buying car from rental agency

[Jason Roehl]

I try to help the economy where I can, Gary.

[Brian Elfert]

My parents bought a previous rental car and I bought a previous rental car too. This was before 9/11. Mine had 9,000 miles and my parent's car had less than 20,000 miles. No problems with either one.

After 9/11 the entire travel industry went down the tubes so car rental agencies started keeping cars a lot longer. I've seen former rental cars in the past few years that were at or over the 36,000 mile limit for the bumper to bumper waranty before they were sold. Former rental cars seem to have a lot more cosmetic issues now than back when the cars were rotated more often.

The travel market has picked up considerably, but rental agencies are still keeping cars longer than in the 1990s. They are doing so because auto makers are cutting back on fleet sales to rental agencies. Auto makers no longer will sell cars at break even or a loss to rental agencies just to keep plants running.

I don't treat rental cars any differently than I treat my own cars. (I don't mistreat my personal vehicles.) Some rental cars are mistreated, but the vast majority of renters are business travelers that just need to get from point A to point B.

[Gary Keedwell]

I understand Brian, I treat all my vehicles the same too, whether their rented or not. But it would be my luck that if I bought a rented car, it would be the exact one that Jason rented.
Gary

[Kyle Kraft]

Seems like I once heard a saying like this, If it's a rental, don't be gentle.

[Lee Schierer]

I'm sure it's probably fine, but let's just say I didn't drive it like it was my own--had to test the 4x4 you know (and not in dirt/mud, I wanted to see if it would spin all 4...). Being a Dodge, I'm actually surprised the tranny held.

Remind me Jason, never to loan you one of my cars!

[Jason Roehl]

Lee, I sat in a Miata at a car show years ago. Even with the seat all the way back, I was uncomfortable in seconds. Now I'm pretty partial to the tall captain's chair in my truck (the one in the minivan isn't so bad, either).

Don't worry, I'm gentle with my friends' vehicles.

[Art Mulder]

Lee, I sat in a Miata at a car show years ago. Even with the seat all the way back, I was uncomfortable in seconds.

Never understood that design.

~ 10 years ago a friend gave me a ride in his Miata. I'm 6'3"... Yeah, kneecaps on the dashboard. What were they thinking?

[Gary Keedwell]

Never understood that design.

~ 10 years ago a friend gave me a ride in his Miata. I'm 6'3"... Yeah, kneecaps on the dashboard. What were they thinking?

Chick car???

[Lee Schierer]

Lee, I sat in a Miata at a car show years ago. Even with the seat all the way back, I was uncomfortable in seconds. Now I'm pretty partial to the tall captain's chair in my truck (the one in the minivan isn't so bad, either).

Don't worry, I'm gentle with my friends' vehicles.

I think the new ones are better for taller people. I'm 5-11 and it is snug fit in my 96. It isn't a car you would drive cross country in unless you did it all on the back roads. The more turns in the road the more fun it is. At 32 mpg we have fun all summer for less than 1/2 the price of a BMW or Corvette and a much lower insurance premium as well. Mine is in storage until spring....its not a snow car either.

[Carl Eyman]

I have done it twice. I bought a 1985 Lincoln Town car in late '85 directly from Budget. I drove it for about 10 years with excellent results. In Nov. 2005 I bought a '05 Dodge Caravan. We are at 2 years and counting with all going well. In between I bought a 1995 Caravan new. I kept it 11 years, but got no more satisfaction from it than I did from the other two.
My take is that it is only good business for the rental agencies to keep the car as well maintained as possible. This for customer satisfaction and lowest cost of operation. What do you suppose it costs them for a car to breakdown during a rental?

[wyman autry]

if you buy a rental or lease vehicle, with warranty miles still on it,and engine problems occur, good luck getting the factory to do anything about it. engine maintaince, oil changes, etc. you cant prove oil changed at proper mileage, records almost impossible to obtain, factory says ,not our problem if auto not properly maintained. you are screwed, and they do not care, prepare to replace engine out of pocket. 3000.oo -7000-oo dollars.

[Doug Edwards]

Yes, that would be important if you had to prove that you followed the maintenance schedule to get waranty service. You don't. The manufacturer can deny coverage only if evidence shows that you have failed to properly maintain and use your vehicle.

[Mike Henderson]

Yes, that would be important if you had to prove that you followed the maintenance schedule to get waranty service. You don't. The manufacturer can deny coverage only if evidence shows that you have failed to properly maintain and use your vehicle.

That's very interesting, Doug. Do you have any idea what would be considered evidence that you failed to properly maintain and use your vehicle? If there was excessive wear in the engine and the oil at the time of failure tested as not having been changed in a long time (e.g., excessive contamination), do you think that would constitute "evidence" and they could deny your claim?

If they did charge that you did not maintain the car properly you'd need maintenance records to rebut it.

Mike