BATON ROUGE - A single mom is struggling to make ends meet after her SUV caught fire on the interstate last month.

Tiffany Jeff said her car insurance didn't cover the incident. She spent her savings on a used car on Sept. 9. On Sept. 20, the car caught fire and was a total loss.

"I was driving, I heard an explosion like 'boom,' so I pulled over," said Jeff.

Thinking she had a flat tire, she pulled over to inspect. That's when she saw smoke coming from the hood. When she opened the hood, flames started shooting out. She jumped into action, working to pull her three kids from the backseat as the heat shattered glass and smoke filled the car. They all escaped safely.

Jeff moved to Baton Rouge in May for a fresh start with her four children. She bought the car as-is from a used car lot on Florida Boulevard for $4,700 cash. 

"It was everything out of my savings," she said.

The St. George Fire Protection report found no definitive cause for the fire, other than it originated from the engine compartment. Everything, down to the carpet, burned in the vehicle, and Jeff lost all of her belongings inside. 

"It's nothing, it's down to the metal, it's nothing, it's gone, everything's gone," she said.

Now, Jeff is taking the bus to and from work. She spends four to five hours on the bus traveling to and from her destination.

"That's four hours and some minutes that I can't spend with my children because I have to catch the bus," said Jeff.

The car lot, which will not be named in this story, offered to put Jeff in a new car with no money down for about $6,000. She'd have to finance the vehicle, which is not an option for her.

"There's nothing that can make this right," she said.

Jeff understands she purchased an as-is car. She didn't expect it to catch fire and endanger her family. 

"I never thought my decision as a mother would put my children in danger," said Jeff.

The experience has been very traumatic for her family. Jeff is warning others that before they put their families in an as-is car, make sure to have it properly vetted. 

"Somebody else's family might not be so lucky," she said.

The Louisiana Used Motor Vehicle Commission advises customers shopping for a used vehicle to have that vehicle properly inspected first before the purchase is made, and to spend time test-driving the vehicle.