Car catches fire after being worked on by mechanic.

[msbrandy]

I recently had a muffler put on at a local shop. The job was paid for and they sent me on my way. 2 minutes down the road, the bottom half of my truck started up in flames, I had people flagging me down to pull over. I pulled into a parking lot and some bystanders at a car dealership next to it put the flames out. The Local Fire Department arrived and sprayed down the vehicle. They noticed that a pair of vice grips was clamped on a line underneath the car left by the mechanics. They are 100% sure this had something to do with sparks and the fire. The shop asked me to bring the truck back in to fix what was done. The workers were apologetic and stated that they were sorry and nothing like that has ever happened (leaving tools attached). The owner somewhat denied it couldn't have been their tools, but none the less took my truck back in to fix what was done. The next day, I went to pick up my truck. I asked if they started it up and test drove it. They said they had it running for 20 minutes and all was well. Upon leaving the place, I smelled gas, pulled over and there was gas leaking. I returned to the shop and told them of the issue. What can I do in this situation. I have a newborn and a 9 year old who could have been in the car when I picked it up and it started fire the first time. I am now terrified to drive my truck out of fear something is going to go wrong. Any advise on what to do? Thanks.

 

[army judge]

Take the truck to a mechanic you trust and have him check it out for you.

You won't get any money for this, however.
The muffler shop won't pay for it, either.
But, you'll have peace of mind.

The problem has been fixed.

Time to move on and forward.

 

[mightymoose]

Was your vehicle damaged at all by the fire? Damage other than what the muffler shop repaired when you took it in the second time? It is inconvenient, but you just need to keep taking it back until they get it right... then you do your best later to let everyone know how you feel about their service.
If you take it to another shop you will have to pay them to fix the fuel and any other issues. The shop you are currently dealing with, though you don't their service, is on the hook for getting this vehicle working right and is only costing you time.