What is your experience with hire cars or "the loaner"

[ranworthbreeze]

No doubt we all have stories regarding our experiences both when hiring cars or having a replacement loaner whilst our cars are serviced or in the body shop.

 

I once hired a Volvo 264 and ended taking it back to the hire company after two hours because it had used a quarter tank of fuel on only 13 miles.

 

Working in Southern Ireland in the early 70's we had hired a car from the hire company at the airport, we were disappointed when they brought out a Toyota Corolla, we stuck with it for a day and went back for another car, I can not remember what; but needless to say it was smaller than the Corolla and had a poorer performance. Back to the airport again, they had nothing else so we had to take out the same Corolla again, Jeff would not drive in Dublin so it was all down to me.

 

I have various loaners over the years whilst my vans, cars have been in for service/repairs. A lot of the smaller cars are ok around town, some very nippy but seem to blown all over the place.

 

A company that I worked for in Leeds had their own garage for their fleet and also used local dealers for servicing their vans. I was loaned a Escort car, it must have been one of the ex reps cars. It was so dirty that had to wash it, it was that or having to duck down behind the wheel it was so bad.

 

My car was in the Mazda dealer being serviced and the guy forgot that the door was ajar on their rolling road and damaged my door, it was duly repaired and the service fee forgotten about. The result was that I was given a Mazda RX8 for a few days while the car was sorted out, I quite liked that, but it was fuel hungry and had one of those wobbly sticks and an extra peddle for some reason.

 

Another loaner was a brand new 3 door Fiesta, it drove very well but the designer must have been a cyclist! anyway they had never sat in the car. I am 6 foot and I had trouble frying to reach for the seat belt that came out of the door pillar, I had a group of friends trying sitting in the car all were shorter than me so they adjusted the drivers seat, I then asked them to then fasten the seat belt, everyone struggled and some had to open the door and sit sideways in order to reach the belt.

Designers; I ask you.

 

So the above are some of my experiences, what are yours and please keep the language clean.

 

Regards

Alan  

 

 

[BroadScot]

Hi Alan,

 

I had my car in for repair after someone blootered my side of the car. I was given what I and many others called in those days the Vauxhall "SHOVE IT"Chevette. It it the worst car I have ever driven, As for vans we had to hire a Luton Bedford to take all the materials for a job in Edinburgh, the problem was it was governed supposedly to 56mph, nah more like 46mph and I think even the old dearies in a Citreon 2CV overtook us on the M8  going uphill! Best I have had without a doubt, was the last one, a turbo charged diesel 5008 Peugeot, the first time I have driven one with the electric handbrake.

Also a five door Renault Clio I couldnt get in it! So had the three door version.Only had that thankfully for three days.

The thing that has always worried me, is the marks on the body work, a way of charging us more for the hire, its not happened to me, yet, but have heard of it happening to others.

 

Iain.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Iain,

A lot of hire companies used to go around the car with you and filled out an outline of the car showing any marks, they had a copy and so did you.

I would always ask for this to be done if not offered.

Regards

Alan

[NeilB]

Best I have had without a doubt, was the last one, a turbo charged diesel 5008 Peugeot, the first time I have driven one with the electric handbrake.

 

 

The Volvos we use have all got electric handrake now so I'm used to them. 

But, I also had a 5008 with a panoramic sunroof.  Pulled up in a car park and flicked the handrake switch, took me a second or two to notice the car was slowly rolling backwards and the sunroof was opening!!

Luckily there was nobody behind me and it was not raining!

[BroadScot]

Hi Neil,

 

The lad at E********e mentioned that exact thing that happened to you !  To watch out and not make that error.

 

Iain.

[BrundallNavy]

I recently hired a transit van, I had only got about 2 miles when it broke down managed to limp it back to the hire yard and explained what had happened. The guy insisted on taking it for a drive as he did not believe me only to return to say "yes your right". A quick swap to another van and off I went.

The petrol gauge was about quarter full so I pulled into the nearest garage to get some fuel only to find I didn't have the key for the fuel cap. Back to the hire yard again to collect the correct key and off I went again, back to the petrol station now with the fuel cap key separate from the ignition key, out I got and removed the fuel cap. While I was filling it with fuel I heard the door lock go. Yes it had locked itself. Rang the hire yard to be told yes that's why the fuel cap key had been removed from the bunch and he had given me the wrong key as this one had a habit of doing just that. 30 mins later he arrived with the correct key.

All went well for the first hour as I was travelling down to Kent to collect a motorbike, then the van started cutting out and then restarting on its own. I carried on as I was well behind schedule by now. I think I counted at least 15 times it cut out on the way there and back but we did make it back ok.

I returned the van while the yard was closed and put the keys through the letter box, I then had a quick look through the window only to find the motorcycle keys were laying on the passenger seat. I manage to retrieve these the following day but it was a definite do not use this company again even if they were cheap !!!

Doug.

[finny]

years ago I took delivery of a hire car from the company that sounds like a bake bean manufacturer.......it was raining at the time of delivery so gave a quick glance and signed  .next day I noticed a few scrapes on one of the rear arches and thought nothing of it

 

did it cost ?

 

well lets put it this way - I will always check a hire car fully .......and I don't eat baked beans anymore

 

Finnydafool

[Siddy]

When I started drivimg late 80's I used spare company cars, big boss used to come visit and send me out to fill it or butty run (he paid) but a it was a E200 Merc and had 4 pedels the far left been a bit higher which was the 'handbrake' and a release on the right handside, total pain in the bum.

Other car I also wanted to drive was a Capri, One of the guys swapped with mine for 2 weeks and I lost more money out of my pocket leaning back for the seat belt it was a 1600 with bucket seats and no go.

[donnygeoff]

Hire car.... loan car....

 

Rag it .... take it back.....

 

Done

 

[finny]

Sounds like my wife and with anybodys car .........she really does send them down the road

 

 

Finneeeeeeeee

[BroadScot]

Hi John,

 

Nothings changed in all the years I have been driving regarding Vauxhall's, but that model in particular, a dear departed friend had one for his mobility scooter, it leaked oil like a sieve. Just rubbish seals I guess.

 

Iain.

[donnygeoff]

I got ... OWNED... by a guy at head office back in 1992 when I put my company car into a farmers field.......

As when I was car-less for a day, he said no probs we have the right car for you here, come and get it.....

I got one of my reps to take me from Northampton to Warwick to pick it up, when I arrived he gave me the keys to a Ford Sierra (I hated those cars)

He then said "at least you might stay on the road with this one"

Great I thought... blinking ford sierra 1.6.....

 

How wrong could I be....... Sierra 4 x 4 Cosworth

 

And yes, It did stick to the road.......

 

I didn't want to give it back, but the sedate BMW320 that I ordered only took three weeks to arrive....

 

[BrundallNavy]

My wife at the time got a new job in Oxford with Halls brewery company. The job came with a company car( our first). Great I thought until she came home from work in a brown Austin Montego.1.3. How disappointed was I.

The first time I drove it I quickly noticed things where not good. Back to the garage where it had a new engine, new gearbox, four new tyres and new brakes, it was still crap to drive but she was then told it was being returned to the lease company in two weeks as her new car had arrived. A blue Vauxhall Caviller 1.8. Result !!!!

Doug.

[BroadScot]

My wife at the time got a new job in Oxford with Halls brewery company. The job came with a company car( our first). Great I thought until she came home from work in a brown Austin Montego.1.3. How disappointed was I.

The first time I drove it I quickly noticed things where not good. Back to the garage where it had a new engine, new gearbox, four new tyres and new brakes, it was still crap to drive but she was then told it was being returned to the lease company in two weeks as her new car had arrived. A blue Vauxhall Caviller 1.8. Result !!!!

Doug.

Could have been a lot worse and she could have had a Austin Alegro

 

Iain.

[ranworthbreeze]

Lets face it Austin went through a bad patch with all of those models and the Marina (slightly earlier Tan's Dad had two of those, I drove it once!) apart from the Mini, they never really recovered.

 

Regards

Alan

[BroadScot]

Hi Alan,

 

Oh driving a Marina into a corner was a fate worse than death   to say it lurched into it was an understatement!

 

Iain.