Do rental car companies make any modifications to their cars to keep the speed down?

Question

For instance, do they somehow induce a shimmy at a certain speed? I've rented two cars, same model and year, same company. They both began to shimmy at approximately 70 mph. It felt like an out of balance wheel at the right front, and I'm curious if this is intentional on the companies part.

Answer 1

no they dont.
however, you should have reported the wheel shimmy, to the "hire company", so they could attend to the problem.

Answer 2

I doubt they do it on purpose. I deal with former Hertz Corp. cars from time to time, and I've never seen any evidence of any modifications like the one you're asking about. If they really wanted to crack down on it, they could easily monitor your speed a different way.. by satellite, or by a computer memory within the car.

Rental cars are notorious for getting beat up.. it wouldn't surprise me if both rental cars you've had have had someone in their past run them up on a curb & knocked off the alignment.

Answer 3

Sometimes rental car companies will lower the tire pressure in the cars in order to lower the MPG. When a car is returned with a less than full tank, they charge something like $5 per gallon to refill it. They are counting on people to forget to fill up before returning the car. Lowered tire pressure can cause a shimmying.

Answer 4

Well when you rent a car, do you treat it like your own car? Well most people don't, i have seen rental cars come back to our shop all beaten up, bent rims, flat tires, dents, dings. The reality is most people do not take care of their rental car even if its in their contract. So when you rent a car it is already damaged, it just dumb luck you got the same problem twice!

Answer 5

maybe, but rental companies buy the cheapest of the model car. I wouldn't be surprised if carmakers made a car to rental company specifications.

Answer 6

condominium vehicle businesses have not got time to look that up and additionally do no longer care. in case you velocity, you will get the fee tag, they gained't, so velocity at your man or woman hazard. i be attentive to that in case you velocity by using an intersection that has the site visitors cameras, the condominium employer gets the fee tag as a results of fact the reference the registration style plate and deliver the fee tag to the owner, however the condominium enterprise will lookup who had the vehicle that date and time and mail you the fee tag.

Answer 7

no, they do not,, most people just simple beat the crap out of a rental car because it isnt theirs, I had a friend that always made a comment that the word rental car ment 4 wheel drive,, didnt matter what kind of car it was he beat the crap out of it,

Answer 8

that shake is POOR MAINT. ANY car with wheels out of balance will shake. as for speed restriction mods ,NO as it will affect computer which has effect on EMMISSIONS and WARRANTY,BUT they are adding MONITORING devices that won't effect emmissions or warranty but add to your bill if they say "Oh,MR. Smith we see by our on board SPY that you were speeding "X" number of miles that will be "X" amount of extra $"

Answer 9

That would make them wide open for a law suit don`t ya think?

Answer 10

Possible!