A leading mechanic has urged motorists to “steer clear” of certain second-hand used cars to avoid being caught out in 2024.
Sherwood Cooke Jr, owner of Royalty Auto Service, has called on potential buyers to avoid purchasing old rental cars despite potentially better deals.
He warned motorists can secure some great rental cars for low prices but warned they run the risk later down the line.
Although he warned vehicle maintenance would likely be up to scratch, he stressed customers were likely to have done damage to the cars over time.
Speaking on the garage’s TikTok channel, Sherwood said: “Generally speaking, and I know there’s going to be a thousand people saying you bought one and it was great, but generally speaking I wouldn’t buy a used rental car.
“Why is that? The rental car companies tend to take care of them and they are going to do the services on them, they are going to do the oil services and stuff like that. So the maintenance part of it is going to be done.
“Unfortunately, the drivers of the vehicles don’t know the vehicle. You’re getting in a car that you may not know really well.
“You’re trying to mess around with it, you’re looking at stuff while you’re driving down the road, you’re hitting potholes.
“Your attention is not 100 percent on the road like it would be in your car. You know where everything is in your car if you need to turn the radio up you know where it is in your car. This car you’re like looking around.
“You’re somewhere where you don’t know the city or the area that well. That’s why you’re renting a car you’re probably in an area you don’t know.
“So when you drive around your town you know where all the rough roads are and all the potholes are and stuff like that and you stay clear of that stuff.
“You’re in a strange city and driving down the road, traffic is horrible and you’re just driving along and you hit things all the time as far as potholes and stuff like that.”
Sherwood then stressed it was likely customers would be a little rougher on rental vehicles than their own models.
Although customers stand to lose a deposit of the car is damaged, the thought of it being someone else’s car could give road users the freedom to drive a little quicker.
This is another reason why motorists should consider walking away from deals despite them likely having lower prices.
Sherwood added: “I would say you know maybe steer clear of that. Sometimes you can get good deals on them but be aware they are maybe a little rough around the edges on those cars.”
