A FAMILY were left petrified after their Vauxhall Zafira burst into flames while driving in Bicester.

Carol Brunton, from Windle Gardens, was driving her family along Acorn Close, Southwold, on Saturday morning when she noticed smoke coming from the dashboard.

Within seconds the car had become engulfed in smoke and flames began to appear as the family were forced to flee the vehicle, luckily all getting out before the fire took hold.

The car model had already been sent back to the garage following the manufacturer's recall last year due to safety fears over "cheap parts" resulting in them setting alight.

Mrs Brunton said: "I went to pick my mum [Patricia Eldridge] up as we were going shopping, in the car was also my 16-year-old daughter Louise and six-year-old son Ollie.

"I picked up my mum, reversed out and headed to the junction and smelt this horrible smell – not really like a burning smell.

"I looked around and saw smoke coming from the dashboard and shouted, 'the car is on fire, everyone get out'.

"Within seconds it was engulfed in thick smoke and then flames."

The fire happened at about 10am on Saturday and luckily all passengers were able to get out and call 999 before flames devoured the car.

Mrs Brunton said: "It all happened very quickly and luckily the fire brigade came pretty quickly as well.

"It is now just a lot of upheaval and the 'what if's': what if we didn't get the kids out or weren't where we were at the time.

"Now I am without a vehicle and have to claim against my car insurance, which will make that go up next year.

"My dad has a Zafira and my sister does as well, I have to use my dad's car now for the school run but I am petrified driving it – my daughter wont even get in the car."

The family car had already been taken back to Vauxhall as part of the first recall and Mrs Brunton said she had been told it would be safe leaving the fan on 0 or 4 but at the time of the fire hers was on 0.

Bicester Fire Station crew manager Lee Churchouse said: "When we got the the car was well alight and flames were coming out of the side windows and the front windscreen.

"It is hard to investigate what caused the fire, we have been to a few fire with this type of vehicle."

It comes as tens of thousands of Toyota cars are being recalled in the UK over safety concerns.

Some 72,885 UK-registered Prius, Auris and Lexus CT200h models are being recalled over possible cracks in the fuel emissions control unit.

Just under half of these vehicles (34,135) could also have a small crack in inflators in the air bags in the driver and passenger sides which may expand, causing the air bags to partially inflate.

Toyota said it did not know of any injuries related to the latest recalls.