Blog Post  Steps You Can Take During an Auto Recall

Last week Hyundai and Kia recalled over 483,000 cars and SUVs due to a fire risk. The companies advise that owners of the 2016-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL, 2014-2015 Hyundai Tucson, and 2014-2016 Kia Sportage SUVs, and the 2016-2018 Kia K900 sedan park their cars outside, far from structures (DO NOT PUT IN THE GARAGE) until they can repair the combustion issue. These recalls do not stand alone, Tesla in the past week has had to recall 53,822 Model S, X, 3 and Y vehicles due to issues with their ‘full self-driving’ program. Tesla also recalled over 575,000 of their cars due to issues with the Boombox feature making it difficult to hear the pedestrian warning alerts.

With auto recalls becoming a commonality over the past few weeks, consumer safety becomes an imperative concern. If a model of your car has been affected by this recall, you will receive a postal or digital notification from your car model’s company.

A recall letter will provide the following information:

• Description of the defect
• Risks and hazards associated with the defect
• Potential warning signs
• Next steps and outline of how the manufacturer will repair the issue

Though a manufacturer will attempt to reach all consumers affected by a recall, there could be a scenario wherein you do not receive a recall letter. You can have visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) site where you can search through issued safety recalls. If you see your car’s model is affected by an issued recall, consider contacting the manufacturer’s dealership to discuss potential next steps.

If you begin to notice that your car is operating strangely to the point where you believe it could be hazardous, contact your dealership and make sure to notify the NHTSA by submitting an online complaint form or calling the NHSTA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline (Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236 / Hearing Impaired: 1-800-424-9153).

When your take your vehicle that was been impacted by a recall for repair at an authorized dealer, you will not be charged for the service and repair of the car.

Visit the NHTSA’s site for additional information on automobile recalls.