Chrysler recall problems: What you need to know to get a rental car

TOMS RIVER, NJ (WPVI) -- Millions of cars are on America's highways with open recalls, including dangerous defects. Yet when car owners don't want to drive their affected cars, the federal agency demanding the recalls says it can't force car manufacturers to pay for rentals.

In January, we helped secure free rentals for Chrysler owners, and the company assured us it does pay for some rental cars, particularly when it doesn't have the parts to fix the recall.

But then people who saw our report started calling us, saying they were being told by Chrysler not to "believe everything they see on TV." Well, we set out to set the record straight.

"It's going to be tragic," said Linda DelSordo, of Toms River, who owns a Chrysler.

"I'm going to be killed," Tara Snock, also of Toms River, said.

They were two moms with the same fear.

"It just shut off," Snock said. "Lose the steering. Everything shuts down."

Both own minivans, DelSordo a Dodge Caravan and Snock a Town and Country. Their recall warns what both say they experienced, engines that suddenly shut off.

"I'm going to get rammed," Snock said. "It already shut off twice yesterday. I'm so afraid to drive it."

Chrysler says it doesn't have the parts manufactured to make the fix, yet both customers were told by a company rep that it doesn't pay for rentals.

"I can't afford to rent a car," Snock said. "I'm a stay-at-home mother. We don't have money for that."

Both saw our previous story about a Westchester woman whose Chrysler also sat idle, the victim of a different recall with no parts available to make the fix.

But after our calls, Chrysler came through, paying for rental, saying to us that their unwritten policy is to pay for rentals on a "case-by-case basis."

But the day our story aired, Linda's daughter Jennifer Bott called Chrysler and was told our report was false.

"They said you're not gonna get a rental," Bott said. "'There's nothing we can do for you.'"

Snock got the same response.

"They're sorry, but they still can't help me out," she said.

So we contacted Chrysler again, and just minutes later...

"He said he's going to OK the rental," Snock said.

DelSordo got the same good news.

"So Chrysler will pay for the rental," she said.

During our interviews, both customers were called by Chrysler. This time, the rep told them both there was a "mix-up," and both would get free rentals. And they can keep the free rentals until their recalled cars are repaired.

Chrysler apologized and said the two phone reps who took our viewers' calls were disciplined, adding they're the exception and not the rule.

Chrysler also said it began what will be two rounds of retraining to teach reps what the correct rental policy is. But they could not say when the replacement parts will be available and that they're currently being developed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told us they can't legally force car manufacturers to provide loaners or rentals. But it adds that you can find out whether your car has been recalled on their website, Safercar.gov