Rental Car "Jeep" story

[rang-a-stang]

So I'm on my way to meet my co-workers for dinner tonight in my rental 2017 "Jeep" Patriot when I see an EPIC mud puddle. Now, no self respecting man in America driving a vehicle with the word "JEEP" emblazoned on the side should drive past a puddle like this. It was taunting me!

So I made a couple passes through, putting the FWD to the test. Good times! Mud's spraying, I'm laughing, this "Jeep" is even having fun. On the last turn through, I hit something inside the mud. Not really hard but hard'ish. Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) immediately comes on. Uh Oh. So I limp out of the mud, still laughing, and I get out to look down and the front tire has about 2" gash in it and is off the bead and the rear tire has a similar about 2" gash in it. I laugh a little more as I think about how fun that was, then it starts to set in....

I can't call the rental company and tell them "Oh, I had a flat" because this thing was dripping with mud. There was also a trail out of the puddle to where I was parked from the de-beaded front tire. So I sit and stare at it a few minutes and it dawns on me that one of my co-workers has the EXACT same rental car! I call him and he loans me his spare so I can get back to the hotel and figure out what next.

Local wrecking yard (pick a part) has a 2010 Compass that was pretty thrashed but has at least 1 good tire on it. Google told me some 2010 Compass's wore the same tires as this Patriot. My plan: hopefully I can get 1 good tire from the wrecking mounted, give my buddy his doughnut back and let the Rental company know I nailed a pothole and popped a tire (which is not a lie, it really was a giant pothole). In the meantime I got a carwash on the way home so it doesn't look as intentional.

Good times! HAHAHA!!! I love rental cars! Anyone else have any good rental car stories?

[newtojeeps]

Your one of the reasons Some loan companies won't give loans for rental cars,. They treat them the same as salvage titles here in CA.

[SJTD]

I used to travel to Florida a lot. Rented a Sebring convertible. There was icky stuff on the top of the door like sweatysuntanlotion.

Yuk!

After that I took premoistened wipes and did a quick wipe down before leaving the lot.

Also after driving through my first afternoon cloudburst with almost zero visibility heading East to the Cape I took Rainex wipes too.

[rang-a-stang]

Your one of the reasons Some loan companies won't give loans for rental cars,. They treat them the same as salvage titles here in CA.

Concur. Also the same reason I would only buy a rental car if it was listed at 50% of the value of a similar car that was never a rental.

I rent, probably 25-30 cars a year. Avis and budget seem to have the best/cleanest ones. Enterprise are usually high miles but OK. Fox=ghetto. Usually the dirtiest, trashiest, highest mileage rental cars. I had a rental from Fox about 3 years ago that had 80k miles on it! Avis/Budget/Hertz usually less than 30k. Enterprise/National, less than 50.

[DarkMonohue]

Good times! HAHAHA!!! I love rental cars! Anyone else have any good rental car stories?

Sure, several.

About twenty years ago, I rented a brand-new full size Dodge pickup for a day. I think it had 18 miles on it when they handed me the keys. Being young and reckless, I drove it carefully and returned it in the same condition I picked it up in.

Maybe five years later, I rented a great big refrigerator-white Pontiac Grand Prix for an impromptu road trip. It went like a cut snake and had a killer stereo system, so when nobody was looking, I drove it carefully and returned it in the same condition it was in when I picked it up.

A few years back I had another adventure in a throwaway Nissan (Sentra, Versa, one of those forgettable appliances). The wife and I were feeling crazy, so we went to my parents' place for Christmas, driving carefully the whole way there and back. Then I returned it in the same condition I picked it up in.

Being a self-respecting man in America, I was taught not to thrash things that don't belong to me.

[cfg7613]

Yeah...this isn't the type of story I would write about myself if I did something like this.

[rang-a-stang]

Ok, fair enough, gentlemen. I humbly accept the feedback and admit I am not the most mature dude on these forums.

Live and learn, I guess.

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Meh. Rental cars have no soul. I beat 'em like a redheaded step child. I was once upgraded to a newer GMC Terrain from the econo-box I reserved. I wheeled the weee out of that pile. That's also how I found out the sunroof leaked lol

[mattmopar440]

Rental cars are the Best Always get the insurance

[Kaiserjeeps]

Always remember.... The best four wheel drive is a rental car.

[mattmopar440]

Always remember.... The best four wheel drive is a rental car.

there Also the Fastest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucQKNkvzQ3g

[mwood65]

Well...

Not exactly an exciting story but I have only rented cars twice.

The last time we flew into Chicago from Arizona and was on our way to Green Bay for a game and had an "economy" car reserved since I am poor (cheap).

When we arrived they were completely out of ALL vehicles so they said if I wanted to wait a few minutes they had some new cars that just came in and weren't checked in yet and prepped so I said sure we would wait.

So instead of a Ford escort or whatever passes for an economy car these days we got a brand new Chrysler 300 with a Hemi for the same price.

Car still had plastic all over it and plastic seat covers and had like 16 miles on it.

I have to say it's one sweet ride! Nicest car I have been in.....

[Ristow]

bunch of mary poppins' on here. for a second there i was waiting for DM to break into a song about how driving carefully is fun....

splashed thru a puddle and popped a tire....? whats this world coming too?

[mwood65]

bunch of mary poppins' on here. for a second there i was waiting for DM to break into a song about how driving carefully is fun....

splashed thru a puddle and popped a tire....? whats this world coming too?

My Hemi 300 had WAYYYYY less rubber on it than when I picked it up.

[SOLSAKS]

good story rang a stang

you were not too hard on the rental
just having a little fun in a mud puddle.

anyone on this forum who really knows you
is aware that you are a really nice guy.

...a guy who helps anyone you can.

...and a guy who has a great sense of humor.

...you make this site a better place to visit.

( and you have the best Avatar on the site ....ha ha )

dave in NC