Published: December 2015

Cars now safer to rent, thanks to mom-turned-advocate

Coalition: Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS)

A mother’s 11-year crusade resulted in President Barack Obama signing a bill that requires rental car companies to repair vehicles under safety recall orders before renting them to consumers. It is now illegal, under federal law, for a rental car company with a loaner or a rental car fleet of 35 vehicles or more, to rent, loan, or sell an unrepaired recalled rental or loaner car until the safety defects have been repaired.

Californian Cally Houck lost her daughters, Raechel, 24, and Jacqueline, 20, in 2004 when they crashed while driving a rental car that was subject to an unrepaired recall. Houck has said she was shocked to find that no federal law prevented renting cars with unrepaired recalls and she began her long campaign to remedy the oversight. Consumer Action, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) and many other advocacy organizations worked to ensure that the legislation was widely supported by individuals and community groups across the country, leading to its successful passage. The new law means it is now illegal, under federal law, for a rental car company with a loaner or rental car fleet of 35 vehicles or more to rent, loan or sell an unrepaired recalled rental or loaner car until the safety defects have been repaired.

More Information

To read more about the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act, please click here.

Please visit C.A.R.S' website for more information on auto safety legislation.

 

Download PDF

No Download Available