FLEET sked
PRESS RELEASE
October 25, 2016
CLAIRE MCCASKILL
SENATOR
SENATE
MCCASKILL REQUESTS ANSWERS ON SAFETY OF RECALLED VEHICLES IN
GOVERNMENT FLEET
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For Immediate Release
McCaskill Requests Answers on Safety of Recalled Vehicles in Government Fleet
October 25, 2016
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is questioning the federal government`s use of vehicles under safety recall after news reports that the government auctions vehicles to the public without repairing known safety recalls.
``High-profile examples in recent years have raised public awareness about the seriousness of recalls, yet automakers and auto safety regulators still face challenges in reaching consumers and successfully urging them to bring their vehicles in for needed repairs,`` wrote McCaskill, the former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, which overseas rental car safety, and a senior member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees the General Services Administration. ``. . . Although GSA is under no current requirement to repair recalls in a timely manner while being used by federal employees or before sale to the public, the federal government should take every step possible to keep federal employees and the broader American driving public safe.``
The Circa News investigation found that more than 400 of the vehicles auctioned to the public by the General Services Administration in August had open recalls, and raised questions about how the agency responds to recalls for vehicles within the fleet. McCaskill is requesting a full accounting of the agency`s policies and practices related to vehicle safety recalls.
Last year`s highway bill included the Racheal and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act, which is now law, that ensures all recalled rental cars must be grounded and repaired before they are rented to consumers. McCaskill offered the provision as an amendment, which was adopted, during the Senate Commerce Committee`s consideration of the five-year highway bill. McCaskill`s role in passing into law that landmark rental car safety legislation was honored with the American Car Rental Association`s Legislator of the Year award and the Consumer Council of Missouri`s Alberta Slavin Consumer award.
In 2012, McCaskill led discussions between rental car companies and safety advocates to reach an agreement on the legislation that garnered broad support from the rental car industry, car companies including Honda and GM, and consumer and auto safety advocates alike. The legislation was supported by all major car rental companies Enterprise, Hertz, Avis Budget, and Dollar Thrifty, as well as the American Car Rental Association together representing virtually 100 percent of the rental car market.
In 2014, McCaskill held two hearings on the General Motors recall of 2.6 million vehicles for defective ignition switches that have been linked to a number of deaths, as well as an auto safety oversight hearing, and a hearing on rental car safety.