Rental car businesses agree to federal oversight

Federal government law presently stops car dealers from offering vehicles that were recalled by their manufacturers. Current federal law does not require that rented vehicles under recall are fixed before being rented out, though that is set to change.

Why do rental cars have to get fixed?

The problem with rental car recalls is that legally, car rental businesses are not required to repair vehicles that are under recall before they are rented out. In 2010, two daughters died in a vehicle accident while their mother was driving a rented car that was under recall. The mother sued, and that suit was eventually settled for $15 million after Enterprise admitted negligence in allowing that recalled vehicle to be rented out. After that case, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation to the recall repair practices of rental car companies. The American Car Rental Association claims that most of its members maintain careful maintenance records of its automobiles and generally repair rentals that are under recall before renting them out.

Rental car company response

Following the launch of this investigation, several car rental corporations took the very unusual step of requesting federal government oversight. Hertz and Enterprise have consented to the public oversight, though Avis, the third-largest rental car business, has not yet consented to the federal government oversight. Enterprise released a statement to the press stating

"In the past we believed that this step was unnecessary," said Laura Bryant, a spokeswoman for Enterprise Holdings, "but a growing number of people, including our customers and business partners, clearly want more assurance on this critical issue. We hear them - and what we've heard has caused us to rethink our stance."

Ensuring your own security

Make sure that the vehicle you rent when you go to a rental bureau is not part of an open recall. You are able to start by asking the rental bureau. If they do not know, make sure you figure it out yourself. There is an app you are able to run that the U.S. government put together to see if a vehicle is part of a recall. You can also go to Carfax or other service to check the vehicle’s VIN number against the database. You might be able to save your life with just a little bit of extra time making sure your car is secure.


Sources

http://autos.aol.com/article/recalled-rental-cars/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/12/earlyshow/contributors/susankoeppen/main7238809.shtml

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/enterprise-blinks-battle-california-mom/story?id=15777906#.T0f07Hore_0

 

Good info. But I'll be keeping an eye on your posts to make sure they aren't driving traffic away from info and to business trying to sell stuff (rental cars).

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