Fix the Rental?

December 24, 2006 7:48 PM

what if someone who was renting a car, uh, hypothetically, ran over a curb and damaged a tire rim? would they be smart or stupid to just have the tire replaced before turning the car in?
posted by ubiquity to work & money (14 comments total)

It depends on where you are. In Ireland, um, someone I know got a slow leak in a renal car tire and just filled it up and returned it. Nobody, this person says, noticed and he wasn't charged.
posted by Skorgu at 7:52 PM on December 24, 2006

Not sure if you are talking about replacing the tire or the rim.

I know someone that completely destroyed (accidentally) a tire on a rental car once, and simply replaced it before turning it back in (with the cheapest tire possible). There were no repercussions beyond the expense for the tire itself.

The rim would be significantly more expensive, in most cases.
posted by Exchequer at 8:01 PM on December 24, 2006

I would feel horrible if the next person who rented the car died in a flaming fireball caused by a blowout on a highway due to me not fixing a wheel and the rental company not spotting it during inspection.

Even if the company shares the blame for not spotting the problem, could you sleep at night?

So, I'm gonna go with Stupid.
posted by sonicgeeza at 8:11 PM on December 24, 2006

On the one hand, just replace it and be done with it.

On the other hand, what sonicgeeza said.

On the gripping hand--you busted someone else's property (yes, by accident). You may have to pay extra when you tell them, but them's the breaks.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:31 PM on December 24, 2006

If the wheel isn't damaged and it just needs a new tire then that's one thing. If the wheel is bent, then it means it won't hold a new tire (and if it does, it won't hold pressure for very long) and it could have compromised its safety. I wouldn't expect that any reputable tire shop would put a new tire on a bent wheel without some kind of protest, so if this is the case prepare to get out your wallet as replacing a wheel can be costly. In this case I'd say it's much better to just let the rental company deal with it and pay whatever deductable they charge you.
posted by Rhomboid at 8:44 PM on December 24, 2006

Not at all the same, but I once had to replace some windshield wipers on a rental, and they didn't seem to care.

I strongly doubt they'd notice the wrong tire, and I've driven over a curb at 35 before without damaging the rim. The only result was putting on the spare and buying the owner a new tire. ;)

Generally speaking, though, in the rental contracts I've read, your sole obligation is to return the car to them in the same condition as you rented it, minus wear and tear, and that if they can't rent it out because of damage you caused, they can charge you loss of use fees in addition to the cost of repairs.

For that reason, it may be best to replace the tire while you still have the car. Take it to a reputable tire shop that would know if the rim was damaged.

In the future, rent on an American Express card (the actual Amex, not a Citibank Amex or USAA Amex) and get the extra-fee insurance that covers, as primary, anything that happens to the car, including loss of use fees. Then you can tell the rental company without worrying about the cost of repairs. In fact, you could call the rental company and tell them to bring you another car because the one you were driving broke.
posted by wierdo at 8:46 PM on December 24, 2006

I don't know about New York, but in Texas the law requires that liability insurance covers any damage to a rental car without charging a deductible. I was pleasantly surprised when I had to use this a few years ago and Allstate didn't raise my rate, either.
posted by Jonasio at 9:19 PM on December 24, 2006

I don't think an above-board tire shop would put a tire on a wheel they believed to be unsafe.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 9:37 PM on December 24, 2006

Aack - which is why I felt it necessary to, uhm, repeat Rhomboid's point.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 9:38 PM on December 24, 2006

I quite non-hypothetically ran a curb in DC several years ago at 40, blew out a tire and bent the rim of a Hertz Taurus.

I called Hertz. They sent a tow, and I got taken back to the lot where I was given a new car. I ended up getting a bill for $80 in the mail a couple of weeks after, much less than I was expecting.

Some rental firms are considerably tougher than Hertz when it comes to damage, but I certainly don't feel back about sucking it up and reporting it.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:14 PM on December 24, 2006

to clarify: in my hypothetical situation, the rim is considerably damaged and the rim would be replaced. The hypothetical rental company is Budget. I am concerned about the various overcharges that Budget might subject me to on the one hand (such as rental charges on the car while being repaired and taking their time about getting it repaired, and perhaps taking the opportunity to "fix" other things that i didn't break) versus the possibility that they will detect the damage and that then i will REALLY be in hot water.
posted by ubiquity at 4:24 AM on December 25, 2006

Did you hypothetically purchase the insurance add-on from Budget when you hypothetically rented the car? If so, you are most likely covered for the hypothetical damage.

If not, check with your hypothetical credit card company (assuming you didn't pay with cash) Often your card company carries a certain amount of insurance automatically when you rent a car.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:51 AM on December 25, 2006

Hypothetically speaking, one could switch the damaged tire/rim for the spare; that is, if they are the same size and not one of those mini-tire jobbies...
posted by Jade Dragon at 5:57 AM on December 25, 2006

Hypothetically, you should get the rim replaced anyway because driving on it is unsafe for you. Call Budget. They'll probably send out a replacement vehicle or contract a nearby company for the fix. Accidents happen and rental places deal with them more often then you hypothetically would. I'd follow their lead.

If you have the time, you can always have the car taken to a tire shop and ask for an estimate, which you can use when theoretically negotiating with Budget.
posted by plinth at 8:50 AM on December 25, 2006