New Study Finds Thousands of Recalled Rental Cars Go Unrepaired
According to an article in The Detroit News, tens of thousands of rental cars that have been recalled go unrepaired past the recall notice date and continue to be rented to unsuspecting consumers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began following up on 3 million recalled vehicles to see how quickly they were being repaired. After following General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler vehicles that had been recalled between 2000-2010, NHTSA reported that up to 30 percent of the vehicles had been repaired, with 70 percent unrepaired.
The president of the American Car Rental Association says with autos moving around the country, it is difficult to find every one that is under recall to have the work done in a timely manner.
Unrecalled Vehicle Dangers
The Center for Auto Safety, a consumer group, wants the Federal Trade Commission to force Enterprise Holdings, Inc. to repair cars before they are rented. Enterprise has one-third of all airport auto rentals in the U.S. under the name of Enterprise, Alamo, and National. In 2004, two sisters rented a PT Cruiser that had been recalled for a danger of hood fires. The vehicle caught fire in Northern California that caused it to collide with a big rig which led to the death of the sisters. The family filed a lawsuit and after five years, Enterprise admitted liability. The family won a $15 million verdict.
At least four other consumers had rented the same vehicle before the sisters. Enterprise rents more than 1 million vehicles across the U.S.
If you or a loved one have been injured by a recalled or defective vehicle, let the experienced Florida auto product liability attorneys at Farah & Farah investigate whether the vehicle was under a recall and had not been repaired. The leasing agent and company could be held responsible for medical expenses, wrongful death, lost wages, and pain and suffering for not having a defective vehicle in their fleet repaired and putting the public in danger.
