‘My shaylaaaaaaaa … send help.’
When one buys a car, they generally hope that it will last them a long time. This hope is usually correct in practice. The average American will own their car for around 8 years, with many car owners keeping their vehicles until they reach 200,000 miles or more.
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In order to reach that high mileage, many internet users have advice about how best to maintain one’s car. Experts maintain that doing things like monitoring your car’s brakes and tires will ensure its longevity. And in some cases, they even advise against common maintenance advice.
While many issues with a vehicle can be avoided, some problems simply can’t, as recently learned by TikTok user @klzzy__ in a video with over 954,000 views.
What went wrong with this Dodge Charger?
In her video, the TikToker shows the front seat of a Dodge Charger, which is on fire.
“Bought a dodge charger 5 days ago and it caught on fire without even being on,” she writes in the text overlaying the video.
In the comments section, the TikToker said she bought the car used and that the car was a 2020 model. Thankfully, she says that neither she nor her children were in the vehicle at the time it started on fire.
As for what caused the issue, the TikToker claimed that it was a problem with the heated seat element. In response to this, the TikToker said that she’s being given a new car.
How common is this problem?
Fortunately, it seems that heated seat fires, specifically on Dodge Chargers, are a rare occurrence.
While there are occasional internet posts referencing the idea, it does not appear that heated seat fires in Dodge Chargers are a widespread issue.
That said, there are numerous reports about heated car seats posing problems across brands. As noted by Edmunds, there are reports of heated car seats burning drivers, with some complainants reporting seeing smoke or smelling an odor of burning coming from their car seat. Among the most frequently cited brands for these issues were Mercedes and BMW.
@klzzy__ My shaylaaaaaaaa 😭😭 send help #dodgecharger #carfire #heatedseatfire #momsoftiktokclub #sendhelp ♬ original sound – iluvchipotle
In the comments section, users offered their thoughts on the TikToker’s situation.
“Can’t believe they sold it to you with a defective passenger seat!!!” exclaimed a user. In response, the TikToker wrote, “I don’t think that’s something they could have noticed tbh but idk.”
“Mine was a 2023 only 11,800 miles on it and caught fire by itself as well!! It started in the engine looks like it per the fire inspectors,” offered another. “Made a claim with dodge! Happened beginning of February!”
“This happen to me when I bought the car to!!! They don’t be inspecting these cars at all,” declared a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Stellantis via email and to the TikToker via TikTok direct message and comment.
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