im looking at a 2016 f 250 6.2l. It's got 18000 miles on it.

Looks clean, called a dealer who entered the vin and said there were no warranty claims on it. However, no way to to know how it was treated. Of course I'd have to drive it.

Priced about 4000 under book, don't know how muck "book" figures into things.

Have to to admit I'm Leary, last ford was a 2005 6.0 that was a horrible experience. Both with the truck and ford. Also have seen some stuff pop up about death wobble with ford front ends.

i don't buy new vehicles often, hate the whole deal so I'm looking for something that can be as reliable as possible, given proper maintenance, for a LONG time.

thoughts?

thanks

 

This is a gasser correct? I wouldn't hesitate but thats just me, most rental agencies (big ones, cant speak for bob rental cars, but hertz, avis, etc) are very regimented about routine maintenance per the manufacturer guidelines. My current car is a prior rental, and its been problem free, key, drive, go and just normal maint. My 7.3 f250 on the other hand that was a one owner who claimed to have babied it has been quite expensive to redo things correctly.

I hear good things about the 6.2l gas engines and it sounds like a solid power plant in my opinion. Being a rental they are usually retired when the warranty is about to run out and the mileage hits a certain limit. Whatever you decided Im sure you will be happy because its your decision..but I personally don't see a prior rental as a bad thing.

 

I wouldn't worry about it the 6.2 gas engines are pretty tough. Check the truck out if everything looks good go for it.
I bought a '99' 5.4 gas truck years ago that was a DOT truck with 15k on it when I finally retired the truck it had 225k miles on it and other than the wear and tear items never had a problem with it and it carried alot of weight all the time.

 

Yea, it's a gasser and it was from enterprise which is a mijor rental place.

thanks for the info guys

 

I believe Enterprise has a full discloser policy on their used/prior rental cars and trucks.

 

A huge number of certified pre-owned vehicles at dealerships are former rental vehicles.

It's my opinion that rental customers on average don't abuse things worse than your normal owners. Used is used, condition, mileage and warranty remaining (if any) matter more.

 

I've purchased a couple former rental cars, and one truck. One was a 2year old, 25,000 mile '97 T-bird with a decent Ford warranty. I sold it at ~80K in 2006. Eleven years later, and as late as early 2017 I still occasionally see the elderly gentleman I sold it to driving it around town. Any of those vehicles gave me perfect service with no more then routine maintenance. The truck, a '99 F150 4x4 w/5.4, was purchased in 2001 at 36K and sold at 90K in 2007. No problems other then being a gutless 2 valve 5.4 hohummer.

 

pull the hours from the computer...

I purchased a fleet/lease...
3 years old... 136,000 miles... had 4,100 hours and 600 hours idling..

so it was a freeway truck.. and trailer hitch had no signs of use.
now at 2 years and 16,000 trouble free travels.

 

my current truck 7.3L diesel though, was a fleet truck and so far has been pretty problem free, just done PM mainly with it, only things I replaced (had to) was the IPR (the one that sits behind the HPOP) and the torque converter, other then that every thing like the ICP (the one that sits on the head of the block), GPR (warranty based issue/failure of the plastic) and the blower motor resister (it finally gave up and rusted out) and its pigtail (metal foot got rusted into the pigtail so I had to surgically remove that) so as for would I go fleet/rental truck again, heck yes, most are used just like every ones DD anyways, its a matter of how well the previous owner kept up on stuff...

 

Get it on a lift so you can do a thorough inspection.
I've seen a fleet of trucks come back to Hertz after a large pipeline upgrade completion that had mud packed solid between the transmission and transfer cases and the floor boards.
The Ford, GM's and Dodges did ok. But they had some transmissions fail soon after on the Tundras. They figured the transmissions got too hot with all that mud packed around them.

 

Ive got a 2011 F250 6.2 that was a fleet lease from enterprise. Bought it with 130K miles, now sitting at 174K and ive had no major events to speak of. just have done basic fluid changes and did the spark plugs at 150K. Drive it daily and trust it to go anywhere anytime.

Mine was used by an oil field company (found some documentation and old registration papers in the glove box) and had quite a bit of mud underneath that had baked onto the exhaust. spent some time chipping most of it off but never had any issues arise.

 

No never would because I know what gets done to them. Buying a used rental vehicle is like going to *****house looking for a wife. In my experience Enterprise is a hack of a company with employees that make used car salesman look like top notch individuals.(and that saying it nicely)

 

Let me put it this way.. how do you drive rentals? You might drive them respectfully but how many people are respectful... it might be ok now but later might leave you stranded... my opinion...no I wouldn't even look at one!! Think about how people drive vehicles that aren't theirs like a rental vs one that they own...

 

Appreciate all the replies, I'm hoping to drive it wed or thurs if it hasn't sold.

 

I don't see it much different than buying a lease vehicle. Granted, it most likely had multiple drivers but most people who use a rental agency treat the vehicles with respect. Those days of beating rental cars (Ford Shelby GT350 Hertz cars) are long gone since there is too much at risk.