TODAY'S NEWS
For the last two weeks, the media have been reporting on a range of Toyota cars being recalled due to the jamming of the gas pedal by floor mat. I have on hire a Toyota Avalon and this is how the telephone calls to the car rental company went.
First call to the call centre
Me: I read that the car I am driving is on recall, is that correct?
Agent: Yes, ma'am.
Me: Are your company recalling the car?
Agent: No, it is up to the customer to go to a rental location nearby to exchange.
Me: Is that your company policy, leaving the safety risk to the customer?
Agent: If you are concerned about your safety, you can go to the nearest car rental location and change your car.
Second call to the local rental
Me: Are you aware that my car is on the recall list?
Agent: I wasn't aware of that. But you can come in and we will remove the floor mat for you, because that is what causing the gas pedal to stick.
Me: Are you changing out the floor mat?
Agent: No, we will trash the floor mat.
Me: Is that your company instruction or are you acting on the instruction of Toyota?
Agent: That's what we have been told to do.
Me: By your company or by Toyota?
Agent: I do't know, I will double check this. Wait a minute....
Agent: Bring your car in and we will take out the car mat for you.
Me: Can you give me a replacement car?
Agent: Yes, but we don't have one with a GPS. Can you call back?
Third call to the local rental
Me: Did you see in the news today that Toyota has stopped production and told dealers to stop selling new and used models of a range of cars, my model included?
Agent: No. Just come in and we will remove the floor mat for you.
Me: (incredulous) Surely if Toyota is taking drastic action, it could not be a simple matter of removing the floor mat!
Agent: If you come in we will exchange one for you. We only have a Nissan Ultima, the only salon car that has a GPS. But we have many Toyotas available....
In an unregulated car rental market, rentee beware!
