[RahulNagaraj]

A person in Kerala has taken an automaker and its dealer to the consumer court, complaining that the spare wheel offered with his new car was of a different size, compared to the standard.



According to a media report, the consumer forum has ruled in favour of the customer asking both, the automaker and its dealer to pay up Rs. 20,000 in compensation with an additional Rs. 5,000 as litigation expenses.

As per the report, the consumer forum stated that the smaller-sized spare wheel would reduce vehicle control, rendering them almost useless if there is no workshop nearby. The forum also ruled that under the Motor Vehicle Act, the price of the spare wheel should be included in the overall vehicle cost and it is mandatory for carmakers to provide the same.

In response, the automaker and the dealer claimed that the spare wheel was provided to be used only until the car reaches the nearest workshop in an emergency.

Source: Mathrubhumi

Thanks to Voodoo Blaster & Sameer S for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Link to Team-BHP news

[SuhairZain]

Does this mean that we can push the dealers to give us a full sized spare from now on?

[CarNerd]

Correct decision by the consumer court. Instead of improving their standards, some auto makers are resorting to such petty tricks to save money. I hope more people know their rights and approach courts and tell the auto makers that they can't take the customer for granted and try to escape when the customer is in trouble. Instead they should be proactive in providing good customer service.

[ghodlur]

Good to know that the customer approached the court for the justice and was rightly given so.

Firstly why should the car manufacturers give a one size smaller spare? Is the customer paying less for that smaller sized spare? The MORTH needs to come up with simple things such as same size spare tyre and many more before they can announce 6 air bags as mandatory.

Also the logic of giving a steel rims spare when the car comes with alloys is still unfounded. The car makers are making profits even with this one move.

[lina]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

Correct decision by the consumer court. Instead of improving their standards, some auto makers are resorting to such petty tricks to save money. I hope more people know their rights and approach courts and tell the auto makers that they can't take the customer for granted and try to escape when the customer is in trouble. Instead they should be proactive in providing good customer service.

Do you really want a 215 or 235 wide tyre occupying your boot space? In many of the luxury cars, they dont even have a well to store the tyre. Space savers are more than sufficient to get you to a service center where you could get your tyre fixed.

As long as you know upfront what you are getting as a spare, I dont see the problem here.

[RavSam]

Giving a smaller sized spare wheel to reach the "nearest" workshop in an "emergency"

For God's sake, if I am in an emergency, I want to fix the full size spare wheel without worrying about where my nearest workshop is and keep on continuing my journey.

Do they not consider the travel including middle of the night with our less than perfect road conditions where I don't wanna put myself and occupants in danger by limping at a restricted speed!

And give me a break about "increasing boot space" by giving the thin wheel.

Good that the carmaker was fined. Let this skinny spare wheel trend not continue.

[saisree]

Now I can go and sue Honda and the dealer for giving me the 14 inch spare for my 6 year old Jazz, attaching this judgement. So how many of you are ready? we can easily get a year's fuel for free.

[amvj]

I just don’t get it. Since every vehicle needs to be approved and released by ARAI, how this can be challenged in the court? Also, why dealer needs to pay fine since the spare wheel is provided by the manufacturer.

Isn’t this is the standard in luxury cars ?

[GBX]

Ministry puts up regulations. Car makers comply with it. Buyer parts with cash after test drives and PDI. Court somehow finds car maker guilty.

Meanwhile the market simultaneously asks for bigger and flashier wheels and same size spare AND more boot space.

This is a total farce.

[aniketi]

When someone buys a car, he knows what he is getting. Nothing is hidden. Nowadays, we know that spare tire is not alloy or its a size smaller, just for temporary use. So why complain? I know it's cheap cost cutting by manufacturers, but it is not cheating for sure.

[Dhillon]

The automaker for sure will challenge this decision in high court. Seems to me that the dealer represented the automaker in court. Automakers do their homework and then make the changes. I hate smaller spare tyre but its the government that approves it.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

As per the report, the consumer forum stated that the smaller-sized spare wheel would reduce vehicle control, rendering them almost useless if there is no workshop nearby. The forum also ruled that under the Motor Vehicle Act, the price of the spare wheel should be included in the overall vehicle cost and it is mandatory for carmakers to provide the same.

In response, the automaker and the dealer claimed that the spare wheel was provided to be used only until the car reaches the nearest workshop in an emergency.

Wow!
Unbelievable that some manufacturers actually tried these cheap tricks.

Out of curiosity, what does smaller size exactly mean?
Smaller radius (hope not)?
Smaller thickness?
Anything else?

[PaddleShifter]

What about EcoSport SE?
Na rahega baans, na bajwgi bansuri (When there is no bamboo, there will be no flute playing).

Full sized spare has an advantage that the tyre can be used as a regular tyre without bothering to change it back asap. and without a capping on top speed (80kmph is the legal speed limit on many highways anyway). If one tyre gets damaged, this spare tyre can be used in its place as well.

Being an owner of Maruti S-Cross (full spare tyre 215/60R16), I sometimes find that the extra space used by the tyre could have been utilized as boot space. I can not keep certain bags etc in standing position.

As the tyre size grows (195mm or more), the impact of full sized tyre on boot space becomes substantial.

[AnandB]

I am driving my Kodiaq to Ladakh in a month and it comes with a space-saver which is already giving me head-ache. Worse part is i don't think i can even put a full-size tyre in its space.

[saisree]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Smaller radius (hope note)? Yes, a 14" spare for a 15" regular wheel
Smaller thickness? Yes, especially in luxury segment
Anything else? Steel wheel instead of an alloy.

Overall, you get a different profile, that will make you to fix and switch to the regular tire asap.