Jay Leno looks frail and exhausted as he takes vintage car out for ride months after near-fatal accident

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA: Jay Leno cut a somber figure on Monday, June 14, looking frail and subdued as he took a ride in his beloved 1910 Model O-O White Steam Car.

Typically beaming with his trademark smile, the 75-year-old former 'Tonight Show' host appeared drained and noticeably thinner as he drove his vintage car around Burbank, California, near the garage where he keeps his classic collection.

Jay Leno rides his vintage car in a blue denim shirt

To enjoy the ride in his vintage car, the ‘Space Cowboys’ star sported a rugged blue denim Western shirt fastened with snap buttons. His thick silver-white hair added a striking touch, flowing freely and giving his look a bold edge.

Part of this exhaustion appears to be due to his steam car refusing to perform as he may have expected. He managed to drive the 115-year-old car for a while before it broke down in front of onlookers.

Jay and his team gathered around, working to fix the car and get it moving again. Ultimately, when everyone failed to fix the issue, the comedian was forced to call a tow truck to take the steam car back to his garage.

This is not the first time Leno has faced major trouble due to his steam cars. Back in 2022, he suffered major burns and was rushed to the hospital after one of his steam cars erupted in flames in his luxury garage.

"I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet,” Leno said in a statement at that time.

The host of 'Jay Leno's Garage' was taken to the burn ward at Grossman Burn Center, according to TMZ, with his eye and ear not affected by the fire. George Swift, an employee for the comedian, later told ET that the injuries caused by the steaming car were serious but not life-threatening.

Jay Leno appeared to have healed from injuries caused by near-fatal fall

During his latest public outing, Jay Leno appeared to have fully healed from severe injuries that he reportedly suffered following a 60-foot fall near a Hampton Inn in Greenhouse, Pennsylvania.

He explained he’d been heading to a nearby restaurant before a show that night when he decided to take a shortcut.

“To get to [the restaurant], I didn't have a car, so you had to walk about a mile and a half around,” he explained, adding, “I said, ‘Well, the hill doesn't look that steep. It's about 60–70 feet. Let me see if I can go down the hill,’”

But Leno slipped on the steep, uneven slope and tumbled down the hill. “Boom, boom, boom. I rolled down the hill, hit my head on a rock, and knocked myself in the eye,” Leno added of the incident.

However, Leno’s fans didn’t buy the explanation, with many theorizing that he was in debt to mobsters who had roughed him up over gambling losses.