Report: Rental car companies 'routinely' letting r

[Candyman]

Recalled Chrysler PT Cruiser after the fatal crash – Click above to watch video after the jump

We don't typically think of rental cars as the most well-loved vehicles on the planet, but we do expect them to be well maintained and reasonably safe. According to findings from a recent lawsuit against Enterprise, that may not always be true. In a case involving the death of two California women who were killed after their rental Chrysler PT Cruiser caught fire and struck an oncoming semi. Enterprise admitted that it routinely rents out vehicles that are under recall and haven't been repaired. The PT Cruiser was one of those vehicles.

In September of 2004, Chrysler issued a recall for the car. In certain instances, the vehicle's power steering unit could leak, causing an engine fire. Enterprise continued to rent the vehicle for a full month after receiving the recall notice before Raechel Houck, 24, and her sister, Jacquie, 20 rented the vehicle for a trip to visit their parents.

In further testimony, it was revealed that Enterprise routinely rents out vehicles under recall, and that the company has no standing policy against doing so. ABC News also indicates that other major companies like Hertz and Avis conduct themselves similarly.

In the case of the PT Cruiser, a jury awarded the womens' parents a $15 million settlement. Click past the jump to watch the ABC News video report.

[Source: ABC News]

[pipergeorge]

Recall neglect unknown to consumer advocate
Last Updated: Friday, November 19, 2010 | 1:04 PM CST
CBC News

The Manitoban consumer protection department didn't know that many car dealers fail to warn potential buyers about vehicle recalls, but now may push dealerships to better inform clients.

A CBC I-Team investigation found that safety issues associated with about one in every three recalled cars were never addressed. And those cars are sometimes resold to consumers.

Jan Forest of the Consumer Protection Office of Manitoba said she was unaware of the issue until CBC News brought it to her attention. She said consumers also need to do their part.


"Consumers need to spend a bit of time doing research and actively making the five-minute phone call to identity if the car they're interested in has been under recall," said Forest.

Forest's office did not know dealers are selling used cars with potential safety problems without notifying buyers.

Many used-car buyers are not being told their cars may have potentially dangerous safety defects. Manitoba dealers aren't required to check and disclose the vehicle's recall history unless they knew about it before meeting with buyers. But Forest said her office is considering urging dealerships to tell car buyers about safety concerns.

"We are consulting with the Manitoba Dealers Associations and with the Consumers' Association of Canada Manitoba Chapter and other stakeholders to find out what consumers need to know when they're making a purchase," she said.

CBC investigators equipped with hidden cameras visited nine used-car dealers, asking about vehicles with outstanding safety recalls. All salespeople queried failed to volunteer information about recalls.

With 1.9 million safety recalls issued in 2010 alone, a lot of vehicles are on the road and on sales lots with problems just waiting to be found.

An incident cited in CBC's Nov. 18 story revealed that the required work was never done on a vehicle recalled for a potential oil leak that could lead to an engine fire.

The reason so many safety issues are falling through the cracks is that there is no protocol among dealers, government or manufacturers to ensure that safety fixes are actually done.

Transport Canada said the law states that owners must be notified, but research shows that doesn't always happen.

Currently, it's up to buyers and owners to ensure there are no outstanding safety recalls. That information can be found at the Transport Canada website.

Read more: www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/11/19/recall-investigation-vehicle.html?ref=rss#ixzz15tGHLXPx