Legislation Prohibits Use of Recalled Cars as Rentals

rental car lot New legislation took effect on Wednesday, June 1^stthat requires rental car companies to fix any vehicles in their fleets under recall by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) prior to renting them out to consumers. Rental companies with fleets larger than 35 vehicles must immediately remove vehicles under open recalls and cannot rent them out until they are completely repaired.

This legislation expands the NHTSA’s recall ability to include car rental companies for the first time, allowing the agency to investigate and punish offenders.

The law passed under Congress’s Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 with the support of long-time safety advocates U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind.

Originally, the law was called The Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act and was named after two sisters who were killed in a car wreck involving a rental car that had been recalled. Their mother advocated for rental cars that had been recalled to be banned.

Rosekind was pleased that the new law was an added step in protecting consumers from potentially deadly rental vehicles. Because rental car agencies have some of the biggest fleets in the U.S., the new legislation will assist in ensuring cars and trucks on highways are safe.

Only two years ago, there were nearly 900 recalls impacting more than 51 million vehicles. According to Rosekind, the NHTSA is committed to a 100 percent completion rate in open recalls so that faulty vehicles can be fixed as quickly as possible whether the vehicle is rented or leased.

Have you been seriously hurt in a car accident caused by a defective auto part in a rental vehicle? If so, contact our experienced defective product attorneys at Schmidt Kramer today.

We will help you by pursuing the maximum compensation for your injuries and are dedicated to achieving the justice you deserve. Schedule your free legal consultation right away.

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New Legislation Protects Consumers from Defective Rental Cars