Cooper Johns Accuses Kyle Sandilands of Selling Him a Defective Vehicle
Former KIIS FM radio personality Cooper Johns has publicly accused his ex-boss, controversial shock jock Kyle Sandilands, of selling him a faulty car. The dispute centres on an $80,000 Land Rover that Johns purchased from Sandilands, which reportedly broke down the day after Johns resigned from the Kyle and Jackie O Show in a dramatic on-air exit this January.
Car Breakdown Follows Dramatic Resignation
Johns, the son of rugby league legend Matthew Johns, left the popular radio program live on air, citing a desire to pursue opportunities that 'pay more'. Shortly after his departure, the Land Rover he had bought from Sandilands began emitting smoke from the engine. "The day after I left, the car started smoking from the engine," Johns explained from Las Vegas, where he was attending the NRL season opener. "It broke down and completely s**t itself. It was smoking like something out of Grand Theft Auto. I got out at North Sydney and started running 200 metres away... I thought it was going to blow up."
He described the vehicle as appearing "like brand new" when Sandilands owned it, noting it was kept at Sandilands' Port Douglas residence before the sale. Johns had purchased the Land Rover after crashing his previous car, a Subaru XV. In a heated exchange, he immediately contacted Sandilands, accusing him of sabotage. "I rang him straight away and told him he had sabotaged my car engine and had got his revenge for me quitting the show. He swore he hadn't," Johns recounted. He bluntly told Sandilands, "You've sold me an $80,000 dud." The car remains in a mechanic's shop, with Johns joking that his trip to Las Vegas was partly to win money for repairs.
Sandilands' Luxury Car Collection Contrasts with Johns' Misfortune
This incident highlights a stark contrast between the two media figures' automotive experiences. Kyle Sandilands is renowned for his extensive collection of high-end vehicles, recently adding a $464,000 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC to his fleet. The customised German luxury car, featuring personalised number plates and an all-black interior with bold red lighting, likely cost even more than its listed price due to added features. Sandilands frequently showcases his passion for luxury cars on social media, aligning with the Maybach brand's prestigious heritage dating back to 1909.
Johns' Recent Car Crash Adds to Automotive Woes
This is not the first automotive trouble for Cooper Johns this year. Prior to the Land Rover issue, he was involved in a serious crash in Sydney when a taxi allegedly swerved into his lane, causing their tyres to clip. The collision sent his Subaru flipping onto its roof, leaving Johns unconscious and upside down in traffic. He suffered whiplash and concussion symptoms, including vomiting later that night. "I don't really remember how it happened... I'm driving along in my Subaru. It gets me from A to B, usually. Sometimes it has a detour and flips me upside down," he told listeners, describing the surreal moment. "My first memory is just feeling the hit of the tyre. The cops told me they had never seen anything like this because his [the taxi driver] car was not damaged at all. He drove off. He was fine."
Johns vividly recalled the crash's aftermath, comparing it to a scene from a music video. "I felt like Katy Perry... My glovebox and middle compartment opened. Everything was floating in front of me. My spare tyre that was in the boot flew into the backseat... I just landed on the concrete and then I was sliding along the concrete on the roof." His initial fear was for others' safety, not his own. "First instinct was, 'Did I just kill someone?' That was the scariest part. I didn't care what happened to me, but if I just hit someone I couldn't deal with that."
The combination of these events paints a challenging picture for Johns, who has faced both a traumatic accident and a costly vehicle failure in quick succession, all while navigating his post-radio career moves.
