Ending the Practice of Renting Vehicles Under Safety Recall

The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

Santa Barbara- A bill making its way through Congress would ban rental car companies from renting or selling unsafe recalled vehicles. Congresswoman Lois Capps and Senator Barbara Boxer held a news conference Friday at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to introduce the new legislation–The Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act. 

On October 7, 2004, Cally Houck, an Ojai resident, lost her two beautiful daughters–24-year-old Raechel and 20-year-old Jacqueline– at the hands of a defective vehicle that was under safety recall from rental car company, Enterprise. 

Despite warnings Enterprise did not get the PT Cruiser repaired, and rented it to the Houck daughters with a defective power steering hose. A leak caused the car to catch fire and crash head-on into a tractor-trailer, killing both sisters.


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