Uber Technologies Inc. knowingly rented its drivers defective cars at risk of catching fire, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, and the ride-hailing firm said it moved to fix the problem after one of the vehicles suffered a fire.
The Journal cited internal emails and documents showing Uber’s Singapore unit bought more than 1,000 Vezel sport-utility vehicles that maker Honda Motor Co. Ltd. had recalled due to an electrical fault.
It reported the Singapore management was aware of the recall, and that the cars Uber had bought and rented out had not been repaired. The Journal also said management pressed the car dealer for repairs while renting out the vehicles.
“As soon as we learned of a Honda Vezel from the Lion City Rental fleet catching fire, we took swift action to fix the problem, in close coordination with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority,” Uber said in a statement.
The Journal