Electric Mercedes EQA catches fire, damaging family home

Mercedes-Benz has launched an investigation into the incident in the UK, but owners are understandably upset

Mercedes offers an extensive lineup of electric vehicles in the United States, including the EQB as well as the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS and EQS SUV. However, the EQA is one model you won’t find at dealerships, and you’ll probably be glad you did after watching this video.

The video shows the entry-level crossover parked in a UK driveway during an apparent rainstorm. What initially looked like fog quickly turned into smoke as it emerged from under the vehicle and gained speed.

More: Mercedes-Benz electric car catches fire in parking lot, injuring 21 people and damaging 70 cars

An “explosion” can be seen as an electric car catches fire and is quickly engulfed. Some time later, people could be seen trying to put out the fire with garden hoses, but they were just putting a Band-Aid on the situation.

The crossover’s owners told BBC News last week that the car had been parked outside for several hours before their son heard the explosion. This allowed the family to escape with their dog and try to put out the fire with the help of neighbors.

The fight went as you’d expect, with the car a total loss and the fire damaging the garage door. The owners also claim firefighters told them they were “just minutes away from losing their home.”

It’s unclear what started the fire, but the model is reportedly only two years old and was not charging at the time. Mercedes told the BBC that once they were informed of the issue, they contacted the owner’s insurance company to inspect the vehicle and begin an investigation. The automaker also provided a loaner vehicle to the owner.

The incident reportedly took place in Splaton, Northamptonshire, on September 30, with the Daily Mail reporting that the EQA had just 28,000 miles (45,062 kilometers) on its odometer. The owners also told the publication that “Mercedes didn’t seem to take me seriously at first” because “nothing happened other than ‘We’re going to look into it.'”

While the investigation will not be completed overnight, the family is understandably upset and has been reported in the British media. It sounds like they also turned down a loaner vehicle because the husband said, “I don’t want to ride in a Mercedes anymore.”

As for the investigation, it is reportedly still ongoing. However, there don’t appear to be any fire-related EQA recalls in the UK. In fact, the only recalls we found on the UK EQA involved steering issues and a missing printed owner’s manual.