U-Haul sued over allegedly unsafe truck on clarkhoward.com

The summer is a big time for people moving. Many opt to rent a truck instead of hiring professionals to do the job. There's one company that Clark suggests you avoid if you intend to rent a truck. U-Haul has long had problems with putting allegedly unsafe vehicles on the road. Clark recently saw a Bloomberg report about a man who won an $84 million judgment when his U-Haul ran him over! The jury assessed $21 million in damages and $63 million in punitive damages. U-Haul, of course, feels the damages are excessive and plans to appeal.

Clark thinks this was a case of a jury being furious about company that seems doesn't seem to learn from past mistakes. Go to Google and type in "U-Haul problems" to see for yourself. U-Haul vehicles tend to be old and not properly maintained. The reality is that the company needs to look in the mirror and make some changes, not point fingers at a jury verdict as unfair. Clark invites any U-Haul representative to come on the air and tell him why his view is flawed.

What others are saying

Burning U-Haul
I moved to my current home in NC. As I was pulling up to the new house I could see practically my whole family in my new front yard waving theit arms. Then I notice when a flame leapt up by the driver side window that the truck was on fire. When I called U-Haul one of the questions they asked me was " were you wearing your seatbelt when the incedent happened" and then the guy who rented the truck to me offered me a discount on U-Haul products instead of a refund. Long story short if you use U-Haul God be with you.
By John Owens @ 09/10/09 08:37:47 AMreport abuse
My U-Haul History
I've helped various friends move and have moved several times myself with U-Haul rented trucks. The best case scenario was a really old truck with no A/C in the summer time in Atlanta. The worst case was that the truck caught fire in down town Atlanta, where we waited several hours for a replacement. I've since switched to Penske, who had a clean, new truck and was really low in price compared to the other companies. I can't recommend U-Haul, but I can definitely recommend Penske.
By Andy @ 07/26/09 10:53:37 PMreport abuse
U-Haul truck
I just completed a move from Denver to upstate NY. The Truck was new and clean, it drove nice and had good gas milage.
By Dan Faas @ 03/13/09 08:15:05 AMreport abuse
Truck Rental
I had only one problem with a U-Haul truck. I broke down about 150 miles from destination in the mountains late at night. After some calls, a local mechanic fixed and I was able to continue the trip with only 3 hours delay. U-Haul reimbursed the expenses.

The worst trip I has was with Ryder, moving from Connecticut to North Carolina. I reserved a truck and a car transport which carries the two front wheels only. When I went to pick up the rig, they only had a full car trailer available. I asked if the truck was rated to tow it and they said yes, and rented it for the price of the original trailer. We loaded the truck very full and the towed car very full. Several times after we got on the road, the rig seemed to be very unstable. It would start to tilt side to side and was very scary until it settled. I had trailer pulling experience, but this was different from the whip that trailers sometimes have. I asked the destination dealer about this, and he said the truck was only rated for 2500 lbs and 250 lb tongue weight. I estimated there was about 5000 lb on the truck and the tongue weight was 700 to 1000 lbs because of the placement of the car on the trailer. I went back to U-Haul for my next trip.
By Robert Seay @ 11/24/08 01:57:38 PMreport abuse
UHaul price gouging
The other nasty practice of UHaul is charging a reasonable rate in one direction, but tripling the rate going in the opposite direction. We traveled from DC to Maine, renting a trailer- about $240. At the end of the summer we rented the exact same trailer-over $700! I decided that for the rest of our summer trips it would be cheaper to buy new bicycles, clothes, gear up there and not bother to use a trailer ever again.
By kat @ 10/10/08 05:58:21 AMreport abuse

Burning U-Haul

I moved to my current home in NC. As I was pulling up to the new house I could see practically my whole family in my new front yard waving theit arms. Then I notice when a flame leapt up by the driver side window that the truck was on fire. When I called U-Haul one of the questions they asked me was " were you wearing your seatbelt when the incedent happened" and then the guy who rented the truck to me offered me a discount on U-Haul products instead of a refund. Long story short if you use U-Haul God be with you.

By John Owens @ 09/10/09 08:37:47 AMreport abuse

My U-Haul History

I've helped various friends move and have moved several times myself with U-Haul rented trucks. The best case scenario was a really old truck with no A/C in the summer time in Atlanta. The worst case was that the truck caught fire in down town Atlanta, where we waited several hours for a replacement. I've since switched to Penske, who had a clean, new truck and was really low in price compared to the other companies. I can't recommend U-Haul, but I can definitely recommend Penske.

By Andy @ 07/26/09 10:53:37 PMreport abuse

U-Haul truck

I just completed a move from Denver to upstate NY. The Truck was new and clean, it drove nice and had good gas milage.

By Dan Faas @ 03/13/09 08:15:05 AMreport abuse

Truck Rental

I had only one problem with a U-Haul truck. I broke down about 150 miles from destination in the mountains late at night. After some calls, a local mechanic fixed and I was able to continue the trip with only 3 hours delay. U-Haul reimbursed the expenses.

The worst trip I has was with Ryder, moving from Connecticut to North Carolina. I reserved a truck and a car transport which carries the two front wheels only. When I went to pick up the rig, they only had a full car trailer available. I asked if the truck was rated to tow it and they said yes, and rented it for the price of the original trailer. We loaded the truck very full and the towed car very full. Several times after we got on the road, the rig seemed to be very unstable. It would start to tilt side to side and was very scary until it settled. I had trailer pulling experience, but this was different from the whip that trailers sometimes have. I asked the destination dealer about this, and he said the truck was only rated for 2500 lbs and 250 lb tongue weight. I estimated there was about 5000 lb on the truck and the tongue weight was 700 to 1000 lbs because of the placement of the car on the trailer. I went back to U-Haul for my next trip.

By Robert Seay @ 11/24/08 01:57:38 PMreport abuse

UHaul price gouging

The other nasty practice of UHaul is charging a reasonable rate in one direction, but tripling the rate going in the opposite direction. We traveled from DC to Maine, renting a trailer- about $240. At the end of the summer we rented the exact same trailer-over $700! I decided that for the rest of our summer trips it would be cheaper to buy new bicycles, clothes, gear up there and not bother to use a trailer ever again.

By kat @ 10/10/08 05:58:21 AMreport abuse

Listen Live:

Clark On Demand:

Clark's Advice:

Consumer Action Center:

Quick Links:

Clark Media:

Call The Show:

Sep 01, 2008 -- U-Haul sued over allegedly unsafe truck

Add your comment

What others are saying