Buying 2019 4x4 5th gen from rental company

[BillSwan]

Hi, I decided on buying 2019 4x4 4Runner with <20 000 miles from Hertz. I will be test driving multiple vehicles to find one in the best shape.

I use this to make notes about every vehicle I test drive: https://chris-fix.com/upload/How to Inspect a Used Car Checklist FULL.pdf

Are there any specific areas that I should pay extra attention to, especially knowing that car has been rented multiple times and could have been abused?

Standard Toyota warranty for 4Runner is 3 years / 36 000 miles?

I was considering TRD but I think there's higher probability TRDs could have been offroaded heavy and abused by renters.

 

[BuzzsawThunderclap]

Hi, I decided on buying 2019 4x4 4Runner with <20 000 miles from Hertz. I will be test driving multiple vehicles to find one in the best shape.

I use this to make notes about every vehicle I test drive: https://chris-fix.com/upload/How to Inspect a Used Car Checklist FULL.pdf

Are there any specific areas that I should pay extra attention to, especially knowing that car has been rented multiple times and could have been abused?

Standard Toyota warranty for 4Runner is 3 years / 36 000 miles?

I was considering TRD but I think there's higher probability TRDs could have been offroaded heavy and abused by renters.

I just did this- kinda.

I purchased a 2019 TRD Off Road with about 28k miles which is quite a bit. The asking was around 11k off MSRP.

I requested to take it to my mechanic whom I’ve used for ages to look it over. My guy took an hour and told me to buy it or he would.

The interior has been used for certain but not much. You don’t get that many miles with a car that young off piste. You’re on highways.

I’m really happy with it and that money I saved is going straight into mods.

Happy hunting!

 

[mteolus]

That would be a crazy idea in my opinion. How many people have driven them and how much were they abused? Probably a lot.

 

[Pathfinder!]

That would be a crazy idea in my opinion. How many people have driven them and how much were they abused? Probably a lot.

I think this is one vehicle you can buy abused without worry.

 

[Motory]

The CPO 2016 I bought from a Toyota dealership back in Feb was a prior rental vehicle with 70k on the od. I changed all the fluids - engine, front and rear diff, transfer case and tranny and it's been problem free for about 15k so far.

I planned on beating the crap out of mine off roading anyway though so I also wasn't too picky about the condition as long as nothing was obviously wrong with it.

 

[rb92673]

I would want to see maintenance records if they keep them. If you are worried about abuse, I would check underneath for signs of severe off road abuse.

When you rent from Hertz you are mostly just reserving the class of car, it could have been a 4Runner or any other mid size SUV. Most people just toss their luggage in and go, I know it is what I do. I did grab a 4Runner trail out of the 5 Star area at Hertz in Phoenix last month. It had about 20k miles on it and drove just fine for the 15 miles I put on it.

 

[BillSwan]

They have service records and I will get them. That's part of standard process.

"I would check underneath for signs of severe off road abuse." - what would that be? Bent or scratched frame and parts?

 

[BaddaBing]

As long as you get service records and there is no paint work you should be fine. Good luck.

 

[phillyd2]

My build thread includes pictures of a rented 4Runner.

Best wishes.

 

[gp55445]

I would verify the warranty transfers as it has been a rental.

 

[mteolus]

Why not to buy a rental car?

 

[BillSwan]

I would verify the warranty transfers as it has been a rental.

Good point. Yes, warranty transfers and it works with no problem whatsoever.

 

[Bossman]

Would you buy a 5th Gen that was once a Rental Vehicle?

Would you buy a used 5th Gen Rental?

 

[BillSwan]

Buying former rental vehicle involves extra risk that I am managing. I have particular process that I run and education about common or known vehicle flaws or types of failures is part of it. I am car enthusiast, I work on my cars myself and I can inspect cars to certain degree. I appreciate all the concerns, I would appreciate even more if you shared 4Runner 5th gen specific failure modes.

Maybe there's something specific to the transmission? or engine? or suspension? Maybe hard driven motor takes longer to start? Maybe hard driven transmission tends to shift later 1-2? Maybe hard driven suspension develops sag visible when parked uphill?

I can see myself if car was to burning man and has dust all around. I can see if transmission is toast. This is all generic car stuff. What I can't see is subtle 4Runner specific things that only 4Runner owners can catch. That's why I'm asking here.

One of the interesting aspects is that renters could have potentially engaged 4WD mode on the pavement not knowing any better. In such case, how could I see that e.g. transfer case is going bad?

 

[5thToy]

Would you buy a 5th Gen that was once a Rental Vehicle?

Would you buy a used 5th Gen Rental?

My favorite reply from the first thread:

"Would you marry a prostitute?"

Much like the prostitute analogy, it's the damage from being abused early and often that you can't always see from the outside that creates the risk. Rental companies aren't known for great deals either. There has to be a better way to buy a 4Runner.

 

[DeltaWhiskey]

I looked at one back in August before I purchased. It had about 17k miles, 19 off road premium. It was super clean and maintained. The best deal I could get was 35k. I bought the same vehicle new new for just under 37k.

 

[BillSwan]

I'm in California, Bay Area. Hertz sells 4Runner 2019 4WD with 15k-20k miles for about $32k out the door. With regular 36k miles / 3 years Toyota warranty. Show me similar deal from any other source in CALIFORNIA. I'm curious.

 

[YBstranded]

Buying a former rental car ranks up there with sticking your finger in a light socket. Most people are smart enough not to do it. But then others...

People buy rental cars that have clean CarFax reports thinking that nothing has ever gone wrong with the vehicle. Not so in most cases.

The rental companies aren't legally required to report damage to carfax or insurance because they are self-insured. Meaning, they usually have a local shop do repairs as cheaply as possible and under the table.

Rental cars get moved from office to office and can start out in Chicago getting subjected to salted roads and horrible potholes, and then end up for sale in San Diego with no record of where it's been.

My girlfriend bought a used rental car without consulting me first. Found evidence of multiple poor body repairs and having been in extremely corrosive environments despite it supposedly coming from California.

She works in the aviation industry and treats the rentals she gets very gently and assumed that everyone else did as well.

She now knows better. But, she had to get burned and learn the hard way.

 

[BillSwan]

I have my test drive booked for Thursday. I already got service records of the car that I will be test driving. What's interesting is that all of the services were in California, different cities. That means most likely the car hasn't been driven across the country or in salt. Also, Toyota's "Warranty and Maintenance Guide" recommends to change oil at 10 000 miles intervals. Hertz per these records changes oil and oil filter every 7500 miles.

I'm going to test drive it and most likely return within 2 hours. Unless it's perfect. My mindset is on testing multiple cars to find the best one. If I return within 2 hours, I pay nothing, it's complimentary.

I have ODB2 scanner with me, I have digital caliper, tape measure, flashlight, camera, pen and paper. I'm noting everything about the car, I write down tire tread, brake pad thickness and other things. It helps later to negotiate better deal but also compare different cars. Sometimes you can get new tires or something else extra. I'm planning on showing up little early and performing initial checks of the car on the outside before my 2 hour rental clock starts to maximize actual test drive time.

What I'm worried most is the 4x4 drive. I'm afraid somebody might have engaged it and drove on pavement. And I don't have a way to detect that. Obviously I will test drive the vehicle and inspect very well around the joints but that might not be enough. If one driver engages 4x4 and leaves it on, would new driver after starting the car also have 4x4 engaged?

 

[Rapid_Amble]

I appreciate the concept of buying used to avoid the depreciation hit. I’d look for a used vehicle with a single owner and not a fleet or rental vehicle though if it was my money.