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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
If you encounter any problem with a rental car then you must contact the rental company and obtain their agreement before having any work carried out. Keep all paperwork and receipts.
In our experience American built rental cars have proved significantly less reliable than Japanese built rental cars. If you are given the option when picking up a rental car, I would advise selecting a Japanese car if reliability is of concern to you.
On two occasions we have had rental cars which suffered from juddering with only light to moderate braking. On one car this juddering was severe and occurred whenever the brakes were applied. On the other car the effect was relatively mild and only occurred after prolonged but normal braking such as that used when descending a mountain pass. In both cases there was a feeling that the brakes might not prove as effective as they should be in an emergency braking situation.
I wonder if this might be a common problem, possibly due to misalignment of the ABS system. If anyone would care to comment, please email me using the link at the bottom of this page.
By the way, automatic cars have one or more special gear lever positions for descending hills which force them into a lower gear, so the engine is used as a brake. This avoids prolonged use of the normal brakes. Don't forget to shift back to the normal "Drive" position afterwards.
On two occasions we have had tyres blow out on rental cars. On both occasions we took the car to local tyre dealers, both of whom provided first class service. On both occasions the car rental company reimbursed the expense.
On a third occasion we noticed one evening that one tyre was virtually flat. We checked at a gas station and it had very little pressure. We filled it and checked the following morning only to find it virtually flat again. We took the car to a nearby Les Schwab tyre centre, who have locations throughout the northwest of the USA. Again we were treated with first class service. They found the problem and repaired the tyre all within twenty minutes, to our astonishment at no cost. The tyre gave no further problems.
I would very strongly advise that you make a point of regularly examining all the car's tyres when driving in the USA and Canada. First thing in the morning, at the lunchtime break and in the evening seem the obvious times. It would also be worth checking the tyre pressures and topping them up every few days when filling up with petrol.
It's also a very good idea to familiarise yourself beforehand with the procedure for changing a wheel - often removing the wheel trim is the trickiest stage.
If the car cannot be driven then if possible involve the police. If the car breaks down in a National Park or similar area then involve the park rangers, who in our experience are very likely to prove extremely helpful.
If the car breaks down a long way from the rental company's nearest depot then you may need to apply very considerable pressure in order to get the company to agree to a tow and repair rather than sending a replacement car. The latter option could result in you being left stranded on the roadside in the middle of nowhere for many hours. The police or National Park Service rangers may be able to put your case more forcibly, for example by threatening to impound the car unless the rental company behave in a responsible manner.
If the car is still under warranty, as is quite likely with a rental car, then the manufacturer may prove more helpful than the car rental company in the case of a breakdown. You (or a police offer or National Park ranger negotiating on your behalf) may be able to arrange a deal between the car rental company, the car's manufacturer, the towing company and the repair garage. However, arranging such a deal can take many hours of phone calls.
Driving - Cars And Their Features
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Most recently modified 25-Jun-01