Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Kia India Dealer Ordered Refund Over Recurring Sonet DPF Problem
A person bought a Kia Sonet diesel car in 2022.
The car showed a warning about its diesel filter after it had travelled only 364 kilometres.
The owner took it to the service centre many times.
The company tried several repairs, but the problem kept returning.
Kia India and its dealer said the problem was caused by the owner’s driving habits.
They also mentioned possible rat damage and fuel-injector problems.
The consumer commission said the company had not provided enough technical proof for its explanation.
It ordered the company and dealer to refund the car’s price and pay additional compensation.
Kurnool’s consumer commission ordered Kia India and MG Brothers to refund ₹10,99,890 to a Kia Sonet owner.
The refund covers the vehicle’s ex-showroom price, with 9% annual interest from February 25, 2026.
The consumer reported a DPF warning after driving just 364 kilometres in the vehicle.
Several repairs and software updates failed to prevent the DPF problem from recurring.
The commission also awarded ₹1 lakh for mental agony and ₹10,000 for litigation expenses.
- Who
- Tummakomma Ravindranath, Kia India, and authorised dealer MG Brothers, Kia Kurnool.
- What
- The Kurnool District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered a refund and compensation over a recurring Diesel Particulate Filter problem in a Kia Sonet.
- When
- Ravindranath bought the vehicle on March 12, 2022; the order provides interest from February 25, 2026.
- Where
- Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh.
- Why
- The commission found that Kia India and the dealer did not convincingly prove that the recurring defect was solely caused by the consumer’s driving pattern.
Consumer and Commission
Kia India and Dealer
Cause of the recurring DPF problem
Consumer and Commission
The consumer said the problem continued despite repeated service visits, component work, and software upgrades. The commission found that the companies had not supplied convincing technical or expert evidence linking the defect solely to the consumer’s driving pattern.
Kia India and Dealer
Kia India and MG Brothers argued that short-distance driving and failure to follow the prescribed DPF regeneration procedure caused the problem. They also cited alleged rat-bite damage and abnormal fuel-injector back leakage.
Responsibility for the vehicle’s failure
Consumer and Commission
The commission treated the recurring problem as grounds for refunding the vehicle’s ex-showroom price, subject to the consumer handing over the defective vehicle.
Kia India and Dealer
The companies’ position was that the issue resulted from the consumer’s use and maintenance practices rather than an inherent or company-responsible defect.
- Refund amount
- ₹10,99,890, representing the vehicle’s ex-showroom price
- Interest
- 9% annually from February 25, 2026, until realisation
- Additional compensation
- ₹1 lakh for mental agony
- Litigation expenses
- ₹10,000
- Vehicle
- Kia Sonet HTX Diesel purchased on March 12, 2022
- Reported defect
- Recurring Diesel Particulate Filter warning and related problem
- Case
- Consumer Complaint No. 48/2026