Pledge to not rent recalled cars resisted by rental companies

By Cornelius Nunev


Numerous of the largest rental car corporations have refused to sign a pledge not to rent out vehicles that are recalled but haven't been fixed. Members of the community and some government authorities have grown anxious about how many recalled vehicles that have been rented out to people without their knowledge.

Signing a promise

Currently, according to AutoBlog, Senator Barbara Boxer of California is attempting to convince the largest car rental businesses to sign a promise never to rent out automobiles that have been recalled but not yet repaired. Hertz has already signed said promise, but other large rental car corporations are thus far hesitant to sign it. Enterprise, also the parent business of National and Alamo, hasn't agreed to sign Boxer's pledge. Dollar/Thrifty is also refusing to sign it.

The Boxer promise is not getting signed by Avis-Budget either, according to USA Today.

Not the very best track record

Ten recalls between 2006 and 2010 for GM and Chrysler were looked at in a 2010 National highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation, according to ABC. The investigation looked at Hertz, Enterprise and Avis/Budget to see what percentage of the models was fixed within 90 days of the recall. Chrysler and GM are popular rental cars, which was why they were chosen.

Hertz fixed 34 percent of recalled automobiles, Enterprise fixed 65 percent and Avis/Budget fixed 53 percent. These were all fixed within the 90 days of recall status the NHTSA looked under.

It also depended on a recall. For instance, a 2007 recall by Chrysler for randomly failing brake systems was fixed within the 90 days 61 percent of the time by Avis, 46 percent of the time by Hertz and 65 percent of the time by Avis. A 2010 recall for sticking accelerator pedals in Pontiac cars got all automobiles grounded at Avis and Enterprise.

Not requiring anybody to fix a recalled automobile

In 2004, Jackie and Rachael Houck were killed when they were driving a rented Chrysler PT Cruiser. The car caught on fire and ran into an oncoming semi-truck as the recalled automobile was never fixed. It was recalled for a power steering fluid leak that Enterprise neglected to fix. Cally Houck sued Enterprise and got $15 million in damages in 2010 from a federal jury. Enterprise admit fault. This 2004 accident and two fatalities was what have stemmed the investigation into rental car businesses.

A bill was launched in 2011 which would have mandated car rental corporations fix any rental vehicles under recall until the repair was completed, but the bill has stagnated. In January, Enterprise proposed to Senator Boxer in a letter that if such a law was passed, according to AutoGuide, it should include a loophole to allow recalled but unrepaired automobiles to be rented so long as customers were aware of the recall. Many recalls, as Enterprise correctly pointed out, are for issues that do not affect how safe a car is to drive.

Rental companies are currently permitted to rent vehicles that have not been repaired but are in a recall. It does not even matter how significant the recall is.




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