[skipper]

Hi!

I'm new to the forums, and am thinking of buying a 2012 Malibu.

I'm looking at buying a rental car from Hertz....they have some good deals with 2012 Malibus for around $12,800 and 40k miles.

I'm wondering if it's a bad idea in general to buy from a rental car company, and if 2012's have a lot of problems in general.

I've read numerous times about power steering failures, electrical issues, etc. especially on youtube.

Maybe I should look at a different car? I drive mostly highway 15000 miles per year.

Are there any major problems? I'll have my mechanic look at it first of course.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Malo83]

Rental, Never!

 

[ddamienie]

There is generally a reason why prior rentals come at a good price and its because they were a rental.

You have to look at 40k being around to 70k to 80k worth of wear and tear. Most people do not take care of rentals, and they are usually driven hard and put away wet if you will.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747

 

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

Originally Posted by skipperHi!

I'm new to the forums, and am thinking of buying a 2012 Malibu.

I'm looking at buying a rental car from Hertz....they have some good deals with 2012 Malibus for around $12,800 and 40k miles.

I'm wondering if it's a bad idea in general to buy from a rental car company, and if 2012's have a lot of problems in general.

I've read numerous times about power steering failures, electrical issues, etc. especially on youtube.

Maybe I should look at a different car? I drive mostly highway 15000 miles per year.

Are there any major problems? I'll have my mechanic look at it first of course.

Thanks for the advice.

Hi skipper,

Thanks for looking to the forum as you search for your new vehicle. Some tips in considering a used vehicle are current warranty and previous service history. Good idea in having a mechanic check your vehicle prior to purchase! If there is anything we can help with during this time please do not hesitate to PM us. Good luck!

Amber N.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[cp-the-nerd]

My girlfriend's Cobalt Sport was a prior rental, and it was beaten hard in the first 35,000 miles. It felt like double that and there has been a lot of abuse/wear and tear related work done since she's owned it.

We would not buy another used rental. People like buying new partly because they have the benefit of being the first owner and knowing what the car's been through. Buying a rental is the complete and total opposite. You're the 200th owner and the only certainty is that everyone treated it like crap.

 

[Vegabond]

Not at that mileage; however, we've had 2 x-rentals that were/are trouble free. Both were purchased by us at around 10K miles. Like anything else, have any used car looked at by a 3rd party prior to purchase.

 

[SeaRay245se]

I know how I drive a rental,so nope I would never buy one.

 

[Hummina]

I know how I drive a rental,so nope I would never buy one.

this!

also, every rental ive ever had has smelled of something. usually smoke, but some other "odd" smells as well.

i did buy a rental envoy once. again, had the smoke smell, but was in decent shape and it was cheap for the mileage/options. drove it for a year, beat the poop out of it, traded it in on a sierra, got almost what i paid for it on trade, walked away with a loaded truck. i was happy.

i don't think id ever buy a former rental for any vehicle i plan on keeping for a long time. just my opinion.

 

[kars2010]

I know how I drive a rental,so nope I would never buy one.

EXACTLY. I would NEVER buy a rental.

 

[stoopid]

In general I would avoid rentals, but it also depends on the rental car. SUVs, Vans, etc are less likely to be 'beaten up' as many of the people renting those are families. Maybe some spilled drinks but no drag racing from light to light.

Mid sized, sport, and compact cars can see just about any type of driving habit thrown at them. Like others have indicated, I don't treat rentals with any particular degree of care. By all measurements it seems like a lot of risk for only a bit of initial savings, and likely headaches/costs later.

 

[Seadog69]

I have a 2012 LTthat was a rental. Bought it July 2012 with 17,000 miles on it for $14.5K. Now I have about 31,000 miles on it.

Couple of fixed problems but no difference than what other owners have experienced and were fixed under warranty. Everything is good.

And a small scratch on the fender.

Get it checked out first. You can't lump all rental cars together and say they were all badly beaten up. But to each his own.

 

[Vegabond]

Then again, take note of how people drive/maintain their own car. The only dipstick some are familiar with is their brother-in-law.