I heard noises under my rental car. Now I have a $2,000 bill from National!

"When I entered the National facility, one of the attendants said, Well, there's another Sonata with the lower engine cover coming loose. I explained what happened, and a representative said no problem, and I got another car. I had the Sonata for maybe 30 to 60 minutes total. About a month later, I got an email from National's Damage Recovery Unit demanding my insurance information."

"I called and explained I did nothing to the car I just drove it out of the lot and onto the highway. A representative said since I only had the car for such a short time, I should be good. But three months later, I got another demand. I appealed, and they denied it with no explanation. I never got photos of the damage or explanations of what they're claiming I did. I've emailed three National executives listed on your site but haven't heard back."

"When you returned that defective Sonata within an hour and an employee acknowledged there was another car with the same problem, that should have been the end of it. National should have documented this as a mechanical failure, not customer damage. The fact that even its own employee recognized this as a recurring issue with that model should have protected you completely. Instead, National's damage recovery unit decided to pursue you for money. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen this."

A renter experienced noises from a Hyundai Sonata minutes after leaving the lot and returned the car within an hour. An attendant acknowledged another Sonata had the lower engine cover coming loose, and the renter was given a replacement. About a month later the rental company’s Damage Recovery Unit demanded insurance information, then issued another demand three months later and denied an appeal without explanation. No photos or detailed allegations were provided, and emailed executives did not respond. The company seeks $2,000, though employee acknowledgment should have indicated a mechanical failure rather than customer-caused damage.

Read at www.mercurynews.com