Are Rental Cars Receiving Recall Repairs?

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

NHTSA Investigation Action Number AQ10001, opened November 18, 2010 notes:

The agency, particularly in recent months, has been informed of incidents involving allegations of personal injury and death claimed to have been caused by safety defects and failures to conform to minimum Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) on rental car vehicles for which a safety recall to remedy the safety defect or noncompliance had allegedly not been performed prior to the rental car company’s lease of the vehicle. NHTSA understands that there is presently a petition before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeking to prohibit at least one rental car company from renting vehicles on which safety recall campaign remedies remain outstanding. The purpose of this audit query (AQ) is to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on the above-listed safety recall campaigns. These campaigns were chosen due to their inclusion of vehicles used in the rental market. This information is expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets, in general or individually, perform necessary recall-related repairs or other remedies on the vehicles owned and then leased for use on the roadways.

But rental companies wouldn’t risk the safety of their customers for a buck would they? The Enterprise/Alamo/National syndicate tells Bloomberg it grounds cars upon receiving recalls… Hertz and Avis have yet to chime in. The weirdest part of it all: only vehicles made by GM, Ford and Chrysler are being investigated. Why are the Accents and Rios receiving recall repairs while Avengers and Malibus are left to be investigated for “failures to conform to minimum Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards”? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? A list of vehicles under investigation can be found below the fold.

Model/Build Years:BUICK / ENCLAVE2009CHEVROLET / COBALT2009CHEVROLET / MALIBU2009CHEVROLET / TRAVERSE2009CHRYSLER / PACIFICA2005-2006CHRYSLER / SEBRING2007-2008CHRYSLER / TOWN AND COUNTRY2005-2006DODGE / AVENGER2007-2008DODGE / CARAVAN2005-2006DODGE / DURANGO2005-2006DODGE / GRAND CARAVAN2005-2006DODGE / NITRO2007FORD / ESCAPE2001-2005FORD / EXPLORER2010FORD / EXPLORER SPORT TRAC2010FORD / FOCUS2000-2005FORD / FUSION2010FORD / MUSTANG2005-2008GMC / ACADIA2009JEEP / COMMANDER2006-2007JEEP / GRAND CHEROKEE2006-2007JEEP / LIBERTY2006-2007JEEP / WRANGLER2007MERCURY / MILAN2010MERCURY / MOUNTAINEER2010PONTIAC / G52009PONTIAC / G62009PONTIAC / VIBE2009-2010SATURN / AURA2009
Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • R129 R129 on Nov 22, 2010

    Based on the blurry rear wheel, the wrapped-up Enterprise rent-a-car pictured above is a Pontiac Grand Prix from the early-mid 90s.

  • Ophelia Ophelia on Nov 22, 2010

    I remember the Sonata steering recall. They were very new cars, but they had to all go back to Hyundai. We were short of vehicles, but they could not be rented. No buts. The Toyotas were the same for mandatory manufacturer recall, but they eventually came back without their floor mats. :)

  • EBFlex China can F right off.
  • MrIcky And tbh, this is why I don't mind a little subsidization of our battery industry. If the American or at least free trade companies don't get some sort of good start, they'll never be able to float long enough to become competitive.
  • SCE to AUX Does the WTO have any teeth? Seems like countries just flail it at each other like a soft rubber stick for internal political purposes.
  • Peter You know we’ve entered the age of self driving vehicles When KIAs go from being stolen to rolling away by themselves.
  • Analoggrotto TTAC is full of drug addicts with short memories. Just beside this article is another very beautiful article about how the EV9 was internationally voted by a renowned board of automotive experts who are no doubt highly educated, wealthy and affluent; the best vehicle in entire world. That's planet earth for you numbskulls. Let me repeat: the best vehicle in the world is the Kia EV9. Voted, and sealed, and if you try to deny it Fanny Willis is ready to prosecute you; but she will send her boyfriend instead because she is busy.
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