Budget Vehicle Hire in Telford
Budget Vehicle Hire
On Thursday 16th January 2014 I hired a Luton van from Budget Vehicle Hire in Telford. It was without doubt the most dangerous vehicle I have ever encountered. To drive in a straight line required the steering wheel to be held approximately 30 degrees out of 'straight.' The brakes were soft and incapable of stopping it without using the gears as extra braking. The handbrake would not hold the van on a gradient. Within three hours of taking over the vehicle it had broken down. The company stated that it was my responsibility to return it to them and they did not have a call-out service. A local garage effected a repair at my expense. The following day I again needed to call assistance because the indicators had failed. Later the same day, travelling on the M18 at night, we suffered a tread separation on the front offside tyre. By good fortune and remaining calm, I was able to control the van and it stayed upright and was brought to a halt in the outside lane. At some stage during this journey, the rear tailgate had dropped and was obscuring the lights, meaning that we were showing no lights to the rear, at night, on motorways. Again, a fitter replaced the tyre and we could continue. The next morning, Saturday, we woke to steady rain and had the task of returning the van to Telford. We found that the windscreen wipers did not work. The van's bodywork was shocking, with exposed rust and significant damage to the cab and other areas; the diesel tank cap was misisng and a temporary cover was in place, and the facia in the cab was loose and rattling. I could go on but you get the idea.
It is my opinion that this company should be investigated and its vehicles impounded pending checks. My wife and I were extremely lucky to survive the incident which, had it occurred when the motorway was busier, could well have proved fatal.
