensation and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.

Consumer Complaint

The complaint was filed by Bandra resident Vithaldas Bhandarkar, a Junior Engineer with the Mumbai Port Trust, against Auto Care Centre, a service station operated by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. The complaint, instituted in 2014, was decided on June 11, 2026.

According to the complaint, Bhandarkar had taken his second-generation Maruti Suzuki Dzire for its fourth scheduled service on February 6, 2014. During the servicing, the service centre replaced the engine oil before returning the vehicle later that evening.

Soon afterwards, the complainant discovered that approximately six litres of engine oil had been poured into the engine, despite the manufacturer's prescribed capacity being 3.1 litres.

The complainant alleged that the excessive quantity of oil caused extensive engine failure, forcing him to incur substantial repair costs. Although he repeatedly approached the service centre seeking reimbursement, the operator denied liability, prompting him to move the consumer commission.

Commission Rejects Defence

During the proceedings, the service centre admitted that six litres of oil had been used but argued that nearly 2.9 litres had been utilised only for flushing the engine before draining the old oil. It further claimed that the engine damage was unrelated to the servicing and was caused by other mechanical defects.

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After considering the evidence, the commission rejected the defence and noted that the service provider had failed to establish that the damage occurred for reasons unrelated to the excessive engine oil. It observed that the service station had failed to exercise the reasonable degree of care expected while servicing a customer's vehicle.

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