Rental Car

Bowing to pressure from consumers and advocacy groups, major car rental companies have agreed to end the practice of renting cars that have been recalled for safety problems.

The internet wouldn't be the same without bad puns. Just ask Tanner Foust. The driver has fired up a new video series with his sponsor, Rockstar Energy Drink, under the banner, "Life in the Foust Lane." See what they did there? In addition to serving up a weekly ration of flat-brimmed hats, the show follows Foust through his day-to-day activities. What do those entail? The first episode documents his involvement with the Zach Bowman

In 2004, Raechel and Jackie Houck were killed when they were in a fiery accident in the 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser they had rented from Enterprise. The girls' mother, Cally Houck, sued Enterprise when it was discovered that their Chrysler was the subject of a recall to repair a power steering hose leak over a potential fire issue, yet th

"Fleet" is sort of a dirty word when describing vehicle sales, and the Detroit Three have traditionally been quite smitten with bulk buyers. Unfortunately fleet sales have been demonized for a reason. They can adversely affect resale values, and since fleet buyers tend to expect warehouse store pricing, they're obviously not great for the bottom line, either. But one automaker seems more than happy to sell to fleets: Ford.

Toyota can attribute much of its uptick in sales last month to fleets. While the automaker saw its sales leap by 7.5 percent compared to a year earlier, Newsday.com reports Toyota sold 47 percent more cars and trucks to fleet customers in the U.S. than in January 2011. Without the fleet sales, the improvement would have been less than one percent. All told, rental companies accounted for 93 percent of

Hertz will be the first rental car company to try out a wireless recharging system for its fleet of electric-drive vehicles.

I once rented a 2001 Mustang Convertible from Hertz in Nebraska. When placing the rental paperwork in the glove box I found a crisp $5 bill, which I promptly exchanged for a Big Mac and fries. That was lucky, but the following story is not.

If you have a vacation home that's currently vacant, an apartment you can part with, or you're simply going to be away from your home for an extended period, Airbnb allows you to turn your empty house or apartment into a temporary rental unit. Potential guests can peruse images of empty lofts, cottages, and condos around the world, see reviews from previous visitors, and lock in a reservation in a prime location for a fraction of the cost of going commercial.

Everyone is looking to save a buck these days. Still, there are expenses that you just can't avoid, and whether traveling for business or pleasure, a rental car is often included in the budget. According to USA Today, an Atlanta Budget car rental office is trying a new tactic to help bring down the cost of renting a vehicle, and it involves you becoming a mobile billboard.

Hertz and Avis have been fighting to get their hands on Dollar-Thrifty for over a year now, with the latest volley coming from the Hertz camp. According to Bloomberg, the world's largest airport rental car company has offered $72 per share for Dollar-Thrifty, or 24 percent more than a recent offer from Avis. The offer consists of of $57.60 in cash and .8546 Hertz shares per

It's never a good idea to return a rental car with less than a full tank of gas. The reason? The rental car companies usually charge a fee if you don't fill up before dropping off. And according to a report in USA Today, that fee has, in some cases, gotten a lot steeper.

Recalls can be a big problem for car rental companies. The companies make money by renting as many vehicles in advance as possible, and an entirely booked fleet can be a recipe for profits. But what happens when there is a recall on a car or truck that is already scheduled for rental? Does the rental company call the customer and tell them that their order can no longer be fulfilled? In some cases, the rental company Chris Shunk

Perhaps you're planning a vacation? Maybe you need a large vehicle for a family road trip? Regardless of why you need to rent a vehicle, many people have questions about accepting or declining the optional insurance coverage rental car companies offer.

Economists and talking heads argue endlessly about our economy on a daily basis. "It's back!," "It's almost back!" and "It's never coming back!" seem to be the leaders among the varied viewpoints we hear and read about. One sector that has apparently begun to rebound is the car rental business. Not necessarily in financial terms, but from the standpoint of customer satisfaction, America's rental car companies are returning to to a

All-Electric Coda Sedan – Click above for high-res image gallery

The people at MSN Money have unearthed a little known stipulation in rental car contracts that allows the manufacturer of speed and red light cameras to directly charge your credit card if you're caught breaking the law. How? Big name rental agencies like Hertz, Avis, Advantage and Budget have an agreement with a company called ATS Processing Services to share renters' credit card and persona