A mum screamed at her two young children and husband to 'run as fast as you can' out and away from their family car moments before it burst into flames. Caroline Rodda, 48, her husband, Grant, 52, and their two children - Betsy, eight, and Sunny, seven - were travelling home to Hertfordshire from Cheltenham when a warning light flashed up on their Land Rover Defender.
The family were driving on the M25 at the time and after pulling off the motorway and restarting the three-year-old Land Rover 110 Defender SE240 the light disappeared. But after continuing their journey the family suddenly heard a loud bang from the front of the car and a flame shot out.
The family stopped the car and got out before it burst into flames on January 3. Caroline, a stay-at-home mum, from Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, said: “We were driving up a hill when there was a loud bang at the front of the car and a big flame shot out the front.
“I woke the kids up, who were in the back of the car, and said: ‘Everybody get out of the car now. Run as fast as you can.' The kids were absolutely hysterical — my dog’s seat belt was stuck, and I was screaming trying to get him out.”
The family had purchased the car in March 2022 and it had last had an MOT in February 2024. After getting everyone out of the car safely, Grant, a company director, called the fire brigade to inform them of the “terrifying” experience.
The family was stranded on a pitch-black narrow country road in sub-zero temperatures. They lost their car and all possessions in it including newly-bought Christmas presents. They estimate their value lost totalled up to just under £12k.
They say they lost Chanel prescription glasses, a Gucci purse, a Mulberry tote bag, two Apple iPads, and thousands of pounds worth of clothes. Caroline emailed Land Rover on January 9 to ask them to open an investigation into the incident.
She said: “They’ve been absolutely useless, to be honest. The emails have been going back and forth.”
Caroline is concerned this problem is becoming increasingly common among Land Rover vehicles, and has joined a Facebook group chat to discuss with others. On October 23, 2023 a Range Rover caught fire in Luton Airport Terminal 2 car park.
The fire spread and destroyed 1,300 vehicles and injured four firefighters. Last week Caroline received an email from Land Rover stating that they would be closing their investigation as she had a payment settlement with her insurance company.
From the settlement, the family received £44,000 for the car, which was originally purchased for £70,000, and £300 for possessions lost. A spokesperson for Land Rover wrote to Caroline: “We will not be able to communicate with you any further as you are no longer the owner of the vehicle.”
Caroline then contacted her insurance company who, she says, branded the situation as “ridiculous” and informed her after carrying out an investigation on March 11, they took away a component of the car and are awaiting results.
Earlier this week, after Caroline had sent a document detailing the possessions lost, the same spokesperson sent a follow-up email assuring that she had already been “compensated for the alleged loss” - referring to the £300.
Caroline said the incident has deterred her from getting a Land Rover again. She said: “One of the mums at school had her Land Rover catch fire last Friday. Something is going on.”
The accident has deeply affected the family, Caroline said. The family has been nervous getting into cars since and her daughter, Betsy has been struggling with panic attacks at school.
She said: “I’ve been having counselling because of the incident. At the time, I was wondering what would’ve happened if the doors had not opened, or if we didn’t get out of the car in time."
Land Rover declined to comment.
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