Hertz, one of the nation's biggest rental car company's, will be working with safety advocates and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in an agreement that will have the NHTSA overseeing recalls of rental vehicles. The car rental industry has been under investigation for over a year after safety advocates questioned rental cars that were recalled but not repaired.

Rental companies are the largest buyers of new cars and the largest source of used cars in North America. While federal law stops automobile manufacturers and new car dealers from selling recalled vehicles, there has never been legislation that applies to car rental companies. Hertz, Enterprise and Avis all agree that any steps taken to ensure the safety of their customers is a move in the right direction, but feel they have been unfairly singled out. The legislation forces them to ground vehicles until recalls have been repaired, but taxi and limousine companies have not been included in the agreement. The new legislation will be introduced to Congress when is reconvenes later this month.