Immediate Action Required: What to Do After a Recall

February 05, 2025 · 3 min read

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Staying safe on the road is a top priority, but what actions should you take if your car is recalled? Every recall demands attention! Be ready with our simple, step-by-step guide.

What Is a Recall?

When there’s a recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines if a vehicle does not meet motor vehicle safety standards. Manufacturers are then required to file a report including details of the vehicle, the number of vehicles affected, equipment affected, a description of the defect, what led up to the decision to recall, an explanation, and a recall schedule. Registered owners must receive a recall notification from manufacturers by first-class mail within 60 days of the recall instructing owners on how to get the issue fixed, the time frame of the fix, and how long the repair should take.

Checking for Recalls Made Easy

One of the most efficient ways to check for recalls is by using your vehicle’s license plate on the NHTSA website. Though manufacturers are required to notify owners within 60 days, physical mail isn’t always reliable. If you’ve heard about a potential recall or have concerns regarding your car's make and model, searching with your car’s license plate or VIN on the NHTSA site is the simplest way to get accurate and timely information.

What To Do When Your Car Is Recalled?

Once you find out if the recall applies to your vehicle or parts, there are three options: repair, replace, or refund. By law, the manufacturer must choose one of the three options to correct the issue. If the manufacturer has chosen repair, your vehicle or part must be repaired by the manufacturer at no cost to the vehicle owner. Replacement means that if the problem can’t be fixed, the manufacturer must provide you with another similar or identical model. A refund option involves the manufacturer refunding the purchase price of your vehicle, minus depreciation. These options also apply to accessories such as car seats.

Your recall letter or warning should notify you if your car is too dangerous to drive. Regardless, the recall issue should be resolved immediately by taking your vehicle to a local authorized dealership matching the make of your car. Remember, the bigger the recall, the longer the waitlist for an appointment.

How to Book a Recall Repair Appointment at Savage Kia

Recalls must be done at dealerships for recording purposes, quality monitoring, and making recalled parts available to manufacturers for inspection. While the NHTSA gives manufacturers a grace period for repairs to be made available after a recall, you should contact your local dealership to book an appointment as early as possible to beat the crowds. Establishing a friendly relationship with your local registered dealership can pay off during a difficult recall period!

Has your vehicle been recalled? Call Savage Kia immediately to book your recall repair appointment and ensure your vehicle functions to its intended safety guidelines and performs its best. Our team is happy to help, from minor service to full recall assistance!

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Aug 30, 2024 in Savage KIA Listicles

National Preparedness Month 2024: Vehicle Disaster Preparedness Guide

September is National Preparedness Month, promoting emergency readiness. Started by FEMA in 2004, it helps individuals, families, businesses, and communities handle emergencies. With Americans spending about 18 days on the road each year, vehicle preparedness is crucial. Be ready for accidents, breakdowns, and other incidents! Why Vehicle Disaster Preparedness Matters Driving is one of the most dangerous daily activities. Statistics show that road accidents are common, and breakdowns can occur unexpectedly. Being prepared can make a significant difference in how you handle these situations, ensuring safety and peace of mind. Essential Steps to Prepare Your Vehicle for Emergencies Safety involves minimizing risks and avoiding hazardous situations, providing peace of mind by instilling confidence that emergencies can be handled effectively. This approach also enhances efficiency by reducing downtime and enabling a quicker return to the road. 1. Choose a Bag Choose a durable, high-capacity bag to store your emergency supplies. A duffel bag or a specialized bag like the RUSH LBD Lima, with 56L of capacity and shoulder straps, is ideal for this purpose. Keep it in an easily accessible location, like your trunk or behind your rear seats. 2. Pack Tools Equip your vehicle with versatile tools for minor repairs and emergencies: Multitool: Essential for minor fixes; consider one with a glass breaker for emergencies. Seatbelt Cutter: Keep within arm's reach for a quick escape if needed. Recovery Tools: A folding E-Tool or small shovel can help you get unstuck from sand or mud. Illumination: Headlamps and handheld lights for nighttime repairs. Road Flares: Ensure you're visible to other drivers during roadside emergencies. Fire Extinguisher: A Class A, B, and C-rated extinguisher can save lives and property. 3. Don't Forget Supplies Stock your vehicle with essential supplies: Water: For hydration and as a temporary substitute for radiator fluid (research how to do this safely). Gas Can: For emergencies and extending your range; never store a filled can inside your vehicle. Medical Supplies: Basic first aid kit, including bandages, antiseptic, and a tourniquet. 4. Cover and Protection Prepare for the elements and manual tasks: Poncho: Keep dry during roadside repairs. Masks: For unexpected needs. Gloves: Protect your hands during repairs. Warm Clothes: A change of warm clothing can be a lifesaver. Footwear: Keep sturdy, waterproof boots in your vehicle. Join the Community Effort National Preparedness Month is a collaborative effort involving government agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, schools, and communities across the nation. This year's theme, "Start a Conversation," encourages discussing emergency preparedness with family and friends. Set aside time to talk about steps you've taken to prepare and encourage others to ask questions and share their own preparedness actions. Protect Yourself on the Road with the Right Car Preparing your vehicle for emergencies is a crucial step in ensuring your safety on the road. Use the tips above to gather supplies and create a properly stocked vehicle disaster kit. For more resources and information on preparing for emergencies, visit Ready.gov. Make sure you're also driving a vehicle that's ready for anything nature can throw at you. With the help of Savage Kia, you can have a new vehicle with enough room for any extensive preparedness kit along with great safety features like lane departure warning to keep you safe on your day-to-day drive. Dump your old deathtrap and choose something that's surefooted and dependable on the road today.

Lively Festival in West Reading, Pennsylvania: bustling streets and a variety of food trucks in USA

May 21, 2024 in Savage KIA Listicles

Must-See Festivals in Reading this June

The kids are home from school and the weather is great, what’s there to do in Reading? Plenty! Summer brings a flurry of festivals, inviting you to venture out, enjoy delicious food, and immerse yourself in new experiences. Liederkranz Wurst Fest Join us in celebrating German culture at Wurst Fest! Indulge in a delectable array of sausages, from traditional bratwurst to exotic varieties, paired perfectly with pretzels, sauerkraut, strudels, and more. Experience the widest selection of bratwursts and German delights on June 8th, 2024, from 5 pm to 10 pm at Reading Liederkranz. Admission is free for members and $10 for non-members. Willkommen alles! Spring Fiesta A free family fiesta featuring some of Berks’ best tacos, Muhlenberg Township welcomes you to Spring Fiesta 2024. Come out to Jim Dietrich Park on Saturday, June 8th between 11 am and 9 pm to enjoy amazing food, ice-cold drinks, vendors, live music, and other entertainment from bull riding to piñatas! Art on the Avenue Celebrating its 30 th year, West Reading’s Art on the Avenue returns on June 15 th to showcase the work of local and regional artists, businesses, vendors, and musicians. Named the biggest event in West Reading, Art on the Avenue offers art of all forms over four blocks of North 6 th Avenue. More than 200 vendors make up this free event to bring back the local community together to celebrate music, art, and food. The event is rain or shine from 11 am to 7 pm. Berks Celtic Festival Brought to you by the Berks Irish American Fraternal Association, the 18 th Annual Berks Celtic Festival promises to bring great music, entertainment, and food. The BCIAFA promotes the Celtic Festival as a fundraiser to acquire their own site – until then, the Berks Celtic Festival takes place at the Reading Liederkranz from 11 am to 9 pm on June 29 th. Early bird tickets are $12 or $15 at the door! Festival Season in Style With so many festivals and events this summer, it’s important to arrive safely and in style! At Savage Kia we have many great Kia models to help you cruise around Reading and Berks County from festival to festival. Our 2024 Kia Sportage has great fuel efficiency and is a Top Safety Pick for a smooth and safe ride wherever you go. Visit or contact us today to see our entire stock of trusted Kias!

Dec 12, 2023 in Savage KIA Listicles

New Year's Resolutions for Car Owners to Consider

The dawn of 2024 is upon us, a time to make life-altering resolutions and then immediately break them. But here’s a new thought for the new year: what if 2024 is the year you stick to your resolutions? The thing about New Year’s resolutions is that there’s no need for them to be major life upgrades (though they certainly can be). If you commit yourself to losing weight and succeed, more power to you! But holding yourself to a handful of small changes can wind up making a large impact. For every car owner, there’s plenty of small adjustments that can be made when it comes to your driving habits, how you care for your car, and more. Here are five resolutions to consider in 2024: Don’t Ignore the Service Light The service light coming on in your car is inherently alarming, but obviously there’s a spectrum of issues it could be indicating, some far more serious than others. And it’s perfectly normal for people to ignore the problem until it becomes something more tangible. But in 2024, try to address small problems before they snowball into large, costly ones. Maintain regular service appointments with our experts here at Savage Kia, and when your service light flashes, take it to the garage as soon as you can. Ultimately, your checking account will thank you. Clean Your Car Regularly Keeping your car cosmetically healthy is clearly a bit less important than monitoring what’s happening under the hood – but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. The interior of your car, especially, can wind up accumulating dirt and debris quickly, to the point where you wonder how you let it get to that condition. When you suddenly need to give a passenger a ride, you could find yourself in an embarrassing situation. You should wash your car about every two weeks to keep the body clean. Every two months or so, consider running it through a more thorough wash or wax. And every time you get it washed, vacuum the inside to keep it consistently clean. Put Your Phone Down More and more of today's vehicles are embracing the fact that our phones have become an integral part of daily lives. Thanks to the rise of interconnected apps and infotainment screens, interacting with certain facets of your phone while driving is becoming safer and more seamless. That said, if the only way to check your phone is still to pull it out of your pocket while you’re on the road... stop doing that in 2024. Pull over to the side of the road if you have to text, but otherwise remember it’s okay not to look at a screen for a half-hour. Cell phone usage still contributes to 1.6 million crashes each year, and one out of four accidents is caused by texting and driving. Even if double-tasking on the road hasn’t been an issue for you before, focus your attention on your windshield and don’t needlessly endanger lives. Remember, all it takes is one incident to dramatically alter your life. Know Your Lane If you’re driving on the highway, you're in the fast lane and someone is behind you, find a safe opportunity to change lanes and let them pass you. There’s always that one puzzling driver going 55 miles per hour in the left lane; you don’t want to be that driver. Think of it this way: you wouldn’t refuse to move your cart if you were blocking someone at the grocery store. In 2024, let’s all resolve to become more responsible drivers by expressing common courtesy and sticking to our lanes. Consider Making the EV Switch this Year This one constitutes more of a major life change, but if you have the resources, 2024 is the year to give serious thought to making the change to hybrid or electric. The impact it has on lowering carbon emissions is substantial, and we’re going to need every advantage we can get to combat climate change in the years ahead. It helps that more and more dealerships are buying into the EV experience. Here at Savage Kia, you can currently check out the forthcoming Kia EV9. And charging stations are starting to pop up everywhere. Here are some just a few nearby charging stations in the Reading area: ChargePoint Charging Station on 815 Lancaster Ave., Reading, PA 19607 ChargePoint Charging Station on 1015 Lancaster Ave., Reading, PA 19607 ChargePoint Charging Station on 210 George St., Reading, PA 19607 Volta Charging Station in the Shillington Shopping Center, Reading, PA 19607 Destination Charging Center on 701 Penn St., Reading, PA 19601 Cruise Into the New Year No one is perfect when it comes to making and keeping resolutions, but with some effort, we can all change our habits. Hopefully, you take these suggestions to heart, because they’re truly important to creating a safer, more orderly world. But even if you’re only able to implement one or two of these resolutions into your driving routine, you’re exhibiting a real and meaningful desire to change. What never changes is the quality of vehicles you’ll find here at Savage Kia. One more resolution: schedule a test drive today and explore what we we can do to change your life for the better.