Question-Buying from a rental agency

[powayroger]

For the most part, I have always bought my vehicles new. I guess then I will know the real history of the vehicle and work done. I’ve also heard that you can get some good vehicles from rental agencies when they sell their vehicles. Is that really true and how do you know what the real history is behind these rentals? I know that when I drive a rental, normally on long trips, I’m hard on them. I’m driving 90+ on the freeway.

So better to buy new or buy used thru a rental agency?

 

[Ethan1]

Rental car management is likely to reset the oil light rather than actually change the oil.

Customers are likely to flog the cars.

 

[Nate1979]

I wouldn't touch a rental with a 10 ft pole. Flogged like a red headed step child.

 

[itguy08]

The best brand of car is the "RENTAL CAR". Flog them like a rented mule and return wet.

No thanks unless a 100k warranty is part of the deal.

 

[gabriel9766]

dont. when i was in my car accident they rented me a 2016 malibu limited with 39 miles on it i sure as heck broke tht car in. cold mornings i would red line it and do about 90 on the highway. rental places dont take care of there vehicles. my shop use to service hertz cars and all they would do is our bulk oil on ANY car. brand new Benz and Toyota's and Chevy's the require premium oil just got bulk oil And a cheap promotive oil filter.

 

[eljefino]

I rented a corolla that had throttle by wire and when it was cold it wouldn't let me give it heck and it upshifted at 3500 RPM whether I wanted it to or not.

I've had a corsica and cutlass ciera that started life as rental cars (RPO code basically said AVIS special) that lived full lives. But that was back when they dumped them used at 8000 miles of age.

 

[pottymouth]

There are far too many low lifes who treat rentals badly. I would rather buy from a private party or even CPO.

 

[Blinker]

FWIW I tend to only buy ex rental cars myself. I like the $avings on a fairly new veh. With that being said, as with any used car make sure to look it over really good. I know plenty of people who said they would never buy a rental car, and then later bought a used car and then found out it was a prior rental. All completely shocked, never thought rental cars could be "good" vehicles.

YES, go to a fleet auction and guaranteed you will see wrecked, smashed, been to heck and back rental cars and it is completely obvious what those cars have gone thru. Stay away from those. They are usually so ragged with broken parts and beat up interiors that they usually end up on sub prime car lots. Those are the junkers, cars that the manufacturer voided the warranty on because of damage.

If you buy a car directly from the rental agency, odds are that its one of their better units. They will gladly show you the maintenance record, sometimes without asking. Rental agencies have invested a lot of money into the disposal of their fleet, they want the best vehicles on their lot to help undo the stigma that rental cars are beat up pieces of junk.

There are so many ex rental cars driving around this country, agencies buy nearly a million cars every year, only to dump them after about 12 months. There of course will be people who say buying a rental is the worst idea ever, well good, more cars available for me

.

 

[KingCake]

Cars can take more abuse than people think. People on this forum tend to clutch their pearls and way over-maintain.

 

[Blinker]

Has anyone thats bashing on this thread ever bought a rental car to speak from experience, because I have.

Its hard to abuse an engine these days. My current cars have a rev limiter if the engine isnt warm enough. Same with transmission shifting.

And if anyone goes out intentionally trying to destruct someone else's property by driving like a maniac seriously needs to get their head analyzed.

 

[Blinker]

Originally Posted By: pottymouth
There are far too many low lifes who treat rentals badly. I would rather buy from a private party or even CPO.


You would be absolutely surprised how many CPO vehicles are rental cars...

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: gabriel9766
dont. when i was in my car accident they rented me a 2016 malibu limited with 39 miles on it i sure as heck broke tht car in. cold mornings i would red line it and do about 90 on the highway.


....And WHY would you do that? Just trying to screw something up you don't own??

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: gabriel9766
dont. when i was in my car accident they rented me a 2016 malibu limited with 39 miles on it i sure as heck broke tht car in. cold mornings i would red line it and do about 90 on the highway. rental places dont take care of there vehicles. my shop use to service hertz cars and all they would do is our bulk oil on ANY car. brand new Benz and Toyota's and Chevy's the require premium oil just got bulk oil And a cheap promotive oil filter.


I'm sure the body shop did the same thing to yours. It's called carma.

 

[WellOiled]

I bought a Chevy Corsica once. It was a good car. It was a huge improvement over the Toyota Cresida that it replaced. The Corsica was faster, used less fuel and was less expensive to repair. I put an easy 200K miles on it before buying a Cavalier.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: powayroger
I'm hard on them. I’m driving 90+ on the freeway.

That is not being hard on a car, by any stretch, imo.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: powayroger
I'm hard on them. I’m driving 90+ on the freeway.

That is not being hard on a car, by any stretch, imo.


I was trying to figure out what that meant. My Toyotas go 80-85+ every day on the highways. But very rarely get floored.

 

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted By: stower17
Originally Posted By: pottymouth
There are far too many low lifes who treat rentals badly. I would rather buy from a private party or even CPO.


You would be absolutely surprised how many CPO vehicles are rental cars...


I would really be surprised if a rental car company offered similar warranty coverage as that of a CPO.

I looked at a Hertz used rental for a friend a few years back. They only offered the balance of the factory warranty and an extended 3rd party powertrain warranty for extra money. The price of the vehicle was not very competitive either. He ended up buying a CPO Camry off lease for less than Hertz would sell theirs.

No doubt you can get a great car from a rental company, but why take the chance if there is no significant cost savings and an inferior warranty?

 

[KingCake]

And going to redline doesn't break a car. Car companies run engines at redline+ for weeks at a time.

 

[TmanP]

We bought a 2010 Sienna (CPO from Toyota) in 2010 with 11K on it that was a Florida rental (Enterprise, I think). Now at 110,000 with only a cam timing valve assembly @100K, plugs, wires, pads and rotors, synthetic oil changes every 5-6k,an inside door handle, and a new radio under warranty. Not too bad. We're planning on keeping it till 200k+, hopefully it's willing. Gotta love that 3.5.

 

[Yup]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
Cars can take more abuse than people think. People on this forum tend to clutch their pearls and way over-maintain.


Did you use a hyphen on Bob is the Oil Guy Forums? I have to agree with this. I lurk a lot, post here and there. I giggle a lot at some of the comments/questions/replies on here. My parents bought a brand new lemon, full price a few years back. I didn't know if was possible to ruin a 4wd differential without engaging it, have it replaced and repeat this process a total of 3 times before a good differential was found that worked. Or that reverse could go out on a transmission 4 times in the first 15K miles. I'd take my chances getting a self-made lemon from a rental agency for 25%+ less than new price...