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Would you be hesitant to buy a used 2020 JL that was a rental car?

Blue Ridge

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Seeing as I want a 2 door and am picky about color, options on lots -new or used- are slim. About 2 hours away from me a 2020 Sport (in the color I'd probably pick if available on 2021s) has sat on the lot for at least 6-8 weeks. It was previously a rental car for 13 months in Ohio. The rental part worries me a bit, and the fact it came from a place there is salt on the roads a lot of the year does as well. And it's not optioned well at all -3.5" B&W display, and auto trans, hard top, color, and 22s package are all that were added. Another downside is it's a drive even to see this one in person. Good grief, I've almost talked myself out of it typing this post! But it could probably be had out the door for around 30K, and that would leave me with some money for a slight lift, wheels, tires, steel bumpers, PRP seat covers and a soft top.
Exterior looks great:
0njqjIN.jpg


Interior not so nice for a year old vehicle, assuming this must be the best it would clean up.

5MYftwF.jpg


If it just had auxiliary switches I'd be able to do lots more myself without paying someone, but pickings are slim in 2 door JL Wranglers. The appeal to buying used is in part that I hunt and fish on land that I'd cringe driving a shiny new one through the first time. And unless I build or go well over my budget, I'm dropping a bit after the purchase to make things the way I want them. This one seems like a nice blank canvas in that respect. On the flip side, she started her life in Ohio and was a rental. I treat rental cars great whenever I've rented one, but I know not everyone does. Figured this would be the place to get some educated opinions, so thanks in advance.
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HungryHound

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I would spend considerable time looking underneath. Take a flashlight too. Many renters expect way too much out of a Jeep and get them into bad situations. I should know...I rented one in Hawaii 23 years ago and attempted sand without airing down. If you have time and ability, I'd check the diff and T/R case fluids for color too. Look for dents and rust obviously.
 

aldo98229

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Every used vehicle is one of a kind. Being a rental does not automatically qualify or disqualify a vehicle.

As stated above, take the time to take a close look; check the undercarriage for signs of use or abuse; look at the interior for signs of wear and tear; check the Carfax.

Good luck.
 

HungryHound

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Every used vehicle is one of a kind. Being a rental does not automatically qualify or disqualify a vehicle.

As stated above, take the time to take a close look; check the undercarriage for signs of use or abuse; look at the interior for signs of wear and tear; check the Carfax.

Good luck.
Just remember Carfax isn't perfect. They keep telling me to rotate the tires on my wife's car but it has staggered wheels (rears are wider than the fronts). I might have to turn out the steering stops after doing that. 😁
 

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Nailgun

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My 2 cents about buying a 'previous daily rental'. I have driven a Chev that came to Canada when it was 2 years old and then privately bought. It was traded to a Toyota dealer where I bought it 9 years ago. I did the Carfax and decided (at my own peril) that it was exceptionally clean and low mileage'd for it's age. Since then it's been a perfectly normal vehicle in terms of things going wrong......that is to say the engine and transmission are original.

But get this, I went to trade it in when I ordered my JL, and they offered me a value they coined 'parts only' just to be rid of it. In the future when you trade that Jeep in.....the CARFAX history is going to cost you with a rental.
 

HungryHound

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knowing the shenanigandery I've pulled with rental cars, there's no way I would consider ever purchasing one.
Yep. I treat every rental car as if it were a Jeep. Don't buy a used gray Ford Taurus in the Vegas area....it has seen some time off-road.
 

AMC_CJ

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Yep. I treat every rental car as if it were a Jeep. Don't buy a used gray Ford Taurus in the Vegas area....it has seen some time off-road.
I lost count of how many I've taken airborne... funny that they always check for body damage, but not suspension.

Had one in particular that upon return every single seam in the cement felt like hitting a 6" pot hole.
 

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Heimkehr

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I don't even purchase dealer demo vehicles, no matter how attractive the pricing offer, so the thought of buying a rental is a non-starter.

To be fair, we've had very good luck with the few Certified Used vehicles that we've purchased through the years. Granted, all were lease turn-ins and most were Hondas. So, we hedged our bets the extent practicable.

Now that our budget allows carefully planned purchases of the occasional new vehicle, that's how we proceed.
 

HungryHound

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I lost count of how many I've taken airborne... funny that they always check for body damage, but not suspension.

Had one in particular that upon return every single seam in the cement felt like hitting a 6" pot hole.
A guy I worked with bought a used bottom-level Taurus then proceeded to rent one every month so he could swap parts. They never noticed that the CD player was now just an AM/FM radio or that the alloy wheels were black steel with hubcaps. Etc....
 

HungryHound

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I don't even purchase dealer demo vehicles, no matter how attractive the pricing offer, so the thought of buying a rental is a non-starter.

To be fair, we've had very good luck with the few Certified Used vehicles that we've purchased through the years. Granted, all were lease turn-ins and most were Hondas. So, we hedged our bets the extent practicable.

Now that our budget allows carefully planned purchases of the occasional new vehicle, that's how we proceed.
I always say buy a "keeper" new. The only Jeep I've ever owned with few issues is the one I bought new 23 years ago and maintained myself. All the used ones I've bought have had isdues. If you're trading often, and before they get too old, then used is not a problem.
 

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I just got back from a work trip in Florida where I rented a 2021 Mustang with only 1,000 miles on it and you could already tell the car has been treated like shit. Scratches all along the passenger door interior, the brakes were a tad squeaky, the leather on the driver's seat was already worn, the drive mode switch was loose, and there was a really deep and long scratch on the rear window. I don't even know how you accomplish that.

I know it's a Ford, so things falling apart from the factory isn't a surprise, but the guy at the counter said they've had it for about a month. One month, 1,000 miles on it, and it already feels really used. I would never consider purchasing a rental vehicle, especially a Wrangler.

I do have to admit, though, that little Ecoboost they throw in there is a surprisingly decent powertrain for a base model.
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