Boxer Statement on GOP Effort to Allow Rentals of Recalled Vehicles to American Consumers
Press Release
Today, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) issued the following statement on a section of S. 1732, the vehicle safety bill introduced by Senator John Thune, Chairman of Senate Commerce Committee, to be rolled into the overall surface transportation bill, that would allow rental companies to rent recalled vehicles to American consumers.
"Right now, the major rental car companies are not renting out unsafe vehicles because of a pledge they took following the tragic deaths of two of my constituents, Raechel and Jacqueline Houck," Senator Boxer said. "This bill would give companies the federal government's blessing to rent out dangerous vehicles and shifts the liability onto consumers if something goes wrong."
Senator Boxer, along with Senators Schumer and McCaskill, introduced the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015 earlier this year. That legislation would, for the first time, hold rental companies to the same standard as auto dealers, who are prohibited from selling a new car under recall unless the defect has been remedied. Most rental car companies have voluntarily agreed to prohibit renting recalled cars to consumers until fixed. The Houck Safe Rental Car Act ensures this policy is permanent and extended to keep all consumers safe.
Boxer's bill is supported by auto safety and consumer groups, including Carol (Cally) Houck -- mother of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS), Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Consumer Action, Consumer Federal of America, Consumers Union, National Association of Consumer Advocates, and Trauma Foundation.
The bill also is supported by industry, including all the major car rental companies -- Hertz (includes Dollar Thrifty), Enterprise (includes Alamo and National), and Avis Budget (includes Payless) -- as well as the American Car Rental Association (ACRA), and auto manufacturer General Motors. Together the rental car companies and ACRA represent virtually 100 percent of the rental car market. The bill also is supported by the Truck Renting and Leasing Association, representing the vast majority of truck renting and leasing operations in the United States, as well as AAA and State Farm.
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