Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the nation’s largest private buyer of new cars and seller of used ones, chose to “delete” a standard safety feature from thousands of Chevrolet Impala fleet vehicles, saving millions of dollars.
After the company rented out those 2006-08 model vehicles, Enterprise and countless dealers nationwide offered them for sale on the open market &mash; minus the side-curtain air bags that have been shown to dramatically reduce highway deaths.
What’s more, a Kansas City Star investigation found that hundreds of Impalas already sold were incorrectly advertised on Enterprise’s Web site as having the very head-protecting feature that the rental company opted to exclude on General Motors’ factory floor.
“I’ve never seen a standard safety feature removed from a vehicle,” said Sean Kane, who heads Safety Research & Strategies Inc. in Rehoboth, Mass. “That’s what’s so unique about this. I’ve been doing this work for 17 years and, until now, had yet to see this happen.”
Fusion, how often have you asked for an Impala at rental? They offer you a class of car, and at best at rental time, they might give you a choice of cars.
I guess you should always take the optional life insurance rider when you rent from enterprise!
#21, Lyin’ Mike,
I prefer the Ford Taurus for myself. I usually reserve one first. It is nice to know there is a car waiting with my name on it.
HOWEVER, if someone else rents an Impala thinking the car they rented has side airbags and it doesn’t, the rental company is open to a large lawsuit in case of an accident.