Dominic Chinea, the metalworker from BBC's The Repair Shop, described being "terrified" after his Land Rover Defender broke down, leaving him stranded in a KFC car park in Dorchester. The incident occurred late last month as he was travelling home from filming the show on a Friday evening.
Engine warning light triggers breakdown
Chinea revealed that the engine warning light came on, and the vehicle became "almost undrivable." He pulled over at a KFC car park on the advice of his garage, where his journey "came to an end." The car was subsequently towed away. In a YouTube video, he said: "This is not how I planned to start this weekend's video, in Dorchester outside KFC with all my bags in the corner of the car park and my new Defender on a recovery truck."
Diagnosis and wait for transport
The AA diagnosed a fault with the number three injector, causing the engine to stumble. Chinea said: "I am gutted, but the rumours were correct. It's broken down. ... The AA have been out and diagnosed it. The number three injector has got a fault, and it was sort of stumbling really badly." He waited in the car park with his suitcase, unsure how he would get home, and by 9.30pm no taxi had been assigned. He even considered spending the night in a hotel.
Chinea's 'terrifying' ordeal
Chinea described the situation as "slightly terrifying," adding: "I've just given the keys to my car and my car to a stranger that I've never met who's just driven off with it on the back of his truck. And now I'm just standing in the middle of a car park with no way of getting home." Eventually, a taxi arrived, and a time-lapse showed his journey. The following morning, he revealed he did not return home until around 2am to 2.30am, leaving him "exhausted."
Praise for Land Rover's response
Despite his frustration, Chinea praised Land Rover's handling of the situation, calling them "fantastic from start to finish." They arranged both the recovery and his taxis. He later received a courtesy car, a "slightly newer" Land Rover Defender 110 model with an extra row of seats. He said he was "extremely sad and gutted" about the breakdown but appreciated the support.
