Report: Rental car companies 'routinely' letting recalled vehicles on the streets [w/ video]
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Budget</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/recalls-tsbs/" rel="tag">Recalls</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/videos/" rel="tag">Videos</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/chrysler/" rel="tag">Chrysler</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/report-rental-car-companies-routinely-letting-recalled-vehicl/#continued"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/pt-fire.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><sma ll>The recalled Chrysler PT Cruiser after the fatal crash - Click above to watch video <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/report-rental-car-companies-routinely-letting-recalled-vehicl/#continued">after the jump</a></small></em></strong></div>
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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 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/report-enterprise-sold-cars-after-removing-side-impact-airbags/">Enterprise</a>, that may not always be true. In a case involving the death of two California women who were killed after their rental <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/pt+cruiser">Chrysler PT Cruiser</a> 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 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/31/officially-official-chrysler-pt-cruiser-to-live-on/">PT Cruiser</a> was one of those vehicles. <br />
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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. <br />
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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. A jury awarded the women's parents a $15 million settlement in the case. Click <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/report-rental-car-companies-routinely-letting-recalled-vehicl/#continued">past the jump</a> to see the ABC News report.<br />
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[Source: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/rent-car-companies-putting-recalled-autos-road/story?id=11101848&page=1" >ABC News</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/report-rental-car-companies-routinely-letting-recalled-vehicl/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Report: Rental car companies 'routinely' letting recalled vehicles on the streets [w/ video]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/report-rental-car-companies-routinely-letting-recalled-vehicl/">Report: Rental car companies 'routinely' letting recalled vehicles on the streets [w/ video]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:27:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/report-rental-car-companies-routinely-letting-recalled-vehicl/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19545067/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/report-rental-car-companies-routinely-letting-recalled-vehicl/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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