On a recent holiday, I noticed one of the front steel wheel rims of a hire car was badly bent. This was on day 2 of a holiday - I hadn't hit any potholes or curbs, so I am 100% sure the damage was present when I collected the car - I'll check more carefully next time I hire a car.
But what should I have done? Report the fault and risk having to pay for a new wheel and tyre. I deemed it too dangerous to continue driving at motorway speeds - when the wheel disk was removed, the damage looked pretty bad, and even distorted the tyre.
So I admit I changed the wheel for the full sized spare - when the damaged wheel was in the spare well the damage wasn't visible - and said nothing.
What would you have done? I don't see why I should have risked paying for damage done by some-one else, and I didn't leave the car in a dangerous state for the next hirer.
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What would you have done?
Thoroughly inspected it before taking it out, had two signed copies of that inspection report - one for the hire comp and one for myself. If I were (highly unlikely) to hire a vehicle I would also take digital photographs of the vehicle too.
As for noticing the fault as late, 2 days, as you have, I would have obtained a 2nd hand steel & tyre from a breakers yard etc., and put that in to the boot more for my own piece of mind than anything else.
No way that I would have put the damaged steel rim & tyre in the boot just in case another fitted, not realising what the fault was with it, and was hurt in some way because of it.
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what would i have done? well if it was so bad you deemed it was too dangerous to drive on, i would have noticed it earlier.
Having done that i would have kicked up a fuss with the hire company about how they were trying to kill me, and got a free upgrade.
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I'd have done exactly what you did.
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A couple of years ago, in Cyprus, I was provided with a clapped out, old Suzuki car with bald tyres, one with the steel bands exposed on the tyre edge.
I had to fight like the devil to get the car replaced. When I asked what would happen if the police stopped me the car hirer said they wouldn't prosecute as it would be bad for the island's tourism!
Fortunately, we were in a group of 7 and had another hired car, so the couple of days it took my hire company to find a replacement didn't cause many problems.
Nowadays, I would try to give the car to be hired a very good looking over, especially wheels, tyres, glass and even the underside as these are usually not insured. However, it's not always easy to do in the rush at an airport, especially as some cars are picked up from dark multi-storey car parks.
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OK, I should have spotted the damage at the airport. In spite of a good check of the bodywork etc, the wheel damage was not easy to see without removing the wheel trim. At least the car had steel wheels and a full size spare.
It is OK saying I should have gone back and complained, but how do you prove the damage was already there - and they are in the strong position of having my credit card number.
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the wheel damage was not easy to see without removing the wheel trim.
If it was that badly bent did it not wobble? feel strange?
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I think its unfair the way that hire companies start the outgoing inspection from a blank sheet. I think that each inspection should be cumulative - ie the last incoming inspection is available to the next hirer.
Edited by Marlot on 29/05/2009 at 10:40
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I think that each inspection should be cumulative - ie the last incoming inspection is available to the next hirer.
In my experience that is exactly what Sixt and Europcar do. There is a sheet with all recorded faults printed out along with the rental contract.
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The fact that the wheel trim didn't have a massive gouge out of it suggests the wheel was damaged beforehand. I'd like to see someone bend the rim of a wheel without damaging the cover.
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There is a sheet with all recorded faults printed out along with the rental contract. >>
That's my experience too. You do have to spend a few minutes to examine the car because most hirers in holiday destinations will have just had a quick look, filled up the washer bottle and maybe checked the tyre pressures in an effort to turn the car around quickly.
I have noticed additional damage and never had any problem in it being added on to the form.
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