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Family blames car repair shop for fire that totaled vehicle

SANFORD, Fla. — A Seminole family blames a car repair shop for engine issues that eventually resulted in a fire that destroyed their vehicle.

Jessica Entwistle said smoke turned to flames, and she couldn’t believe how fast her car became engulfed.

“It just terrified me,” Entwistle said. “I didn't know what to do."

Two weeks earlier, Entwistle had paid Mobile One Express Lube in Sanford nearly $1,500 to replace the engine.

After the repair, the car broke down and Entwistle said the shop blamed the issue on a melting sensor wire. That was fixed, but days later, the car caught on fire after the engine shut off on the expressway.

The car was totaled and Entwistle’s insurance company paid the claim, but that didn't cover her replacement cost.

The engine repair had a 90-day warranty at Mobile One.

"It started in the engine,” said Entwistle. “It had to be the engine.”

The report from the Deltona Fire Department confirmed the fire came from the engine, but when Entwistle and her father asked managers for their money back, “He said, ‘It's out of my hands, my boss has it. I can't do anything for you,’" said Entwistle.

So, the family called Action 9 for help.

After the fire, Action 9 found the Mobile One in Sanford had been sold to Valvoline, but managers still knew about the case.

“The family tells me they can't get their money back after the fire,” said Action 9’s Todd Ulrich.

“I am aware of this,” the manager said.

Managers said the sale had delayed a settlement, but Mobile One had been committed to resolving the claim.

“So, I can tell the family they'll get their money back?" asked Ulrich.

“Oh yes, definitely. I just can't say how much,” the manager said.

After Action 9’s visit, the company contacted the family directly to arrange a settlement.