FORD EXPLORER STILL BLACKLISTED AT U-HAUL DESPITE END OF FIRESTONE DEBACLE

[marwan25]

he nation’s largest trailer rental company still won’t rent a trailer to someone with a Ford Explorer, even one produced well after the huge recall that led to Ford replacing hundreds of thousands of Firestone tires on Explorer SUVs with other brands.

Consumer Reports tried to rent a small trailer to tow with a Ford Explorer in order to complete some yard work.

“Sorry, we won’t let any equipment out behind an Explorer,” a U-Haul clerk told the magazine.

Questioning the practices of the local U-Haul office, the magazine contacted the company’s headquarters.

“Every time we go to hire an attorney to defend a lawsuit, as soon as we say ‘Ford Explorer,’ they charge us more money,” U-Haul representative Joanne Fried said.

U-Haul also won’t rent out a trailer to someone with a Jeep Wrangler unless they have a hardtop installed, although the shorter wheelbase Wrangler is rated to tow a more modest 3,500 lbs. than the Explorer’s 5,000 lbs.

But U-Haul’s assertion isn’t based on the Explorer’s capabilities as much as it is lawyer-induced fear. The now-departed Mercury Mountaineer, a near-twin of the Explorer, is an acceptable tow vehicle by U-Haul standards.

Consumer Reports wound up renting a truck from Home Depot to complete the task, but the U-Haul blacklist is only more bad news for the Explorer from the publication, which recently said it can’t recommend any Ford equipped with MyFordTouch infotainment.

References
1.’You don’t haul…’ view