This is a long one so please bear with me...

In July 2018 my vehicle suffered an issue as what can only be described as an exploding sunroof. We were travelling on the M40 in busy traffic when a gunshot sound occurred inside the cabin, and myself and partner were covered in broken glass and cuts. Not only was the sound extremely disorienting but the fact we had glass showering from above us into our eyes and mouth and down our clothes, somehow we managed to pull over 2 lanes of traffic to the hard shoulder. We contacted the police believing that we had had something dropped onto us, but we had not passed under any bridges.

We pulled off the motorway about a mile or so later and were able to assess the damage. The entire sunroof had exploded outwards. This was evident by the glass in the car did not constitute the amount of glass missing and no objects had entered the car and the hole was splayed outwards in several areas, not inwards as would be expected by an impact.

We had numerous cuts in our heads, our faces, on our chest and arms and hands. Further to this, we both suffered many weeks of sleepless nights, I was prescribed with anti anxiety medication and sleeping tablets as this was a terrifying incident which nearly brought our lives to an end.

The vehicle is also specially adapted to my disability and acts as home to my electric wheelchair, operated by a hoist. The car was taken to the garage for repairs leaving me without both transportation or the facilities to get out and about. Motability attempted to replace my vehicle but these were unsuitable for my needs.

I had no storage facility for my wheelchair and I was without transportation for weeks because of this and unable to do any meaningful activities which further exacerbated my mental health conditions.

We were due to go on holiday to France a few weeks after this incident. Tickets had been booked under my vehicles' details. However, we were unable to order a vignette, an emissions certificate where, without displaying in certain areas in France, could result in a fine or even the vehicle being seized. We therefore had to cancel and change our intended plans significantly as there was no guarantee when the car would be returned. It was too late by the time it had been repaired to order them.

According to Listers, they agree that the sunroof exploded, and that the glass was clearly faulty.

The vehicle was returned eventually and we gingerly took it with us. Both myself and my partner, to this day, still suffer anxiety when driving the car which in itself ruined our holiday as it is nerve racking getting into a car that nearly killed us, as well as having to change our plans significantly.

I was advised by Seat customer services that their legal team would be writing to me, as I had been advised not to accept a goodwill gesture of a meal out, due to the injuries, both psychological and physical, the severe inconvenience caused and extra expenses incurred.

It doesn't end there, as on 14 November 2018, on a trip to Banbury, I could not take my wheelchair out of the car. A screw had been lost in hoist which the garage had to remove, had not been installed again properly. The next day I took it to the company that installed the hoist and they looked it over. The Seat garage had not installed the hoist again properly which risked the warranty. Fortunately, the company (JDHC, Coventry) they still intend to honour the warranty however this, again, led to a wasted journey.

Seat legal got back to me saying they are not liable as their client only imports the vehicle and therefore they do not hold any liability, and they require the sunroof as evidence anyway (their garage took it off and, presumably, disposed of it). Do I have a claim for inconvenience, injury and mental anguish here? Frankly, I am still terrified to drive the car but I have no alternative and feel like they are covering this up.