Citing troubling reports of injuries and deaths in rental cars, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun investigating whether millions of rental cars are being fixed when they are recalled for safety problems.
The agency opened the investigation — called an audit query — last week “to investigate recall-remedy completion by rental car companies.”
This is the first such audit this year by the safety agency. In 2009, it opened only two audits.
Clarence Ditlow, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, accused the rental companies of waiting “until it’s convenient to do safety recall repairs.”
But Sharon Faulkner, the executive director of the American Car Rental Association, said she was not aware of any company that did not park vehicles that were recalled until they could be repaired. “You are not in the business to hurt anyone,” she said.
As part of its investigation, N.H.T.S.A. asked Chrysler, Ford and General Motors to provide information on recalls affecting almost three million vehicles that are favored by rental companies. Several dozen models were listed, including Chevrolet Malibus, Ford Fusions and Chrysler Sebrings. As part of the request, the agency asked the automakers to report how long it took for the safety recalls to be carried out.
The action came several months after two consumer groups petitioned the Federal Trade Commission, asking it to order Enterprise Rent-A-Car to start fixing recalled vehicles before renting them. This year, Enterprise admitted in a California court that its failure to fix a Chrysler PT Cruiser was responsible for the deaths of two California women when it caught fire and crashed.
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