A woman shocked internet users after sharing that the driver’s seat of her 2018 Smart suddenly exploded.
The case was shared by Nathanyaawho posted a video on her TikTok profile to show the extent of the damage. “I remember driving and smelling burning tires, so when I finished driving, I looked at the tires, and they seemed fine. So, I left it and went home,” she said in the clip.
“How does this happen? I’m genuinely in shock. I bought this car directly. […] If anyone has any advice, please let me know,” Nathanyaa continued, also explaining that insurance is refusing to cover the vehicle’s repair.
In the caption, she added: “The seat in my Smart literally burned from the inside due to an electrical fault. You can see the wiring. I’m really afraid to drive again. Insurance says it won’t cover it. Mercedes-Benz/Smartplease explain?”
In the comments on the video, which has already received over 450,000 views, internet users advised Nathanyaa to take the vehicle to a Mercedes-Benz dealership, as the company produces the car in partnership with the Chinese company Geely.
“This is a manufacturer issue,” wrote one TikTok user. “You need to go directly to Mercedes and file a complaint,” argued another. “How can this not be covered by insurance? Someone could have died, my God,” lamented a third user.
It is worth noting that Smart cars are no longer sold in North America, although many models purchased in previous years are still on the road.
In 2017, Mercedes-Benz settled a class-action lawsuit claiming that seat heaters in their Smart cars could overheat due to a copper wiring component inside.
Mercedes did not admit fault but agreed to replace a bypass wire in affected models and offer an extended warranty and partial reimbursement for future repairs for those who had not had the repair done.
Therefore, it seems appropriate for Nathanyaa to contact the manufacturer, inform their representatives about the issue, and determine whether her problem is covered by an extended warranty or if she will need to pay for the repairs out of pocket.
Photo and video: TikTok @nathanyahh4. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
@nathanyahh4 My Smart car seat literally burned from the inside because of an electrical fault. You can see the wiring, I’m genuinely scared to drive it again 😭 Insurance says they won’t cover it. @Mercedes-Benz/Smart, please explain?? If anyone’s been through this or knows what I should do, I’d really appreciate advice 🫶🏽 #smartcar #mercedesbenz #carsafety #smartcar #carfire ♬ original sound – Nathanyaa
