Five Engine Sounds You Shouldn't Be Ignoring

Your safety on the road is one of the most important driving factors – but what should you do if your vehicle is recalled? Every vehicle recall should be taken seriously! Don’t get caught unprepared with our easy-to-follow 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 a Recall According to the NHTSA website, searching by license plate is one of the newest and best ways to check for a recall. While manufacturers must notify registered vehicle owners in 60 days, physical mail can be unreliable. If you have suspicions of a recall or have seen news concerning a potential recall on your car’s make and model, searching the NHTSA website for a recall through your car’s license plate or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is the easiest and most efficient way to stay safe. 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 61 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 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 61 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram immediately to book your recall repair appointment and ensure your vehicle is functioning to its intended safety guidelines and performing its best. Our team is happy to help, from minor service to full recall assistance!

The New Year is upon us, a time to make life-altering resolutions and then immediately break them. But here’s a thought: what if 2024 is the year you stick to the changes? The thing about New Year’s resolutions is that there’s no need for them to be major life upgrades. If you commit yourself to quit drinking or smoking and succeed, more power to you! But holding yourself to a series 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 flashing in your car is inherently alarming, but obviously there’s a myriad of issues it could be indicating, some far more serious than others. It’s normal for people to ignore the problem until it becomes something more tangible. But in 2024, try to address small problems before they grow into large, costly ones. Maintain regular service appointments with our experts here at Savage 61, and when your service light comes on, take it to the garage as soon as you can. In the long run, it will absolutely save you money. Clean Your Car Regularly Keeping your car aesthetically 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 point. When you suddenly need to give a passenger a ride, you could find yourself scrambling to do a full clean. You should wash your car about every two weeks to keep the body clean, and 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 more consistently clean. Put Your Phone Down More and more modern 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 more seamless and safer. 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 it in 2024. Pull over to the side of the road in an emergency, 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 the road ahead 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 60 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. 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. Hopefully, you take these changes of habit 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 61. If you’ve got room on your resolution list, make it your prerogative to get to Savage today and explore what we have to offer.

The electric vehicle Renaissance is upon us and it’s showing no signs of stopping. As the leaves change and Fall arrives, there's never been a better time to make the transition to an EV or hybrid vehicle. Here's a guide explaining why you should make the switch to electric and why Savage 61 is your premier destination when you do. Reasons To Make the Switch Range: Years ago, the relatively limited range of EVs was a source of trepidation for many potential buyers. Flash forward to the present, where most EVs deliver over 200 miles of range on a full charge, making them increasingly comparable to gas cars in terms of mileage. Some newer long-range models offer as much as 310 miles of EPA-estimated range. Price: While new EVs in general are becoming an increasingly affordable proposition, the savings continue when you consider both the price of gas and the cost of maintenance. Compared to ever-fluctuating gas prices, charging your EV provides a cheaper, more consistent alternative. Reports say electric drivers save an average of $1,000 per year on gas money when they make the switch. Furthermore, EVs require far less maintenance than gas vehicles; they don’t require oil changes, and their engines see far less wear and tear. Practical concerns: EV charging options have never been more numerous, as EVs can be charged at home, at work, or on the road; the smaller size of electric motors offers room for more storage space for you and the family; and of course, there’s the environmental impact (or lack thereof): with no direct emissions, EVs are built to last because they’re helping keep us here for the long haul. Perfect for Fall Plans With so much to do in the greater Reading area this Fall, the first thing you need is a ride to dependably get you to your next Fall activity. A new EV is the best way to clear your head of maintenance and performance concerns, allowing you to immerse yourself in all the season has to offer. After your trip to Savage 61, be sure to check out: The Reading Public Museum: Explore an undersea odyssey this Fall with the museum’s Voyage To The Deep exhibit, running until January 7, 2024. Based on Jules Verne’s classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Voyage To The Deep invites guests to explore the many mysteries of the ocean. The Fairgrounds Farmers Market: Prepare for the holiday season with offerings from over 65 local vendors at Berks’ County’s award-winning farmers market. Santander Arena: Embrace your inner Puddy and hit the ice at the Santander Arena, as the puck drops for the '23-'24 season for the Reading Royals, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Charging Stations Near You Like the leaves on your lawn, the amount of nearby charging stations in the Reading area is only continuing to accumulate. In as little as five years from now, it may become easier to list the locations where there aren’t charging stations. For now, here’s just a few available public charging stations: 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 Even if you don’t yet own an EV, you’ve probably become aware of these charging stations popping up everywhere – and they’re only becoming more ubiquitous as we stretch further into the 21 st century. It’s taken some time, but it seems that a general public consensus is beginning to emerge that EVs are the way forward. Become part of the electric movement today by stopping in at Reading's number one EV spot, Savage 61. Whether or not you're ready to make the switch, our awesome selection of new and pre-owned vehicles will ensure that you’re prepared for the Fall season and all it has to offer.