Are dealer courtesy cars usually titled?

[csandste]

Giving my 2017 Soul+ to my daughter. She's giving her '16 Accent to her daughter. I've owned four Kia's and a Hyundai and had excellent experience with all of 'em. Have my eye on a 2023 Soul S at a Lincoln dealer. Has a bit over eight thousand miles. They've supplied me with an Experian AutoCheck report which shows it as a rental. It was titled after a month at the dealer in St. Charles. Since Enterprise is headquartered in St. Charles County there's a possibility that this was some kind of Enterprise purchase gone bad. I doubt, however that Enterprise is picking up single cars from a retail dealership. Talked to a sales manager from a Kia dealership in Wisconsin who told me that it is almost certainly a dealer courtesy car since (at least in Wisconsin) they routinely title courtesy cars as rentals, then sell them off with less than ten thousand miles. The Lincoln sales guy trying to pedal me the car says that their dealership never titles courtesy cars--maybe that shows his honesty, he could have certainly pulled the "that's why it's a rental" excuse out of his ear. Car looks brand new, acceptable price now, although it's been sitting on the dealer's lot since August-- he had it listed at near a retail price to begin with.

So-- is it normal to title courtesy cars as rentals? Not title them at all? Only in certain states? Does it vary by dealership group?

The Kia dealer in the area (not the selling, Lincoln dealer) is a Napleton franchise (not necessarily a good thing). My girlfriend's neighbor, now on vacation, is a Napleton sales manager, so I intend to ask him. Anyone have experience with courtesy cars and whether or not they were listed as rentals on the title chain?

 

[PontiacHO]

Not in my state. North Carolina. I bought a Tahoe that was used as a courtesy car.

 

[eljefino]

The answers will be all over the place.

In ohio, for example, dealers have to title cars in their names, and very quickly after they get them.

I would expect a dealer trying to hit a sales goal titling a car to themselves to get over the monthly hump.

Probably also depends on how cheap "floating" license plates are, on a state-by-state basis. Maine for example has "Loaner" plates as well as "Dealer" and some others.

What's your angle, you don't want a former rental? What do people do with courtesy cars? They don't own those, either.

 

[Hall]

In ohio, for example, dealers have to title cars in their names, and very quickly after they get them.

I know the GM of a nearby Toyota dealer and he said his dealership started "buying" and titling vehicles in the dealership's name starting during Covid. These vehicles were provided to most of their people at management level and higher. It was a fringe benefit to the workers but the real reason is every vehicle sale was a vehicle sale they reported to Toyota. They'd keep them for 6-12 months then put them on their used car lot while they were still new enough and low miles.

 

[RhondaHonda]

That color is really something. What is your angle? As eljefino said, a rental or a loaner, what’s the difference?

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[Hall]

Even if it was a courtesy car, why did it end up at a Lincoln dealer ? Anytime an almost-new car ends up at a competing brand's dealership, it was traded in, at least that's what I'd guess. A rental car company doesn't trade in their vehicles though - they sell them themselves or dump them at auction.

It could also be a lease and the vehicle report just has a typo/mistake.

If none of this, I suspect there's a loophole in Missouri vehicle title rules that allows it to be titled as a rental.

 

[CKN]

In Utah all the time. Don't know why.

 

[csandste]

That color is really something. What is your angle? As eljefino said, a rental or a loaner, what’s the difference?

New And Used Lincoln Vehicles For Sale - St. Peters, MO

Search hundreds of vehicles in our inventory. Choose from new, used, and certified pre-owned Lincoln and non Lincoln inventory to find your exact vehicle.

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I have a 17 Hertz Soul with no problems. However that was discounted by 35% in one year. I've heard rumors of HyunKia denying warranty work on rental fleet resells. No repairs at all on my car so I have nothing to go on they have handled recalls and extended my power train warranty out to 150k. Like most 2nd gen Souls this is starting to burn oil but a couple of quarts per 5K OCI is no huge thing. I'm 90% sure this is a dealer sold car since Enterprise doesn't go around buying one car at a time from dealers. I think the comments about titling the car in order to hit a sales goal might be right on. My gf's Napleton sales manager will be back Tuesday and might have some insights. Having a dealer deny work on their own car cause they titled it to meet a sales goal would be way over the top.

 

[CKN]

I have a 17 Hertz Soul with no problems. However that was discounted by 35% in one year. I've heard rumors of HyunKia denying warranty work on rental fleet resells. No repairs at all on my car so I have nothing to go on they have handled recalls and extended my power train warranty out to 150k. Like most 2nd gen Souls this is starting to burn oil but a couple of quarts per 5K OCI is no huge thing. I'm 90% sure this is a dealer sold car since Enterprise doesn't go around buying one car at a time from dealers. I think the comments about titling the car in order to hit a sales goal might be right on. My gf's Napleton sales manager will be back Tuesday and might have some insights. Having a dealer deny work on their own car cause they titled it to meet a sales goal would be way over the top.

There is a 60,000 mile powertrain warranty to the second and subsequent owners of Hyundai products. I haven't seen a "rental exclusion". Maybe you can provide a link?

 

[Rmay635703]

Here they don’t get titled, dealer slaps on one of the generic revolving plates from their stack and if/when the car sells the warranty starts from the miles/year of sale

 

[Hall]

I haven't seen a "rental exclusion". Maybe you can provide a link?

I don't know what Hyundai/Kia says but I know some automakers definitely have lesser warranty coverage on rentals.

Having a dealer deny work on their own car cause they titled it to meet a sales goal would be way over the top.

You're making many assumptions here.

 

[CKN]

I don't know what Hyundai/Kia says but I know some automakers definitely have lesser warranty coverage on rentals.


You're making many assumptions here.

I am waiting for a link to prove your first claim. I have purchased a total of 4 rentals and used warranty without issues.

 

[MrJayhawk]

It’s been almost 6 years, but my BMW was a dealer loaner and when I bought it I got the original certificate of origin from BMW NA to file in paperwork. This is in KS.

 

[mk378]

The "new car" loan rate requires never titled. If it has been titled, the banks rate it as a "used car" and there are fewer loan options.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I have a 17 Hertz Soul with no problems. However that was discounted by 35% in one year. I've heard rumors of HyunKia denying warranty work on rental fleet resells. No repairs at all on my car so I have nothing to go on they have handled recalls and extended my power train warranty out to 150k. Like most 2nd gen Souls this is starting to burn oil but a couple of quarts per 5K OCI is no huge thing. I'm 90% sure this is a dealer sold car since Enterprise doesn't go around buying one car at a time from dealers. I think the comments about titling the car in order to hit a sales goal might be right on. My gf's Napleton sales manager will be back Tuesday and might have some insights. Having a dealer deny work on their own car cause they titled it to meet a sales goal would be way over the top.

You could always call up the Kia dealer service department with the VIN and ask if there’s any red flags on the warranty and possibly find out past service history, if any at that mileage.

 

[eljefino]

There is a 60,000 mile powertrain warranty to the second and subsequent owners of Hyundai products. I haven't seen a "rental exclusion". Maybe you can provide a link?

This doesn't answer your question but Enterprise special ordered Chevy Impalas without side air bags when they were "standard" for the year. People then bought used Impalas from them expecting airbags, since they were on the standard equipment list you'd read on Edmunds or Consumer Reports, but they weren't there.

A warranty is a contract between the seller and buyer. If someone's buying a jillion of something I imagine they can rewrite that contract, within the confines of law.

 

[mrsilv04]

Unless you're buying it from the dealer who took delivery of it when it was new.... it probably isn't a courtesy loaner.

It's been titled, it shows as a rental, and it is sitting on some other dealer's lot. Plus, the warranty has been in effect for a year, and financing it will be the same rate as a used one. Not such a good deal.

Unless it is on the dealer's lot that took delivery of it when it was new, and it hadn't ever been titled (is still on an MCO/MSO, with full warranty still intact).... hard pass.

 

[csandste]

Went with the Soul. Final paperwork showed it was a dealer to dealer trade with Napleton. Trying to find out what's really going on is impossible when you're dealing with dealerdom, but Sinclair seems to have a bunch of late model Kias at various dealerships. They've recently been expanding from their original Ford dealership to a wider variety of brands and I suspect this was a toe in the water look at HyunKia. Napleton, across the Interstate has an almost identical '23 Soul S with same mileage black over white rather than black over blue selling for a couple of grand more. Suspect both cars were in similar dealer service. This was confirmed by the former Napleton sales manager who lives next door to my girlfriend, a Kia sales manager in Waukesha County WI who said that was probably the case, and the Napleton salesman discussing their car.

After a few hundred miles, I'm a happy camper. All the safety enhancements in the last six years should protect this geezer. Had no collision from the time of purchase on my '17 Hertz car and put a high ($5000) deductible on this car. Premium only increased $200 a year so must be some safety offsets on the new car.

Only negative to this point is that the promised replacement second fob hasn't appeared yet. Fob guy was supposed to call me last Friday. I'll put everything into a succinct email including clipping their direct promises to me and if necessary will show up screaming back at the dealer. I'm sure high end franchises like Lincoln don't want loud near octogenarians making a scene.

 

[proveitwithdata]

Went with the Soul. Final paperwork showed it was a dealer to dealer trade with Napleton. Trying to find out what's really going on is impossible when you're dealing with dealerdom, but Sinclair seems to have a bunch of late model Kias at various dealerships. They've recently been expanding from their original Ford dealership to a wider variety of brands and I suspect this was a toe in the water look at HyunKia. Napleton, across the Interstate has an almost identical '23 Soul S with same mileage black over white rather than black over blue selling for a couple of grand more. Suspect both cars were in similar dealer service. This was confirmed by the former Napleton sales manager who lives next door to my girlfriend, a Kia sales manager in Waukesha County WI who said that was probably the case, and the Napleton salesman discussing their car.

After a few hundred miles, I'm a happy camper. All the safety enhancements in the last six years should protect this geezer. Had no collision from the time of purchase on my '17 Hertz car and put a high ($5000) deductible on this car. Premium only increased $200 a year so must be some safety offsets on the new car.

Only negative to this point is that the promised replacement second fob hasn't appeared yet. Fob guy was supposed to call me last Friday. I'll put everything into a succinct email including clipping their direct promises to me and if necessary will show up screaming back at the dealer. I'm sure high end franchises like Lincoln don't want loud near octogenarians making a scene.

Congrats. I assume your contract has an iou you can refer regarding the fob? That should be the only thing you need to do, just refer to the iou in the contract, no screaming, no yelling, no increase in bp.

 

[mrsilv04]

I'm sure high end franchises like Lincoln don't want loud near octogenarians making a scene.

I would think a Lincoln franchise would definitely be used to that.... along with Cadillac as well.