NHTSA investigating if Hertz rented unrepaired recalled vehicles

WASHINGTON — The U.S. motor vehicle safety regulator said Tuesday, hertz You loaned a recalled vehicle that has not been repaired to a customer.

of National Highway Traffic Safety Bureau In a filing released Tuesday, it said it had received information indicating that “Hertz rented a vehicle to a customer without making the necessary recall repairs.”

NHTSA said it had initiated an “audit query for additional information on this matter.”

The agency said the issue involved Ford Explorer and Nissan Altima vehicles, but did not disclose how many vehicles were involved. Related recall issues include latches and locks, NHTSA said.

Hertz, which operates the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty rental car brands, said it is “considering NHTSA’s request for information and is committed to providing safe rentals to our customers.”

In a statement Tuesday, NHTSA said it began receiving information in late 2021 that suggested Hertz may have rented vehicles to customers without making all necessary safety recall repairs.

“Information collected by the agency to date, including from vehicle manufacturers, indicates that repairs required under multiple NHTSA safety recalls were not performed prior to renting such affected vehicles to Hertz customers. It suggests that,” the official added.

A 2015 law requires car rental companies with 35 or more vehicles to complete recall repairs before renting a vehicle.

Earlier this month, Hertz said it will pay about $168 million by the end of the year to settle more than 95% of the pending claims from owners it claims the car rental giant has filed. Fraudulent theft report.

Some customers have sued Hertz, alleging police mistakenly detained or arrested individuals after the company reported their rental cars had been stolen.