E20 petrol woes persist: 6 in 10 pre-2023 car owners report over 10% mileage drop, survey finds

Published 26 July 2026 · india

More than a year after India completed the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, a majority of owners of older petrol vehicles continue to report a

More than a year after India completed the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, a majority of owners of older petrol vehicles continue to report a sharp decline in fuel efficiency, suggesting concerns around the higher ethanol blend remain far from resolved. A new LocalCircles survey found that 67% of owners of pre-2023 petrol vehicles said their mileage had fallen by more than 10% since early 2025, while nearly half also reported rising maintenance costs and vehicle wear. The findings come as India pushes ahead with higher ethanol blends beyond E20 as part of its energy transition strategy. They also follow the first known consumer court ruling related to E20 fuel, in which the Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed Maruti Suzuki to replace a vehicle or refund its owner after recurring engine problems allegedly linked to E20 usage. Majority of older petrol vehicle owners report sharp mileage decline The LocalCircles survey, which received more than 45,000 responses from owners of pre-2023 petrol vehicles across 309 districts, found that over two-thirds of respondents experienced a significant drop in fuel efficiency. Among the 22,541 respondents who answered the mileage-related question, 67% said their vehicles were delivering more than 10% lower mileage than they had in early 2025. Nearly one in four reported a decline exceeding 20%. The findings indicate that consumer complaints have remained broadly unchanged from previous surveys conducted in May and June, suggesting the issue has become persistent rather than temporary.

The survey also found that only 13% of respondents said they had noticed no impact on mileage. Wear and tear concerns continue to rise Beyond fuel economy, vehicle owners also reported growing maintenance issues. According to the survey, 45% of owners of pre-2023 petrol vehicles said they had experienced an unusual increase in wear and tear or repairs involving components such as the engine, fuel line, fuel pump, injectors and fuel tank since early 2025. The proportion reporting maintenance-related problems has risen steadily from 29% in May 2026 to 45% in the latest survey, pointing to mounting concerns among motorists. Respondents cited issues including rough idling, increased engine vibration, harder cold starts, lower pickup and more frequent repairs. Concerns spread beyond older vehicles The survey suggests the issue is not confined to older cars. A parallel LocalCircles survey of more than 22,000 owners of petrol vehicles purchased in 2023 and 2024 found that 59% also reported a mileage decline of more than 10% since early 2025. One in four respondents said the reduction exceeded 20%, despite these vehicles being marketed as E20 compatible. LocalCircles said the scale of the reported mileage loss exceeds the Government's own estimates and may indicate fuel quality issues beyond ethanol blending alone. The organisation flagged the possibility of petrol adulteration or contamination, including ethanol concentrations above the mandated 20% and cases of water contamination within the fuel supply chain.