I have full sympathy about this case, and it has been settled.

Please note that both articles about the Houck sisters are talking about their 2004 deaths.

The odds are almost non-existant, to start with, and many rental car companies already have recall policies in place about renting.

Let's add in checking a Vin # and then pulling it up on a recall database, all between the time you get in a car and start it up.

The argument against laws to force rental cars to comply with proposed laws, is that limosines and taxis are not addressed.

International laws are not applicable to U.S. law.

We're almost bordering on the Craig Shergold dying and wants your business card to set a Guinness Book of Records. I'm sure we've all gotten an email or a hundred about this subject.

The executive said he couldn't say if renting a dangerous car was a bad idea or not.

This is the strangest thing I've ever heard. I guess the court decision said it FOR him.

I wish there was an easy way to discover if a rental care has a serious recall defect - because 2 things make that difficult. First, I don't think it is practical to check VIN, go find wireless internet, check VIN, get in car.

Second, there are recalls and there are recalls - and most are not likely to be of great safety consequence. We currently have the honor of owning 2 "recalled cars" (a Toyota and a Honda) for seemingly minor issues that can not be addressed yet due to availability of parts. We also owned one of the recalled Toyotas in the huge group with the "sticking accelerators" that had mats replaced and still is uncertain as to whether there was a problem or not. I think some recalls are more designed to protect monetary interests of company than safety of drivers. (If they recall everything, they hope their liability is limited if something happens)

With all sympathies to families of the women who died, I am usually more concerned about deferred maintenance or some previous renter bozo who screwed something up in the car, making it unsafe.





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Checking your rental car's VIN seems highly impractical.