Sian Crooks, 29, was left terrified after her Kia Stonic caught fire just 12 days after buying it, with her five-month-old puppy inside
A motorist was left in a state of shock when her £9,000 car suddenly burst into flames just 12 days after purchase, with her five-month-old puppy trapped inside. Siân Crooks, 29, had barely got to grips with her new Kia Stonic when the horrifying incident occurred on a busy road in Workington, Cumbria.
She was returning home from collecting her dog from her grandmother’s house when, without any warning, the engine abruptly failed. The dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree and within seconds, smoke began billowing from under the bonnet.
Recalling the terrifying ordeal, Siân said: “I drove until the engine ran out of power, which was only about 10 seconds after the warning light came on. Within 30 seconds of that, the engine was on fire. I was terrified. I didn’t know what was happening.”
Despite her fear, Siân managed to guide the vehicle off the bustling road and onto a side street, mere moments before the car was engulfed in flames. She described the scene: “I just saw all this black smoke pouring out of the bonnet, so picked up the dog and got out of the car. I got onto the bank on the side of the road in that much of a panic I left my phone on the centre console, which I needed to call the fire service – so I quickly grabbed it.”
Her primary concern was for her 19-week-old Labrador, Bowie. She admitted: “Having the dog in the car with me was the most terrifying thing.”
After making a hasty escape, she said local tradesmen rushed to assist, looking after the shaken pup while she tried to compose herself. Overwhelmed by the situation, she confessed: “I was crying to my mum on the phone – I didn’t know what else to do. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” she said. Firefighters were called to the scene and managed to put out the fire, but the car has since been moved to a recovery yard.
The vehicle had clocked up around 53,000 miles and according to Siân, was still under Kia’s seven-year warranty. However, the manufacturer stated it couldn’t confirm this without the vehicle’s history details.
“I drive buses for a living, so I had to get back behind the wheel – but I was off work for a couple of days,” Siân shared. The Kia was purchased from Motorzone Northwest in Blackpool with a six-month warranty provided by the dealership.
Siân claimed she was informed at the time of collection about a known issue with the parking sensors that would be rectified, but she hadn’t encountered any issues with the car prior to the fire. Five weeks later, she is still awaiting answers.
“It’s incredibly frustrating, because I haven’t got a car now – and I start work at 5am. I’ve had to borrow my grandma’s car. I’ve been trying to get in touch with one lady at Kia for a week now, I’ve been calling every day,” she said. Siân added: “It’s been five weeks since it happened and I’ve not really heard anything – I don’t know what else to do.”
A spokesperson for Kia responded: “We are glad to hear that nobody was harmed in the incident. As this is an ongoing case, we are unable to comment on the cause of the incident. We can confirm there are no recalls due, or outstanding, for this particular vehicle or the Stonic model range.
“The vehicle was purchased outside of the Kia dealer network, an Hence, we have scant details about its servicing or maintenance history, which can directly influence the validity of the Kia warranty.
“We regard incidents like this with the utmost seriousness and we are collaborating with the vehicle owner to gather a comprehensive account of the situation, as well as the vehicle’s servicing and repair documentation.
“We have encouraged the vehicle owner to liaise with their insurer as is normal and best practice.”