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Kia Ordered to Refund Sonet Owner After Recurring DPF Warnings
A person bought a Kia Sonet diesel car in March 2022.
Soon after, the car began showing warnings about its diesel filter.
The owner took it to the service centre many times, and workers tried several repairs.
The warning still came back.
Kia and the dealer said the warnings could be linked to driving conditions, fuel or other issues.
The consumer commission said they had not shown convincing evidence that the owner caused the problem.
It did not decide that the car definitely had a manufacturing defect.
But it said the repeated problem had not been properly fixed during the warranty period.
It ordered Kia and the dealer to refund ₹10,99,890 when the car is returned, and the headline also reports ₹1 lakh compensation.
Kurnool’s District Consumer Commission ordered Kia India and dealer MG Brothers Kia to refund ₹10,99,890 after the owner returns the car.
The Kia Sonet HTX Diesel, bought in March 2022, began showing DPF warnings when it had travelled 364 km.
The owner said he visited the authorised service centre more than 15 times, but the warnings kept returning despite repairs.
Kia and the dealer denied service deficiency, citing driving patterns, fuel quality and other possible causes; the Commission said these explanations were not adequately supported.
The Commission found that failure to provide a lasting fix during the warranty period was deficiency in service; the headline reports an additional ₹1 lakh compensation.
- Who
- A Kia Sonet owner, Kia India Pvt. Ltd. and authorised dealer MG Brothers Kia.
- What
- The Kurnool District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission partly allowed the owner's complaint and ordered a refund of ₹10,99,890 when the car is returned.
- Where
- Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India.
- When
- The car was bought in March 2022; the Commission's order date is not stated in the article.
- Why
- The Commission found that repeated DPF problems had not received an effective, lasting fix during the warranty period, amounting to deficiency in service.
Owner and Commission
Kia and Dealer
Cause of recurring DPF warnings
Owner and Commission
The owner said the same warnings returned despite following service-centre instructions and repeated repairs. The Commission found the companies had not provided convincing evidence that the problem was solely caused by the owner's driving.
Kia and Dealer
Kia and the dealer said DPF alerts can be normal in BS-VI diesel cars and may result from driving patterns, short trips, congestion or fuel quality. They also cited rat-bite damage to sensor wiring and abnormal injector back-leakage.
Whether the service was adequate
Owner and Commission
The Commission said repeated repairs had not produced a lasting solution during the warranty period, which amounted to deficiency in service.
Kia and Dealer
Kia and the dealer denied deficiency in service and argued that the vehicle remained roadworthy and had travelled more than 43,000 km.
Use of the vehicle
Owner and Commission
The Commission said congested urban driving alone could not be treated as improper use unless the consumer had been clearly informed of specific driving requirements for the DPF system.
Kia and Dealer
The companies argued that short-distance and congested-city driving could trigger DPF warnings and said the owner sometimes took the vehicle back before a prescribed regeneration road-test cycle was completed.
Key facts
- Vehicle
- Kia Sonet HTX Diesel
- Purchase date
- March 2022
- Refund ordered
- ₹10,99,890, payable after the owner returns the vehicle
- Interest
- 9% annually from February 25, 2026, until the refund is realised
- First recorded DPF problem
- The Commission noted that the problem appeared when the car had travelled 364 km
- Service visits
- The owner said he took the car to the authorised service centre more than 15 times
- Compensation
- The headline reports ₹1 lakh compensation; the article body does not provide further details about it
Sources
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