Rental Car Safety Recalls

For years, major rental car companies operated under a dangerous legal loophole: they were legally permitted to rent and sell vehicles with open, uncorrected safety recalls.

However, thanks to landmark federal legislation, it is now illegal under federal law for car rental companies to rent or sell unrepaired recalled vehicles.

If you or a loved one were involved in an accident in West Palm Beach or throughout Palm Beach County involving a rental vehicle with a defect or open recall, understanding your legal rights is critical.

The Law: The Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act

Named in memory of two young sisters tragically killed in a crash caused by a defective, recalled rental car, the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act officially took effect on June 1, 2016.

Under this federal law (enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA):

• Mandatory Grounding: Rental car companies with fleets of 35 or more vehicles must ground any vehicle subject to a safety recall within 24 to  48 hours of receiving notice from the manufacturer.
• Prohibition on Rental or Sale: Rental agencies cannot rent, lease, or sell any vehicle affected by a safety recall until the defect has been fully repaired.
• Federal Enforcement: The federal government has explicit authority to investigate rental car fleets and penalize companies that put recalled vehicles on the road.

What Happens When Rental Car Companies Ignore Safety Recalls?

Despite clear federal regulations, some rental agencies fail to pull defective vehicles from service, put profit over consumer safety, or fail to perform routine mechanical maintenance.

When a rental car company rents a vehicle with a known safety defect such as faulty brakes, steering defects, tire blowouts, or defective airbag deployment system and a crash occurs, the rental company can be held financially liable for resulting injuries and damages.

“Consumers should never have to worry whether the rental car they rely on for a family trip or business travel is carrying a dangerous, uncorrected recall defect,” says trial attorney Scott Murray. “When rental companies disregard federal safety rules or neglect vehicle maintenance, we hold them accountable.”

What to Do If You Are Injured in a Defective or Recalled Rental Car

If you suspect that a vehicle defect or unaddressed recall contributed to your rental car accident in South Florida:

1. Report the Crash & Seek Medical Attention: Ensure law enforcement completes an official crash report and seek immediate medical evaluation.
2. Preserve the Vehicle & Rental Documentation: Keep all rental agreements, receipts, and vehicle identification numbers (VIN). Do not allow the rental company to destroy or repair the vehicle before an independent inspection can take place.
3. Check the VIN for Open Recalls: You can look up the vehicle’s 17-character VIN on the NHTSA Recall Lookup Tool to see if an open recall existed at the time of your rental.
4. Consult an Experienced Trial Attorney: Rental car claims involve complex interactions between federal safety statutes, commercial liability policies, and product liability law.

Talk to Our West Palm Beach Rental Car Accident Attorneys

At Murray Guari Perry Trial Attorneys, our team has decades of experience standing up to major corporate defendants and insurance carriers. We conduct immediate investigations to determine whether a rental company violated federal grounding laws or failed to maintain safe fleet standards.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a rental car crash as a results of rental car not properly maintaining their cars and trucks, contact us today for a free, confidential case evaluation.