tbroecker01

Ask the dealer for a Carfax, they should be able to get you one for free.
I'd definitely get an extended warranty plan to go with the car.

Before you sign anything with this car, be sure to take it for a test drive, make sure that if anything seems off or is wrong during the drive, you have them fix it BEFORE you sign anything, or at least get something in writing that says they will fix it at a later date.

Also find out if it was a leased to someone locally, if so, then it was probably serviced at that same dealership. If this is the case, talk to the service dept., you might be able to get the service records.

mph07alloy

I've seen several people on here saying "ask for a carfax", while getting one won't hurt, there is absolutely no guarantee that any information on carfax is accurate or up to date. My 2010 was hit in January causing $8000 worth of damage, when I traded it in June the dealer carfaxed my trade and found no record of any accident. I would trust the opinion of a reputable shop over carfax any day.

mlud00

Looking for opinions on buying a used 2012 V6 convertible, rental fleet vehicle from Florida. V6 premium convertible Lava red, saddle interior, looks good, no visible signs of abuse. Ford dealership selling, no certified used warranty, just remaining ford warranty. They want $21,000, has 27,000 miles. Am I looking for trouble buying a rental vehicle? Dealer says they are checked out before they put them on lot. Of course they all say that, but I'm just about ready to buy it. Should I stay away or go for it? I'll probably use it about 5,000 miles a year for pleasure and to and from work, nothing strenuous. Anyone's opinion or experiences would be very valuable, thanks.

IcanDrive55

One of my previous cars that I just traded in on the 2013 was a 2009 Mustang V6 that was bought with 32k on it and it was a previous rental vehicle (bought it for my girlfriend, never again, but that's another story). Due to this I negotiated the price and then spent an extra 2k on a 100,000 mile ZERO DEDUCTIBLE Ford warranty. In other words, for 68k miles if pretty much anything went wrong with the car it was covered without having to spend a dime.

As it turned out I (she) had zero problems with the car and I just traded it last month with 101,500 on the odometer. The 2k was a 'waste' of money but it was good peace of mind. A lot of times rental cars may be driven hard. On the other hand, most reputable rental car companies maintain their vehicles well.

If you negotiate a good price I say go for it. Keep in mind however that when it comes time for you to sell, expect to take a bit of a hit on your selling price for the same reason.

IcanDrive55

If you're going to put limited miles on it, as you say you are, the obvious advantage of getting a car like this is your mileage will 'average out' in a few years. You'll actually end up with a 'less than average' mileage car pretty quickly. So, you should be able to buy quite a bit cheaper because of the mileage and not take a huge hit come trade-in time.

For the same reasons stated above sometimes people can be reluctant to buy a car with a 'rental car' past. Personally I think most people that rent a V6 convertible are driving it more for the style than performance.

Keep in mind that there are a TON of V6, lease end or rental cars in the market. One of our atlanta dealers, Sandy Springs Ford, deals with a lot of them (just check their website, you'll probably see a bunch of late-motel, V6 models with 32k to 36k on the clock. It's a good way for dealers to have some great looking late-model cars that they can advertise at prices lower than typical market price for the same cars.

If you do it, negotiate the price. If you want the name of a salesperson at Sandy Springs Ford PM me and I'll put you in touch with one of 'em. Although I didn't buy my last car there he helped me with negotiating at another dealership and making sure I got a fair deal.

Just did a search on the 12 convertible with 27k on KBB.com. In 'excellent' condition it comes in at 21,200 or so. I would be trying to get a couple of grand below that number. I can tell you that the 09 mustang that i bought in 10 with 32k on it was purchased for about 17,000 out the door. However, I then paid close to a couple of grand for the extended warranty (that i ended up not using). I would probably make an offer around 19k out the door and let them counter, but that's just me :-)

2011V6Conv

I agree. I bought mine (former rental/fleet) about a year and a half ago with 15k miles and added extended warranty for peace of mind. So far no issues, and am overall very happy with it.

For reference, here is another thread on the same subject

mlud00

Looking at another used rental Mustang. a 2011 V6 premium, drk gray, black leather, 43,000 miles. 2 owners, first was rental fleet of course, second was personal lease for 1 year. Seems like lots of miles, but price is $18,500. I want them to include a 1yr warranty, but unsure if they will. Otherwise its the remainder of Ford's powertrain warranty since the 3 yr/36,000 warranty is expired. Is this a good price? I'm not sure.

2cokeman

Nothing wrong with a lease if it was leased to a normal person, only thing is leases sometimes don't the care and maintenance that it should have? I would be careful to get it checked out by an independent mech.

BleedinBlue

I wouldn't pay it for those miles.

And quit resurrecting old threads just to jack them. Your particular car shopping situation doesn't even have anything to do with the original post.

mlud00

Just a note to BleedinBlue: Thank you for being such an arrogant SOB. I thought I was actually on the subject of fleet/rental. Sorry for being so ignorant as to not start a new thread! Think I'll find another forum to join...