Uber accused of knowingly using faulty cars in Singapore

It has emerged that the ride-hailing company used cars recalled by Honda after they were found to have electrical fault

Honda Vezel as seen in Singapore, said to be used by Uber despite the recall of the car due to an electrical fault (REUTERS)

Uber 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 carmaker Honda 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 whilst 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 reported the vehicle caught fire in January.

The Land Transport Authority in Singapore, when contacted by Reuters, said it had no immediate comment on the Journal report.

An Uber spokesman in Singapore declined to elaborate on whether management knowingly rented out defective vehicles, directing Reuters to the company statement. The spokesman said all vehicles have now been repaired.

"We acknowledge we could have done more - and we have done so," Uber said in its statement. It said it had hired three experts "whose sole job is to ensure we are fully responsive to safety recalls."

Reuters