A day after Audi India, a subsidiary of German luxury carmaker Volkswagen, recalled 382 units of its flagship sports utility vehicle (SUV) Q7 over brake system flaw, the national consumer court asked it to carry out repairs of its allegedly defective luxury car (Audi A6 2.0 TDI) after Mumbai-based residents complained that the company was indulging in unfair and restrictive trade practices and selling defective products in the country.

One Om Prakash Verma and his son Sahil Verma have sought damages of R1.5 crore from the German car maker on the ground that the preferred fuel recommended for use in such a luxury car for hassle free operation is not available in India, thus such cars are not fit for Indian fuel conditions.

While issuing notice to the Volkswagen Group, Audi India and other senior officials, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on Thursday asked the company to carry out the necessary repairs and also asked the complainants to deposit the cost of repairs in the court itself.

The VW counsel did not reply to FEs queries.

Vermas had moved the consumer court in September after having failed to get back their car, which was sent for repairs at the Audi Mumbai South workshop. The complainants had purchased the car in March last year for R54.16 lakh on the basis of purported advertisements claiming it to be a premium product fully suited for Indian conditions.

However, they said that the car maker is making false claims and in fact it imports the product from Germany and assembles it in India at a plant owned and operated by its direct competitor Skoda Auto India.