Amid an ongoing dispute involving Pierre Coetsee’s insurer, the manufacturer of his 2023 Land Rover Defender, and the dealership from which he purchased the vehicle, he is still without a vehicle.

Coetsee was traveling from Lydenburg on October 21, 2025, when he noticed smoke coming from his vehicle’s air vents, followed shortly by a fire that reduced the vehicle to ashes in minutes.

After repeated attempts to resolve the matter, Coetsee said he has received no meaningful support from any party, and that his protest on March 11 – when he left the burnt remains in front of Land Rover Nelspruit – was a last resort to draw attention to his case.

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According to an independent assessor and a forensic specialist, who were appointed to review the claim, the fire was caused by an electrical system failure linked to the alternator, that resulted in overheating in the vehicle’s wiring.

Coetsee’s insurer, Momentum Insure, told Lowvelder that the cause of the incident was not covered by his policy.

“Momentum Insure’s standard comprehensive motor vehicle policy covers sudden and unforeseen events, and excludes mechanical, electrical, or electronic breakdown or defects, as set out in the policy documentation accepted by Mr Coetsee. We provided the specialist forensic report to him,” explained Funeka Ngewu, Momentum’s executive head for claims: procurement and legal.

The company rejected his claim on December 12, 2025, prompting Coetsee to lodge a complaint with the National Financial Ombudsman.

According to Momentum’s formal response to Coetsee on February 19, the workshop manager at Land Rover Nelspruit confirmed that the vehicle was last serviced in March 2025 and was found to be mechanically sound, however, intermittent electrical faults were recorded prior to the 2024 sale. These included an interior light short circuit on April 23 that year, and a video output signal failure on April 24. Although these issues were repaired, they indicate a pattern of recurring electrical issues.

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In response to Lowvelder’s inquiry as to why Jaguar Land Rover South Africa has not provided Coetsee with a temporary vehicle, the company responded that the investigation is under way and the findings will determine their next actions. They stand by their initial response indicating that they were first notified of the dispute on December 15, 2025, and that customer-handling procedures were implemented.

While questions about which party is liable for the damage remain unanswered, Coetsee continues to pay for a vehicle that has been declared a total loss.