Need a Florida Rental Car? Why Hertz May Be the Safe Choice

When you rent a car in Florida, you assume the vehicle is safe. But are you assuming too much? What if defects in your car could cause a deadly Florida car crash?

In 2004, two young sisters, Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, rented a PT Cruiser from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The women were returning from a visit to their mother’s home when a power steering fluid leak in the rental car caused their vehicle to catch on fire and left the women unable to control the vehicle. The car crashed into an 18-wheeler. The sisters died.

Only a month before the accident, Daimler Chrysler, the manufacturer of the PT Cruiser, had sent out safety recall notices for 435,000 vehicles from model years 2002 through 2005. The recall notice said that if not repaired, the power steering hose could leak and cause a fire.

The rental car company had received the recall, but did not make the necessary repairs. They continued to rent out the vehicle. The Houck sisters were the fourth to rent the car since the recall.

The parents hired experts who were able to determine that the crash was caused by the power steering leak. Enterprise denied the claim and blamed the accident on Raechel Houck’s driving. They offered the parents $3 million to keep the accident confidential. The parents refused. After a five-year trial, Enterprise admitted negligence and was ordered to pay $15 million in damages.

In July, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2012 was introduced in Congress. If passed, this bill would require car rental companies to repair recalled vehicles as soon as a recall is issued and prevent unrepaired cars from being rented.

Until the bill is passed, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has asked auto rental companies to sign a pledge agreeing not to rent any recalled vehicle until it is fully repaired. Only Hertz has signed the pledge. Avis Budget Group Inc., Enterprise Holdings Inc., and Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group oppose the pledge and the bill.

Cars that are recalled cannot be sold, but they can be rented. If you have been injured in a Florida rental car accident, contact Boca Raton accident attorney David Glatthorn at 866-413-5525 to learn about your rights.