HTZ Hertz Global Holdings Inc

By Will Feuer

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Hertz Global Holdings Inc. rented out certain vehicles without having performed required recall repairs, according to a filing by the agency.

The NHTSA said it has information that indicates Hertz rented out vehicles with open recalls in violation of federal requirements. The regulator said the audit is looking into Ford Motor Co. Explorer and Nissan Motor Co. Altima vehicles that were owned by Hertz from 2018 to 2020. The agency said it is seeking additional information about the issue.

In 2020, Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection. It emerged from bankruptcy about a year later and is now led by new management.

Representatives for Hertz didn't immediately return a request for comment.

The new probe comes just weeks after the Estero, Fla., car-rental company said it agreed to pay about $168 million to settle nearly all pending claims related to vehicle-theft reporting.

That settlement came after the company for years grappled with allegations that inventory-management issues have caused it to falsely report some of its cars as stolen, leading to wrongful arrests of customers for car theft.

Write to Will Feuer at Will.Feuer@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 20, 2022 06:53 ET (11:53 GMT)

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