HA. I'm sure Shoen also thinks his customer service is a "10" too.

Fingers crossed that this spells the end of U-haul.

This is absolutely terrifying. Thanks to the L.A. Times for breaking the story.

Forget unsafe design/practices, do they ever repair or purchase new vehicles? I have never once felt safe in a U Haul truck, even the smallest one. My friend even had the hood fly open on the freeway. Couple that with a guaranteed reservation system that guarantees you won't have a vehicle and you have a one of the worst companies I have seen.

I'm sure they were great when they started but I wouldn't rent a truck from them for my worst enemy, let alone my "son or daughter".

Here's an excerpt from the article. Read the whole thing, seriously:

In general, the state regulations say that trailers below 3,000 pounds must have brakes if they exceed 40% of the tow vehicle's weight. By that standard, two popular, un-braked U-Haul cargo trailers are frequently in violation of the rules.

For instance, U-Haul's 5-by-8-foot trailer, which weighs 2,700 pounds fully loaded, would be required to have brakes unless the tow vehicle weighed at least 6,750 pounds. Only giant pickups weigh that much. U-Haul routinely rents the trailer to customers using much smaller tow vehicles.

Shoen acknowledged that U-Haul was not in compliance with the state motor vehicle codes but suggested it was a trifling matter. To make his point, he pulled out a news clipping about a 201-year-old North Carolina law barring unmarried couples from living together.

What a douchebag.

Considering their great regard for the safety of the U.S. consumer, perhaps the Chinese should buy U-Haul.

The title of the article is completely false.

U-Haul has been building thousands of new vehicles over the years. I will guarantee that vehicle maintenance and safety is a #1 priority.

My husband has been an area field manager for over three years with U-Haul. He is the one that fixes all of the rental equipment. If the equipment is not safe, it will not be rented. Period.

Customers who abuse equipment, and the system are as much at fault. Overloaded trucks, and unsafe driving habits are as much to blame.

I challenge you to conduct your own internal investigation, then report these same findings here.

Yeah right. Even if we are to believe you, you cannot speak for other Uhaul locations. Unfortunately, most people who have used Uhaul know they willingly and knowingly rent trucks that are on the verge of breaking down, if not already broken.

The comments by Uhaul's representatives underscore the brazen attitude toward's people's safety. Perhaps you should be complaining to your corporate headquarters for putting your "oh so good Uhaul" location in disrepute.

But go ahead and blame the customer, its always their faults.

I'm not surprised, U-Haul is just evil.

I live in a college town, and there is a short period every year when thousands of students are trying to move at once. The local U-Haul will let you make a reservation for that period, but they don't tell you until you get there that you can only keep the truck for FOUR hours. They charge you for a WHOLE day, but you only get the truck for FOUR hours max, if you keep it for more than four hours, they charge you for two days.

I hate them, but I've been forced to use them twice because Ryder and Penske didn't have any trucks left. The trucks weren't obviously dangerous, but they didn't appear to be in very good shape.

What the heck is an area field manager doing fixing equipment anyway? Doesn't U-Haul employ dedicated mechanics?

Your reply is the epitome of the U-Haul attitude: the customer is wrong.

Why would the Consumerist do their own investigation when a respectable publication like the LA Times spent a year doing it for us?

As for these "new" vehicles, I've yet to see them. Every single U-Haul truck, van or trailer I see on the road is a junker.

@lilmiscantberong: Funny, you seem to be doing exactly what the article mentions: blaming the customer instead of the renter. Besides, it's not a matter of broken equipment in this case; it's a matter of renting people trailers that are too big for their cars to handle.

If it was really all customer error, why aren't U-Haul's competitors included in this article? One would think that a customer problem would span all rental places, not just U-Haul.

The U-Haul shill's comment notwithstanding, I can vouch firsthand that they do, in fact, send customers out with the wrong trailer.

I came in with a Volkswagen Beetle, which I had used to tow a bike trailer before, but nothing larger.
The U-Haul rep assured me up and down that I would be fine towing the trailer that they gave me, though I suspect it was because it was the closest thing they could find on the lot.

I made it about 40 miles from home, by which time I had experienced so much swaying and dipping that I was driving with my blinkers on at 35 miles an hour, and the only reason I kept going was to get the trailer back home, so I could unload it.

So go ahead, lilmiswhatev, and blame customers for this one. The fact is, if the U-Haul office sends someone out with an unsafe trailer, they're to blame. Customers shouldn't be expected to have more knowledge about towing than the person whose job it is to rent trailers every day.

U-Haul's lawyer's attitudes are disgusting, and the locations that were renting those large trailers to people is horrible. Shame on U-Haul for renting out trailers too big for the customer's cars and to those who didn't know how to tow properly. Double shame on them for not ensuring that the customers were told how to correctly load things on the trailers.

However, it's still on you to know how much you can tow with your vehicle and which trailer you should ask for. Towing too much puts you and others at very high risk, and there's a reason there are towing limits on each vehicle. Shame on the customers for trying to tow more than their vehicle's rated for and not learning (either by U-Haul's book or by other easily accessible means) how to properly tow.

Ultimately it's U-Haul's (and any other moving company that does the same), but some blame has to be on the person who didn't bother following the guidelines for their personal vehicle. If you don't know how to properly pull a trailer, you shouldn't be doing it, but the moving companies have a responsibility to make sure you do it properly.

I'm not sure why everyone is blaming U-Haul for allowing customers to rent the trailers they want. It's a fundamental precept of the service industry, The Customer is Always Right. I would venture that U-Haul is doing better by letting customers have what they want than Ryder and Pensake are doing trying to protect themselves from litigation. Customers renting trailers have a responsibility to know what risks they are willing to take with a larger trailer.

Now U-Haul is probably wrong to be recommending trailers that are too heavy, but should not be preventing customers from renting what they want.

@lilmiscantberong:
I'm sure your husband is doing the best job he can. It doesn't change the fact that U-Haul rents garbage and they know it. It doesn't change that the reservation system is broken. And it doesn't change the shady crap that they pull.

When I moved a few years ago, I went with a U-Haul truck. The truck had some... problems. The alignment was off, forcing me to keep the wheel cocked 90 degrees to the right in order to drive straight. When braking, I had to crank the wheel 90 degrees to the left to keep from flying off the road, because the brakes were ruined as well.

I called the local office as soon as I got home and let them know of the problems, and they refused to fix them (not severe enough to warrant a new truck, of course). I could not get another truck on such short notice, so I took it, and drove the next day to my new apartment (the drive was terrifying).

Now, part of any rental policy is that you have to fill the tank before you drop off the vehicle, or they charge a crazy amount of money per gallon to fill it. The truck handled so poorly because of the alignment, that I ended up hitting one of the U shaped poles at the end of the pumps. Did a lot of damage to the side of the truck.

Now the drop off place was not a U-Haul "dealer," but a local business that held onto the U-Hauls until someone else picked them up... the guy was under contract, and couldn't get out just yet. Of course, when I dropped off the truck, you can bet the guy at the local office asked me what happened. I told him, and he was extremely apologetic, wrote on the paperwork that there was no external damage, and documented both issues I reported.

Well, after a month or so, I notice a charge on my credit card for several hundred dollars. Of course I call U-Haul, and they say the external damage was my fault. They also don't care about whatever problems were in the truck... until I threaten to call a lawyer, when they promptly remove the charge from my card.

It was a frustrating experience, and I wish I'd known about sites like uhaul-sucks.com beforehand. I used Budget last time, and the truck was wonderful, so I'd probably be ok reccomending them.

Oh, the gas station? The pole I hit was ok, but the paint was scraped off of it. I made sure to go over during a non-peak time and repaint it for them... sure, the truck being a piece of crap was the reason I hit it, but it's not the station's fault either.

As much as it is terrible for a company like U-Haul to knowingly rent someone equipment that is illegal and intensely dangerous for them to tow with their vehicle, I do believe there is at least some fault here for the consumer.

Plainly: know the suggested tow weight for your vehicle. This is easily found in the manual. Compare it to the weight of the trailer. Which is bigger? If it isn't your car, don't tow that trailer. Regardless of what some jerkoff at U-Haul 'guarantees' you, you are ultimately responsible for what you put out on the road. The cops and your insurance provider aren't going to take "the U-Haul guy said it was okay!" as the reason for why your out of control trailer took out a family in a minivan.

This problem is a 'do your own homework before shopping' issue as much as it is an appalling look at an outrageous business practice.

How can we expect U-Haul to care about both Profit and Safety!? We're living a pipe dream here because as we have found out over the last few months, you can't have it both ways.

As much as I despise U-haul and their corrupt business practices (reservations of trailers mean nothing), some blame goes to the customers. I'm sure most posters have seen U-haul equipment on the road. Now remember how many actually drove U-haul's recommended speed limit of 45 or 50mph. Then remember how many actually drove the posted speed limits (55-75 on average). It's surprising that everyone automatically blames U-haul for an accident when the driver is going 75 in a 65 towing a loaded trailer.

Lilmiscantberong "If the equipment is not safe, it will not be rented. Period."

I think this guy would beg to differ:
[www.consumerist.com]

You can't rent a trailer with an Explorer, but you still can with a Mountaineer. In case you're obtuse, they're the same vehicle.

Are cars/SUVs pulling trailers supposed to pull out at the top of mountains at those "check brakes" truck pull-out sites? I always wondered that (never pulled a trailer before else I'd find out ahead of time)

I also have always wondered what constitutes a truck for the weigh stations. Is a u-haul truck supposed to go into them?

    I've never rented one of those trailers, mainly because I've seen numerous vehicles have transmission troubles over towing stuff like boats, etc. It may be more expensive to rent an entire truck, but not "new transmission" more expensive.

    Part of the blame IS on the renter. Last week, I was cruising down the interstate at 70 MPH, and had my doors blown off by a Mitsubishi Gallant towing a U-haul trailer, and the guy HAD to have been going 90. The trailer was weaving side to side, and I put two wheels onto the safety strip to avoid getting clipped. After my heart slowed back down, I marveled at how in the world he got that little of a car, with a trailer, to go that fast! It was downhill...

    Despite my belief that the renter should be careful towing a trailer, and/or driving an unfamiliar vehicle/load, U-haul should also do its part. Renting something unsafe or illegal to tow is evil.

@permissionmag: You were smart to slow down and fortunate to have a chance to. I wonder what are the percentage of the accidents where high speed contributed. Just take to the I5 between SF and LA and you see a ton of jerks driving way too fast while towing trailers.

@weave: I also have always wondered what constitutes a truck for the weigh stations. Is a u-haul truck supposed to go into them?

Usually, the average U-Haul (or Penske, Ryder, etc) truck is considered not large enough. The highway department is interested in loaded semis. I can't quote exact load limits and such because I've never had to look into it, but you have to be pretty high up there in tons/size before you need to pull into weigh stations.

Alternatively, drive on the weekends or at night when the stations aren't open ;-)

We rented a U-Haul truck once. When you got up to 35mph the front end would shake violently. It was extremely unsafe. We demanded a refund after we were done and told them it was unsafe. They completely ignored what we were saying to them and would not give a refund. They didn't respond to anything we said. Right as we were about to leave another customer came in complaining about how his U-Haul truck almost got him killed.

I've rented a few vehicles from U-Haul over the years, all trucks. Most of them seemed fine, although I rented their $19.95 "local" mover...the truck was a real POS (Bald tires, non-functioning emergency brake, no AC, broken AM radio, grindy 4-speed transmission).

It appears to me that the mechanical of condition U-Haul's equipment varies widely between location and age, and that some locations will happily rent stuff that's in poor mechanical condition if that's all they have left.

That being said, I too have seen people screaming down the highway at 75 MPH towing a U-Haul trailer, and no matter what condition a truck or trailer is in, something bad is bound to happen if it's being rented by an idiot.

@lilmiscantberong:
Did you even read the article? Or were you doing your best 5 year old impersonation with your fingers in your ears, screaming "I can't hear you".

Money quote?

"But a former U-Haul area manager said under oath that the employees' oversight caused the 'senseless' tragedy.

When he learned of the wreck, testimony showed, he called the dealership's manager and said: 'You just killed somebody.'"

U-Haul is THE WORST COMPANY EVAAAAR. I've seen more U-Haul trucks on the side of the road or involved in accidents due to mechanical malfunction or god knows what kind of other failure.

Nobody made mention of the fact they also license all of their vehicles out of Arizona, no matter where in US / Canada they're from... this is because they don't have as strict vehicle inspection rules and apparently the vehicle doesn't even need to return to Arizona to have the tags renewed!

This isn't the first time something like this has happened and it won't be the last but I certainly hope it helps people open their eyes and realize that their lives are worth more than $19.95 a day.

My boyfriend moved out here a few years ago from another state. Originally, he'd intended to rent a trailer.

Fortunately, being a personal injury lawyer and more importantly, a nerd, he did some research first. When he read about the safety records of those trailers, he decided he didn't need all that stuff. He gave his things away to his neighbors and charities, and came out here with just what he could fit in his station wagon. Fortunately, I had enough crap for both of us.

The thing is, though, he's a middle-aged guy with access to information, and experience researching just this type of thing. He had the resources and the cynicism to look into the safety beforehand. An 18-year old heading off to college is far more likely to expect that a company that rents trailers will have some kind of system in place to ensure that the process is safe, the trailers maintained, and that the trailer they rent is appropriate for their vehicle.

@lilmiscantberong: That's nice. So you're basically accusing everyone who's been in an accident or not received a vehicle due to U-Haul's shoddy practices a liar?

Why should we believe you? On the Internet you can claim to be anyone you want and you seem like a paid corporate shill to us.

Yes, I'm saying I don't believe you.

@TWinter: Wait, when the hell did U-Haul start saying their reservations are only good for 4 hours? It takes a lot longer to move a household than 4 hours!

I'd be on the phone to my credit card company if they tried to charge me for 2 days if I rented a truck for 1, used it for a day or less, and got doublecharged. Can we say "chargeback"?

And their site says nothing about "rentals only good for 4 hours at a time" either.

@balthisar: I'd like to see someone who owns both try to reserve the trailer with the explorer, get refused, go back with the mountaineer, get it, and then turn around and sue u-haul.

Refusing a customer just based on the badge on their vehicle, WHICH CAN SAFELY TOW, is bullshit.

@lilmiscantberong: Challenge me to conduct my own investigation?

How about the trailer I rented in 1997 that had a left wheel seize up, and subsequently blow said wheel's tire, and come to a sparking, screeching halt on I-70 in the middle of bumf*ck kansas at midnight? Yep, luckily I stopped in time and didn't have a soft shoulder, or else it would have been more than my college crap that got destroyed.

Oh, and how about the one I rented in 2002, which had no functioning lights (despite the fact that the depot said they just fixed it), and a violent pull to the right, causing it to swing out every 30 seconds or so?

Or maybe it was the truck that my brother rented in 2005, with brakes so bad that he had to use engine compression just to get it back to the depot and give them a "WTF?" shouting match, having the manager contend that he just "didn't know how to drive a truck". Umm, choo-choo, cluetrain - you're not renting to CDL drivers, you're renting to average Joes - that, and my brother has driven larger trucks through the ice in Wisconsin dozens of times. Idiots.

Yeah. U-Haul. Pinnacle of safety.

First of all, thanks to all the astute Consumerist regulars here, I don't need to waste my time refuting the inane "lilmissdefinitelywrong" comment. Instead, I will post this bizarre claim of U-Haul chairman Shoen:

"Shoen said sway-related accidents almost always result from customer mistakes, primarily failing to load the trailer properly and exceeding U-Haul's recommended top speed of 45 mph."

WTF? Recommended top speed of 45 mph?! Here's my question: did he follow this comment with maniacal laughter and crazy eyes?

What a joke--and not a funny one.

@silenuswise: Hah, oh yeah, I got the same excuse when my tire blew. The funny thing is, I couldn't get the truck up above 52 or so. The "45 mph" thing, I think, is U-Haul's universal excuse. They KNOW everyone will exceed it, as it's an unreasonably low speed for someone moving cross states, and therefore they can disclaim all liability. "Did you go 50 in the trailer? Oh. Not our fault."

@tcp100:

From the article
"Shoen said the 45-mph ceiling was meant to 'create a compensatory attitude.' Customers may not go 45, but 'maybe they'll go 55 or 60,' he said."

I drove a Uhaul truck (rented by my employer...my university's housing department) that had zero tread on the tires (absolutely none).

In winter. In Alaska.

I didn't notice (because honestly who checks these things) until AFTER I'd slid into a dumpster.

It had Oregon plates, so I think I can guess why it was that way.

I'll never do business with Uhaul.

@tcp100: Not to mention the question of safety: driving 45 mph on an interstate is actually extremely hazardous. Anyone who doubts this should give it a try sometime. Several years ago, my "local-only" car was a piece of junk 1985 Buick LeSabre which hit a top speed of 50 mph. One day I had to take the interstate for a short stretch, and it was the most stressful, dangerous driving experience I'd ever had. I wonder how many states have considered raising the minimum interstate highway speed limit from 45 to at least 50 mph, based on the accident risk when competing with drivers moving 65-90 mph.

I've never had a problem with a u-haul trailer. Is it u-hauls fault if you put a tow bar on your car and haul stuff outside its rated range?

Most people with u-haul trailers I see on the open highways are traveling upwards of 75mph. U-Haul can't do anything about customer stupidity.

Why should uhaul be responsible for educating the public? Any 18 year old going off to college can Google their vehicles weight limits and proper towing procedures in 5 minutes (or read the freaking manual, every vehicle has a section dedicated to towing). There's no excuse.

In Uhaul's defense....their vehicles MUST be safe. They've been making enough money on customers not crashing them that they've been able to survive at least thirty years of these lawsuits. If that isn't evidence of how low the risk is, I don't know what is!

@Sudonum: Sure, but this does not stop them from using it as the FIRST excuse when something does go wrong. Same concept, different direction. "We KNOW you went over 45.."

@beyond:

It is Uhaul's fault if they rent you a vehicle in unsafe condition, despite their own policies which forbid it.

It is DEFINITELY Uhaul's fault if they IGNORE WARNINGS FROM CUSTOMERS about the unsafe condition of a vehicle and continue to rent it without fixing it. (That's their bread and butter!)

It is Uhaul's fault if they rent you a trailer you can't tow, against their own policies, because IT IS THEIR ENTIRE BUSINESS TO KNOW ABOUT TOWING.
And there are plenty of cars out there where you will have a tough time finding detailed specs online, and they may not own the owner's manual, and they may not have any way of knowing if the vehicle is optioned for towing. Uhaul has this information...well, except for knowing the optional equipment on a particular vehicle

@beyond: I drive from Washington, DC to Denver twice a year.

I have rarely seen a u-haul going 75mph. It's hard to get 'em up that fast, the trucks, or when you're towing a trailer.

The fact that most u-haul trailers are rented by non corporate stores tells you something. Every one of the ones I've rented have come from a gas station, public storage facility, or some other vaguely-related business where they just rotate the trailers in and out. I know they're supposed to make it back to the "hubs" eventually, but I've seen some NASTY trailers in my time, and I probably used them 7-8 times over 15 years before I got wise and switched to Budget/Penske (or Ryder when they were still renting to consumers).

I think U-haul is clearly liable for their failure to properly maintain units and provide trailers without brakes, for failing to consistently distribute safety guidelines, and for their obvious tendency to put profits ahead of safety.

However, there was a reoccurring theme in the personal accounts presented in the piece: they were often not wearing seatbelts. Wear you damn seatbelts, people. So rarely do they make things worse that it is absurd to even think about going without them.

Oh, and practice maintaining a constant velocity, especially when going downhill. Aside from the obvious complications resulting from a trailer it is more dangerous in general because your vehicle is less stable and the distance required to complete a stop is greater.

Driving requires active participation. In most European countries licenses are expensive and require the driver to complete extensive training courses. Driver education in this country is a joke, so we must take it upon ourselves to develop our skills.

penske is the bomb. their the only company I would EVER rent a truck from. They're late model, clean and reliable and CHEAPER than u-Haul

@Buran: This is something the local U-Haul place in my town does and it only applies for a couple of days at the end of July - beginning of August - it's a college town, no one rents places month to month and EVERY lease in town starts August 1. I did manage to move all of my crap in under four hours because it was all boxed up and ready when I went to get the truck, I had a friend helping and didn't want to waste her entire day with the move, so I was ready to go. It's been a couple of years, but I think there was an extra contract that had the four hour limit in addition to the regular contract that the computer spits out. Very shady, probably illegal, but people (me included) put up with shit when they have to move and it's take the shit or else.

After reading countless U-Haul horror stories from fellow Consumerist readers, I steered clear of U-Haul when we did our last move. Moving day is stressful enough without having to worry about poorly-maintained equipment.

We ended up renting from Penske. It cost a little more than U-Haul, but we got free miles, and the truck was IMMACULATE -- both in cleanliness and operating condition.

@TechnoDestructo: The tobacco industry's lasted much longer. Does that mean tobacco must be safe? (Not trying to turn this into a debate/discussion on the tobacco industry, just saying that with good lawyers, companies can survive anything!)

@TWinter: I think someone needs to complain to corporate. Corporate would probably slap these people down. Hard.

Back in 2000, I rented a UHaul to empty a warehouse for one of my employees who was domiciled in Tulsa (I was in Springdale, AR).

I was given three different trucks (all late 80's model Fords) before I found one in which the steering was tight enough for me to keep on the road. Once I got that fourth truck (which was a bit newer) I drove it to Tulsa. Just as I pulled into town, it started raining, and I discovered the wipers did not work - then, in all the fuss, it began to overheat. I finally was able to pull over safely at a gas station and call UHaul. In about 30 mins they sent a guy over in a brand-new shiny UHaul. I said "Oh, my gosh, Thank You! Finally a nice truck. Maybe I can get this job done." The guy says "Oh, no, sir. This is the truck I carry parts in."

I haven't used them since.