Opportunities for add-on warranties, strict maintenance requirements by rental companies and lower costs are potential benefits of buying a rental car. However, inconsistent care by renters and uncertainty about the car's accident history may make any deal less attractive than it originally appears.
Because of the uncertainty many buyers have about purchasing a rental vehicle, some car rental companies offer a one-year warranty when you buy a car directly. This warranty often applies even if the vehicle is beyond the manufacturer's original warranty. In addition, quality rental companies strictly maintain their automobiles, including getting regular oil changes, tire changes and engine tune-ups. Rental companies rely on their reputation for offering quality vehicles. Therefore, you can feel confident that cars have been maintained consistently. In addition, you can confirm this information through the vehicle's maintenance records, which the company should provide.
Used cars purchased on the private market or from dealers are as likely to have problems as a car bought from a rental company. However, service providers of vehicle history reports note when a car has been used in a rental business. This notation alone can impact the resale value of the car, according to AutoTrader. Therefore, you may get a great deal on a quality car just because others are leery about buying a formal rental car.
In spite of efforts by rental companies to maintain cars, they have limited control over the driving behaviors of people who rent them. Even when a car hasn't been in a serious accident, drivers who are hard on breaks or rough on engines can contribute to rapid wear and tear on the vehicle. People sometimes take more risks with rental cars as well, exposing the vehicle to minor scrapes and bumps that the rental company doesn't notice or fix.
Difficulty in knowing the condition of a rental car from visual inspection alone adds to the risks. Some of the gradual wearing that results from varying driver behaviors takes time to show. The car rental company may have elected to repair minor accident damages itself rather than reporting the incident to its insurance company, which means a fender bender may not appear on the car's vehicle history report. You can have a maintenance company do a thorough inspection, but you normally have to pay for this yourself. It can cost hundreds of dollars to perform a large-scale inspection.
