Range Rover House Fire Lawsuit Claims Devastating Blaze Began in Vehicle Infotainment System

Lawsuit claims a defective vehicle module caused a house fire that resulted in more than $7 million in damages and injuries to family members.

A Georgia couple has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging that a defective 2017 Land Rover Range Rover spontaneously caught fire while parked, destroying their home and causing injuries.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Samuel Brett Mitchell and Joy Mitchell in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia on May 29. It names Jaguar Land Rover Limited, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC, Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC, and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited as the defendants. 

The Mitchells claim the Range Rover contained a defective Infotainment Master Controller (IMC), which is a module that manages touchscreen and connectivity features in the vehicle.

Vehicle Fire Risks

In recent years, multiple recalls and lawsuits have linked vehicle fires to serious property damage and injuries.

Over the past year, at least two vehicle recalls have been issued over defects that could potentially cause fires. In January 2026, more than 120,000 Ford vehicles were recalled, following at least 50 reported fires. In addition, more than 320,000 Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee SUVs were recalled in November 2025, after at least 19 fires were linked to battery defects.

Tesla has also been named in separate lawsuits. In one such case brought late last month, a woman alleged her Tesla vehicle suddenly caught fire while she was driving, causing a crash that left her and her passengers with serious and permanent injuries.

Range Rover Fire Allegations

In their lawsuit, the Mitchells allege that on December 24, 2024, their 2017 Land Rover Range Rover was parked in the carport connected to their house when it suddenly and without warning caught fire. The fire allegedly spread rapidly to the home while they and their children were inside.

The complaint indicates the Mitchells had parked the Range Rover in the attached carport after it was last driven on December 22, 2024. After noticing smoke coming from the driver’s side of the vehicle, Samuel allegedly attempted to extinguish the fire with a garden hose. However, the flames quickly spread from the SUV to the home.

The lawsuit says firefighters battled the blaze for more than seven hours, yet the fire ultimately destroyed a home that was under contract to be sold for $5.75 million, along with more than $1.28 million in personal property.

According to the filing, one child suffered head trauma after running into a door while fleeing the home, another fell down a flight of stairs and sustained head and neck injuries, and another fell in a stairway and injured a knee. Samuel allegedly suffered superficial facial burns. The complaint claims all family members suffered psychological trauma from the incident.

A subsequent engineering investigation allegedly traced the origin of the fire to the Infotainment Master Controller (IMC) beneath the driver’s seat, where evidence indicated overheating was caused by a malfunction in the module or the vehicle’s quiescent current system.

“Plaintiffs’ injuries and damages were directly and proximately caused by the defective condition of the Vehicle and/or its component parts, systems, and assemblies when it was sold to Plaintiffs and not by any subsequent alteration, misuse, or unforeseeable abuse of the product by Plaintiffs.”

— Samuel Brett Mitchell et al. v. Jaguar Land Rover Limited et al.

The lawsuit raises allegations of strict products liability, negligence and breach of warranty. It seeks damages, along with pre and post judgment interest, costs and expenses and any other relief the court deems appropriate.

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