My 13 Clubman just caught fire. Car was parked at home for an hour, came outside and noticed windshield wipers were on. Key FOB wasn’t working, had to call locksmith. By the time we got in, dash and drivers side panel under steering wheel was melted. Vehicle had significant water in car (all windows and doors were shut). We think something shorted out and caught fire. Vehicle is definitely totaled. Just had it inspected at Mini dealership a week ago. Suggestions on possible liability. I didn’t think a vehicle spontaneously combusting shouldn’t have been a real concern......

 

I had a vehicle catch fire and it turned out to be that a wire was crimped under the valve cover from the factory and the insulation melted causing a short of the electrical system. Everything was fixed under warranty, long time ago.

Really impossible to say what caused your issue without someone doing a full inspection on it.

 

You haven't given enough detail for anyone to opine on liability. But the space of time between the dealership working on it and it catching fire probably mean it's unlikely you can link it to them (because you, or anyone else, could have done work on it in the meantime).

 

Liability is personal:
You left the windshield wipers on with the car parked for an extended period of time. The wires powering the windshield wiper wires or motor overheated due to IR drop (V=IR) because you were pulling current ONLY from the battery while the battery was being extensively drained. It took a long time for you to discover it and it melted other critical wiring which preventing the car from opening via the Key Fob and eventually you had a contained electrical fire.

FYI. The windshield wiper was designed to operate in a car while driving or possibly for an extended period of as long as 5-10 minutes with the motor on behind a slow moving train, but that's it.

{However, I don't understand the water in the car part? I presume this was due to you working to get into the vehicle and put out the fire?]