Montreal man launches proposed class-action lawsuit against U-Haul over lack of winter tires

A Montreal man alleges U-Haul is putting lives at risk by renting trucks without winter tires and wants to take the company to court.

It’s a scenario many Quebec drivers dread — a vehicle sliding out on ice, out of control. That’s what one Montrealer says happened to him with a U-Haul truck rental in December.

He asked CTV News not to reveal his name and declined to appear on camera.

“I was basically getting wheelspin on that icy road … I could just imagine how it would have been on the highway,” he said in a phone interview. “This could be deadly.”

He said the truck rented at U-Haul’s Jean-Talon West branch was equipped with all-season tires instead of winter tires.

Now, he’s the lead plaintiff in a proposed class-action lawsuit against the company.

His lawyer, Joey Zukran, claims the company was negligent.

“My client wants to hold U-Haul responsible and wants to make sure that road safety is their priority and the government’s because somebody is going to get killed,” Zukran said.

The lawsuit aims to force the rental company to equip all eligible vehicles with winter tires, even if there are winter-approved four-season tires that comply with Quebec’s highway laws.

Tires that have the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol indicate they meet Quebec standards. While legal, CAA says they’re not the same as winter tires.

“Especially because we encounter black ice, we encounter very slushy conditions so driving in the winter can be a challenge in itself,” said CAA Quebec spokesperson David Marcille.

The law requires all light vehicles to have winter tires during Quebec’s mandatory period, including rentals registered outside the province.

Heavy vehicles are an exception but the driver CTV News spoke to says his rental didn’t meet that criteria.

In a statement, a U-Haul spokesperson said the company will not comment on pending litigation but they say the rental in question had winter tires on and that “the tires on the truck have the 3-peak mountain snowflake, compliant with Quebec law.”

But Zukran argues U-Haul isn’t prioritizing safety.

“A, they save on the actual cost of the tire. B, they save on storage. C, they save on tire changing every six months. So U-Haul made an economic decision to save money at the expense of the safety of Quebec road users,” the lawyer said.

A Quebec court is expected to decide within the year if the class-action lawsuit against U-Haul can proceed.