Fleet Vehicle

[DLag]

Hey guys, just wondering what you guys think about buying a fleet vehicle??
Carfax is clean and shows the vehicle has been maintained..

[FLUTE007]

what is it? how many miles? etc. etc.

[morningsmiler]

Depends on what the vehicle was used for and what company owned it.

Alot of fleet vehicles are meticulously maintained since they need to super dependable.

[gearheadE30]

+1, unless it was a driver's ed car or a cop car.

[ddavidv]

Since I have lived in fleet vehicles daily for the last 13 or so years...

They can be good or bad. IMO, it should be fairly apparent just by looking at the car carefully. The beat-to-shit cars will usually show. Lots of scratches, stone chips, door dings, etc. Brake dust buildup on the wheels. The interior is really going to show harshly worn carpet under the pedals, heavily worn pedal pads, nicks & gouges in interior trim, cigarette burns in the upholstery, etc. Now understand, these cars will go through a recon shop to make them clean and spiffy, but a lot of the wear and neglect from indifference should still be there to see if you look hard enough. Drive it if you can. It should feel like a 'new' car. If it feels loose or sloppy at all, it's probably a beater.

I've inherited cars from others that were beat pieces of crap (the one I'm driving now is, unfortunately, one of them). Cars that I got new or from a good prior driver still looked and sometimes even smelled new. I regularly put 90,000 miles on various cars (Ranger, Taurus, Contour) before they got turned in. The ones I had from new looked great, were tight and quiet, and were excellent used car values. The Stratus I have now I wouldn't wish on anyone, and not just because it's a Dodge and I don't dig Mopars. Dirty, burned seats, scratches, chipped paint, probably never been washed until I got it. Happy will be I when this thing finally clicks off enough miles to go to that great fleet depository, the auto auction.

Most fleets require the drivers to do the service at regular intervals. There should be records to prove at what mileages they were performed. If someone skipped or was consistently late doing services I'd avoid it. Please note they do NOT follow the manufactuer guidelines necessarily. Fleet cars generally are exempt from warranty because of their use so fleet companies will generate their own list of intervals/services. Note also that more often than not they force us to take them to Spiffy Lube type places and not the dealer.

Most fleet cars are boring vehicles given to people who rack up a lot of miles and never develop a 'relationship' with a vehicle because they know they will only have it for 3 or 4 years before it gets replaced. I'd be cautious about a fleet purchase, but if you find a GOOD one, they can be a good deal.

[george graves]

I tried to kill an Astovan once. It wouldn't die. I'm still bitter about that.

[Apex381]

I tried to kill an Astovan once. It wouldn't die. I'm still bitter about that.

Next time try to kill one with awd.... you'll have better luck!

[gearheadE30]

My grandpa has an AWD one from '89. It saw nothing other than basic maintainence and has almost 200000 miles without major problems. In fact, they just drove it from florida to alaska and back. They are about to turn it in, though, because the suspension is getting a bit scary.

[Apex381]

My grandpa has an AWD one from '89. It saw nothing other than basic maintainence and has almost 200000 miles without major problems. In fact, they just drove it from florida to alaska and back. They are about to turn it in, though, because the suspension is getting a bit scary.

Yeah you'll always find ppl who love something. My dad bought one a year old in 2002 and the AWD system was all fubar at 80k.

[DLag]

WOW Thanks for all the info!!

Well the cas is a 2005 s2000 with 28k..Its a bit skeptical as he's selling for cheap..

[Hon2BMW]

WOW Thanks for all the info!!

Well the cas is a 2005 s2000 with 28k..Its a bit skeptical as he's selling for cheap..

Who uses an s2k as a fleet vehicle?

Is it at a dealer? its probably an auction vehicle.

[SpecM]

WOW Thanks for all the info!!

Well the cas is a 2005 s2000 with 28k..Its a bit skeptical as he's selling for cheap..

what s2000 got to be a "fleet" car?

[ethree]

Are you sure the seller didn't say flood vehicle?

[e34john]

You getting a used rental car?

I want a fleet car, looking for a used Lt. or Sgt. driven Crown Vic.

[E30Idea]

Yea you are ketting skunked. I Fleet usually means they got a smokin deal on like 100 of them. They are also usualy sold with 128k not 28k. Do some research bro. I dont like the sounds of this.