Buying a used rental

[minichunks]

I've been searching a lot for a used 4th gen expedition, and almost all of them seem to be former rental cars. Has anyone had any experience buying something like this? I've had my eye on a 2019 Limited MAX with 35,000 that i'm pretty sure i can get for a little over $40k. That seems to be right around the right price when buying from a dealership. This particular one is being sold by a Ford dealer. Just wondering if i should run based on its prior ownership.

 

[Vipersinu2]

These engines are expensive and have not been proven reliable to me.
Get a good warranty.

 

[minichunks]

These engines are expensive and have not been proven reliable to me.
Get a good warranty.

Dealer is offering 10yr 100,000mi included in the sale.

 

[2018ExpyPlatinum]

Hard to say. Most people renting a full size SUV probably aren't going to beat the thing. Most likely a guy flying in from out of town, or a big family coming in and need the room. If it was a Camry, I'd probably pass. I know the nicer the rental car, the better I treat it. I've rented Cadillacs, Range Rovers, Tahoes, etc and took care of them. I've rented Camry's and Sonata's and tend to beat the hell out of them. Any used vehicle really is a crap shoot. Check the carfax for damage, maybe an independent inspection. Oh, and read that warranty real close...10 years or 100K is a great warranty...maybe. Good luck!

 

[Flexpedition]

I probably wouldn't worry about a former rental Expedition. A $24.99/day Altima or $18.99/Corolla on the other hand, no chance.

A warranty and pre-purchase inspection is wise on any vehicle purchase.

I'm a Cargurus fan. They list some 980 used 2018s. When you filter off rental/fleet, that gets rid of about 433, so not quite half.


Edit - you said 2019. Same results on Cargurs. 2408 2019's for sale, 1292, about half, former fleet/rental/corporate.

 

[Bmanxx13]

Our previous explorer and now our expedition were former rental cars. Didn’t have any issues with the explorer, and the only issue we’ve had with the expedition was the cold start rattle that was fixed under the ford power train warranty.

Not to say that all rentals will be perfect, but we haven’t had any issues so far (knock on wood) that would be caused from improper care/use in the expedition. Besides the paint, which needs a correction, the car looks and feels brand new.

Make sure to inspect everything, and go on a long test drive if it makes you feel better about your decision. We purchased an extended warranty with ours.

 

[minichunks]

I agree with the sentiment that the larger more expensive rentals are not typically beaten quite as badly as the cheaper sedans, and that is one consideration i've had in this decision. I'm also thinking rental companies maintain their fleets with a certain amount of care so they don't end up with cars breaking down. Having said that, you'd really have to try to kill a car in 30,000 miles.

Regarding Flexpedition's comments on Carguru's, i appreciate you trying to help me out. Unfortunately, once I put in my filters, the search becomes a bit narrower. 67 of the 75 in my search parameters are former rentals.

Under 50k, within 500mi of my house, black(the wife insists), Max XLT, Max Limited, no accidents, no lemon law

 

[Deadman]

My only comment is, I know how I drive and treat any kind of rental. But with it being an expensive rental that might eliminate that crowd.....

 

[wakeboarder]

Clear service records would be important to me. I would feel more comfortable knowing that the oil was changed regularly.

 

[jastevenson]

I looked at used, including rentals. Biggest issue is that all of the ones I saw were 2018, and I had no interest in buying a 1st year model given all the problems people had with the 2018s. Second issue is that none of the rental fleet came as XLT 202a with automatic cruise, which was a requirement for me.

The price differential between a 2019 new and a first-year model 2018 with 35k miles was 5k. I chose to pay the extra 5k. Would've reconsidered for a 10k difference.

 

[minichunks]

I looked at used, including rentals. Biggest issue is that all of the ones I saw were 2018, and I had no interest in buying a 1st year model given all the problems people had with the 2018s. Second issue is that none of the rental fleet came as XLT 202a with automatic cruise, which was a requirement for me.

The price differential between a 2019 new and a first-year model 2018 with 35k miles was 5k. I chose to pay the extra 5k. Would've reconsidered for a 10k difference.

For a new 2019 Limited MAX, they are selling anywhere from mid 50's to low 60's. I'm looking at around 35,000mi for 40-45K

 

[Wayne Decker]

In February I rented an Explorer. It had about 35,000 on it. I was getting it from Salt Lake and returning it in Denver. I had the feeling they were getting ready to unload it. Before I got out of the parking garage in SLC, the "Change Oil Soon" notice popped up. I wasn't going to put that many miles on it and didn't want to hassle going back to the rental office so I kept going. I did check the oil to see that the level was ok. By the time I returned it it was saying "Change Oil". This car also had a few body dings and windshield chips.

So I think the change oil notice must have come up when they moved the car before I picked it up. Maybe they ignored it because they were getting rid of it.

It just didn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about how they care for the cars.

 

[ETC13]

There 2018 we own it's a former rental from Enterprise and sold via Enterprise used car sales. Truck has had no issues outside of warranty work.

Rentals are normally maintained at all the service intervals, etc... Also, these vehicles move out of the fleet faster than your compacts and midsized cars.

I would just look at where it spent its fleet life at if you can pull such. In the case of buying directly from Enterprise they can pull such.

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[Deadman]

I just know if I saw an issue with my rental, I would just run it and if it died I'd just call the rental place for a new one. If it was my own, I would stop driving it and fix the problem right away......

 

[Fozzy]

These engines are expensive and have not been proven reliable to me.
Get a good warranty.

How many have you owned and blew up? Ford has sold well over a million EcoBoost in the F-150 alone and it even sits in the latest GT.


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[plumcolr]

Bought a '17 last year, when a whole bunch of them were being retired by the rental companies. Most had around 40 - 50 k on the clock. They were cheaper than a '15 expy (25 - 30k) or even explorer because the market was saturated with them. I did not expect, nor did I have, any issues (except fighting with the dealer who wanted to sell me an aftermarket extended warrantee).

As for ecoboost reliability issues, they are expensive to fix, but don't seem to need all that much repair (and I really like the gas mileage and low-end grunt). Comparing it to my wife's '18 yukon, she gets close to the same mileage. Mine rides better, is quieter, and I notice hers winds up quite a bit higher between shifts.

 

[Lee Hartwig]

Bought a third gen 2016 XLT EL w 45,000 miles on it in 2017 (rental). Now have 60,000. Zero problems except AC line to rear of vehicle which cracked at 55,000. $1100.00, Installed new chrome lug nuts and got rid of those stupid St St/steel ones $50.00 plus 2 hrs struggle. Put in new brakes/rotors and tires at 58,000. Runs perfectly, no engine, trans, rear issues. Son in law bought 2018 XLT EL he has put on 50,000 miles no problems, will have to replace his lug nuts too.

 

[Conroy Smith]

I own a 2018 Expy Limited which I bought from Enterprise in OCT 2019, it had 40,000 miles on it and in very good condition, now I have 47,000 and so far so good. this is my first ford vehicle and the first time buying from rental car company, so I did a lot of research then think about the good and bad on both fronts. I am having no issue at present.

 

[byathread]

I've rented 3 Expeditions since owning mine. I believe they are durable vehicles, but, I would never buy one that was a rental car for my own daily driver... All of the "things" that I've wanted to try/test in my own vehicle that could result in issues immediately/later I did in those rentals...sometimes multiple times...just because it's really fun. If I borrow a friend/family member's vehicle, it is babied. I'll drive my own vehicle how I want, but go easy for the most part.

As for a rental???

As they say: "Fastest car in the world is any rental car..."

Another saying comes to mind in terms of savings on buying a rental: "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!"

YMMV

 

[Commander Opus]

I bought a 2019 Expedition through Hertz Rent-to-Buy. Had some exterior dings, but I don't care, and got a good price. The don't provide maintenance records, but claim the Ford maintenance schedule is followed. (Which I believe because it would be a legal liability if they didn't). Didn't get the extended warranty because it was through a third party, and those have always been difficult if not impossible to make a claim. Candidly I have a startup rattle that needs to be checked out. Hoping it's not the cam phasers.

All in all a great car, happy so far.