Toyota

Has anyone heard of a toyota highlander catching on fire while on the road? i was driving yesterday and the car caught on fire, i got out unharmed, but the car is burnt toast. the only thing left is the frame. the temperature gauge went from c to h, then right back down to c, then i heard a noise, then saw the smoke. witnesses said the bottom was on fire for 2 miles before i even knew. i had work done on the power window a week ago along with a service including an oil change. the car was in nice condition, 2004 highlander with 50,000 miles.

Most auto fires are electrical. your malfunctioning temperature gauge is a sign of that. if the oil had drained, you would have smelled burning oil and heard the engine clacking. power window systems, even shorted out, would blow fuses, not burn the car out. it would have been a short circuit, probably in the starter circuit, not usual, but not unheard of. i had a dodge dart burn up the same way. the other possibility is a leak in the fuel line, perhaps at the filter. again, not really common, but not unheard of. it would be tough to prove something in the service you describe as contributing to the fire. that is what insurance is for. you put in your claim, they judge it on the merits, and decide whether or not to actually pursue causes. either way, since you did nothing to cause it, you get paid.