The rental companies I have had as customers were very strict about several things; Oil & Filter changes by a Dealership who represented the brand of their vehicles done on-time or even slightly before they were due and repairing cosmetic damages as soon as it was possible to schedule the work. Rental vehicles aren’t kept in their fleets long enough to reach a point in time when other, more involved maintenance procedures would be due.
Every vehicle they rent is an advertisement for how well their vehicles are maintained in order to show a prospective buyer that purchasing a used rental vehicle from them is a great value for the money. Even though some large rental companies have their own used vehicle lots, every vehicle in their fleet is “For Sale” and ready for delivery if a buyer wants one of them.
Think about this, too…Many of their customers are renting because their own vehicles are having repairs performed in a Body Shop due to a crash. Driving a fairly new vehicle that is in pristine condition might cause the renter to consider replacing their old vehicle with the one they are renting and driving. This is the primary reason why large rental companies have ongoing purchase contracts with the manufacturers. Rental companies are a non-dealership related outlet for these manufacturers even when a dealership’s Fleet Sales department is involved.
