Hertz Announces $168 Million Settlement with Wrongful Arrests of Customers for “Stolen” Rental Cars

The car rental company Hertz made national headlines back in 2020 when many of its customers were wrongfully arrested after the vehicles they were renting were reported stolen.

In a statement released by Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. the company announced that they have reached a settlement for its 364 pending claims related to vehicle theft where they will pay approximately $168 million.

Hertz had claimed that these false theft reports were the result of its struggles with filing for bankruptcy. However, reports for falsely stolen vehicles continued even after the company surfaced out from bankruptcy in 2021.

According to Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr, the company is taking responsibility for all 364 claims. “As I have said since joining Hertz earlier this year, my intention is to lead a company that puts the customer first. In resolving these claims, we are holding ourselves to that objective,” Scherr said in a statement. “While we will not always be perfect, the professionals at Hertz will continue to work every day to provide best-in-class service to the tens of millions of people we serve each year. Moving forward, it is our intention to reshape the future of our company through electrification, shared mobility and a great digital-first customer experience.”