-WJLA SCRIPT-
ANCHOR:

TONIGHT... SEVEN ON YOUR SIDE SAYS "PAY ATTENTION TO RECALLS." IT COULD MEAN YOUR LIFE... OR AT THE VERY LEAST SEVERE DAMAGE TO YOUR CAR. AN ALEXANDRIA WOMAN EXPERIENCED THE DANGER FIRST HAND AND WANTS TO WARN EVERYONE ABOUT IT.

ROSS:

THELMA SMITH'S SEBRING ERUPTED IN FLAMES LEAVING HER PANICKED AND STRANDED BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE SAYS SHE NEVER GOT THE RECALL NOTICE AND AFTER THE FIRE REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO HANDLE HER CLAIM. THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN.

STORY:

Ross: "Hey where's your car?"

Thelma Smith/Sebring Owner: "I have no car."

WHY? SHE OWNS A 2007 CHRYSLER SEBRING.

Thelma Smith/Sebring Owner: "I saw a little smoke coming from my engine."

OOOH...

Thelma Smith/Sebring Owner: "And a gentleman happened to be riding by and told me to get out the car now. The car just blew up in fire."

AND SHE HAS JUST ONE QUESTION FOR CHRYSLER.

Thelma Smit/Sebring Owner: "Was there are recall on my vehicle?"

» National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  To find out if there's a recall on your vehicle and the measures being taken, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, follow the instructions and look at the documents associated with the defect and or recall.

» Center for Auto Safety

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Read the On Your Side Blog on WJLA.com

YES THERE WAS, BUT SHE SAYS SHE NEVER GOT THIS NOTICE.

CHRYSLER HAS RECALLED MORE 100 THOUSAND SEBRINGS ALL IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT CONSUMERS. THELMA SAYS REALLY?

Thelma Smith/Sebring Owner: "They treated me very rudely."

IT WASN'T THE RESPONSE SHE WAS EXPECTING WHEN SHE DISCOVERED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH HER RADIATOR ASSEMBLY THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE FIRE.

SO WHAT DOES SHE WANT?

Thelma Smith/Sebring Owner: "What I want is first of all an apology."

BUT INSTEAD THEY TOLD HER TO DEAL WITH HER INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE OFFER? KELLY BLUE BOOK RETAIL VALUE WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT $14,000.

Clarence Ditlow/Center For Auto Safety: "That's not fair. Consumers are very inexperienced they're almost at a loss of what to do."

CLARENCE DITLOW FROM THE CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY HAS ONE WORD OF ADVICE.

Clarence Ditlow/Center For Auto Safety: "Fight."

WHY BECAUSE OF COMPANIES LIKE TOYOTA ARE LEADING THE WAY CASE IN POINT MORE THAN 800 THOUSAND TOYOTA TACOMAS RECALLED BECAUSE OF RUSTING FRAMES AND WHAT DID TOYOTA DO?

Clarence Ditlow/Center For Auto Safety: "150 percent of the Kelly Blue Book value recognizing that person is going to keep that Tacoma for a long time."

SO IF YOU SUFFER A LOSS FROM A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THEIR INTIAL OFFER.

AND EVEN WHEN YOU GET A CHECK FROM YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. DON'T SIGN A RELASE BECAUSE YOU CAN STILL GO AFTER THE MANUFACTURER IN COURT TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

TRY TO GET THEM TO BE MORE LIKE TOYOTA.

Clarence Ditlow/Center For Auto Safety: "They set a great example."

WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY TOLD US THEY'LL CONSIDER PAYING EXTRA FOR THELMA'S LOSS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY.

Thelma Smith/Sebring Owner: "I also want them to make sure everyone gets the recall because next time it might be fatal."

ROSS:

CHRYSLER SAYS IT SENT OUT THE RECALL NOTICE TO THE LAST PERSON OF RECORD, WHICH IS WHY YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR INFORMATION ON FILE IS CURRENT. ALSO GO ONLINE TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINSTRATION TO CHECK FOR OTHER REPORTED PROBLEMS BECAUSE WE FOUND ANOTHER RECALL ON THELMA'S CAR WHICH COULD CAUSE IT TO STALL AND LEAD TO A CRASH.