A South African woman has expressed frustration after her newly purchased Volvo XC60 B5 caught fire just three weeks after she bought it as a birthday gift to herself.
The woman, identified on TikTok as @llywelyn_pakade, said the incident left her devastated and stranded by the roadside as she watched the vehicle burn.
In a video shared on October 9, she posted footage of the burnt-out car alongside a screenshot of a one-star Google review she had given the dealership, Volvo Menlyn.
According to her account, she purchased the vehicle on April 29, hoping to celebrate her birthday with a new car. However, the excitement reportedly turned into distress when the Volvo caught fire just three weeks later.
Recalling the incident, the woman described the helplessness she experienced as the flames engulfed her recently acquired vehicle.
“Imagine watching your car burn only three weeks after you purchased it. I watched it burn to the ground while I stood on the side of the road, helpless, not knowing what to do,” she said.
The woman also revealed that five months had passed since the incident without a resolution to her concerns.
She appealed directly to Volvo Menlyn, calling on the dealership to take responsibility and address the matter.
“It’s been five months, and I need Volvo Menlyn to take responsibility,” she said.
Her video attracted widespread attention on social media, with several users expressing sympathy and questioning how a vehicle from the Swedish automotive brand could catch fire so soon after purchase.
One user, @asisipho669, expressed surprise, writing: “OMG I thought this brand was the safest.”
Another commenter, identified as MR KING, suggested that the dealership might have information about the incident, although no evidence was provided to support the claim.
Other users speculated about possible causes, including fuel quality, but their comments did not establish what triggered the fire.
The woman has not publicly established the cause of the incident, and the circumstances surrounding the fire remain unclear based on her account.
It was also unclear whether Volvo Menlyn or the manufacturer had responded to her complaint by the time of publication.
Her experience has prompted questions about the support available to customers when serious problems arise shortly after purchasing a vehicle.